Taiki spends some quality time with the in-laws in Blue Box chapter 174 as the return of Chinatsu’s father threatens to force the young couple apart. Our plucky protagonist tries his best to embark on a charm offensive, but will it work?

It’s a good job that the Blue Box anime is airing right now and receiving rave reviews, because anyone motivated enough to try and catch up on the manga will find themselves in a very good spot. Despite “solving” the main romance in a way that would kill most other similar narratives, series author Koji Miura has managed to overcome this by shifting the focus of the story into exploring relationships and youthful passion in general. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the series is afraid of indulging in a little bit of melodrama here and there, but it’s kept surprisingly sensible.

Surprise is also the main emotion I felt while reading Blue Box chapter 174. When Chinatsu’s father returned from overseas in chapter 172, this seemed like it would usher in a story arc full of angst and heartache as Chinatsu was dragged away from Taiki and became unable to see him, but last week’s chapter made the truly unexpected move of having Taiki offer to live with Chinatsu’s father instead. This defused the situation somewhat, even if Chinatsu was still hurt by her father’s insensitive observation that she wasn’t able to win at nationals.

Such is the strange situation that Blue Box chapter 174 explores, with Taiki and Chinatsu’s father living together like an estranged parent and child. Through his previous appearances in the manga, we already got the sense that Chinatsu’s father was a pretty unflappable man: he rarely even cracks a smile, so Taiki’s kind gestures of making dinner presumably won’t have much of an effect. That being said, the final page does suggest that he’s at least bemused, as he remarks that Chinatsu has “gotten tangled up with one strange fellow.”

In many ways, Taiki’s quest to win over the heart of Chinatsu’s father is a microcosm of the series as a whole. To cut against the melodrama that often dominates the romance genre, it has always carried the underlying message that love is a power in and of itself that can push people to overcome impossible odds and achieve amazing things. Both of the main characters’ efforts in their respective sports are an obvious example of this, but it’s equally true for the situation with Chinatsu’s father. Maybe Taiki can win this war with nothing but good vibes.

You can read Blue Box chapter 174 for free via VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump.