Bloom Into You Episode #04 Anime Review

The Difference Between Fondness And Kisses/Not One Of The Characters

What They Say:

Yuu has always loved shoujo manga and awaits the day she gets a love confession that sends her heart aflutter with bubbles and blushes, and yet when a junior high classmate confesses his feelings to her...she feels nothing. Disappointed and confused, Yuu enters high school still unsure how to respond. That's when Yuu sees the beautiful student council president Nanami turn down a suitor with such maturity that she's inspired to ask her for help. But when the next person to confess to Yuu is Nanami herself. Has her shoujo romance finally begun?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

If there's anything we've learned over the last few weeks, it's that Touko and Yuu don't exactly have the most standard sort of relationship when it comes to romance. With the former being head over heels in love and the latter being more confused than anything else, the dynamic between these two high school girls has been rather entertaining from a spectator's point of view. Strangely enough, that exact idea goes on to encompass a large part of this week's episode in the form of a spectator within the series itself. But before we further delve into the spectator's role, we must first take a look at the more literal side of what's happening in Bloom Into You.

We're already aware that Touko has become the new student council president and that Yuu has followed suit in joining the association. What we didn't know until this week, however, is that it's already crunch time for them. With the cultural festival approaching far sooner than anyone had anticipated, it's time for the council to kick things into gear and decide what exactly they're going to be doing. Touko, taking the reins as she normally does, suggests revitalizing an old school-tradition of putting on a play for their peers. And while Sayaka and the newest addition to the club (A first-year named Dojima) are all for the idea, Yuu and Maki are quick to voice their opposition.

After a brief dispute, the student council decides to save the discussion for another day and regroup at a later time, leaving Yuu and Touko alone in the clubroom. Given that Touko has had to contain herself for roughly two hours up to this point, she's having a hard time not jumping onto her new companion straightaway. Instead of acting out of aggression this time, though, she asks for Yuu's permission before commencing another round of lip wrestling. And while it sure is great to see these two going at it again, the greater part lies in how Yuu has begun to handle these situations. Slowly but surely, she's making her senpai aware that she's still not entirely against doing things like this. In fact, this time around, she even voices her interest. And for the first time since the pilot, we have a relationship that seems [almost] entirely consensual. There are no problems whatsoever.

Well, at least for a few seconds there aren't. Remember that spectator I mentioned earlier? Yup, you guessed it. While Touko and Yuu are "sharing a moment," Maki shows up to retrieve an item he left in the club room, ultimately seeing these two engaged in, as I will refer to it, 'the deed.' Instead of going all NTR on the girls, however, Maki keeps it to himself before revealing what he knows to Yuu the very next day. What's interesting about this exchange, however, is that Maki's perception of the event is a rather interesting one -- one that isn't all that far off from how Yuu views romance.

A monologue from this spectator reveals that Maki doesn't really have any interest in experiencing romance firsthand, but that he'd rather watch from the sidelines. The relationship between Yuu and Touko has become the perfect example of that. He vows to keep their secret safe and, before the episode comes to a close, actually reveals something to Yuu that she was having a hard time grasping herself. Maki, who is suspiciously experienced when it comes to watching couples in love, lets Yuu in on the fact that, well, she's probably really into her senpai. Hearing this from someone else throws Yuu into a spiral of reflection and realization as she begins to realize that her classmate may actually be right. But before we have time to learn more about what she's feeling in that moment, the episode comes to close. We're going to need to wait one more week to discover whether or not Yuu has fully accepted her own feelings and what exactly they mean to her.

In Summary:

Despite several strong moments and the most semi-promiscuous scene to date, Bloom Into You begins to slow down as the seeds for its future are planted. With a third party now in on the secret relationship developing between Yuu and Touko, it's only a matter of time until others begin to find out as well. But will the inclusion of other people play a role in helping this couple? Or will the secret getting out begin to tear them apart? It's a set of questions that this entire episode is set up to establish. Thankfully, Bloom Into You remains impressive enough on all fronts for either of these answers to be a fulfilling one.

Episode Grade: B

Streamed By: HIDIVE

Bloom Into You Episode #03 Anime Review

Still Up In The Air/The One Who Likes Me

What They Say:

Yuu has always loved shoujo manga and awaits the day she gets a love confession that sends her heart aflutter with bubbles and blushes, and yet when a junior high classmate confesses his feelings to her...she feels nothing. Disappointed and confused, Yuu enters high school still unsure how to respond. That's when Yuu sees the beautiful student council president Nanami turn down a suitor with such maturity that she's inspired to ask her for help. But when the next person to confess to Yuu is Nanami herself. Has her shoujo romance finally begun?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

The last two episodes of Bloom Into You have done an exemplary job in exploring the actions of both Touko and Yuu. But what they haven't done, however, is shed much light on the reasons for these actions and why, to some viewers, the characters may seem rather one dimensional. This week's installment sets aside time to put those notions to rest in the form of elaborating (Albeit briefly) on why Touko may not be nearly as perfect as she appears to everyone in the series itself. Fortunately, episode three also saves enough time to make our hearts flutter in the form of a few more semi-awkward, yet adorable exchanges between these two lovable young women.

Right off the bat, we learn a bit more about of Yuu's family and perhaps discover the reason for her affinity toward shoujo manga. As it turns out, she lives in a bookstore run by her grandmother and her parents -- a fitting and fortunate abode for a manga/anime protagonist. Touko, who finds this out at the same time as us, drops arguably her most adorable moment yet in the form of becoming overly-embarrassed for no reason other than, well, having 'taken advantage' of the shop owner's granddaughter just days prior. After Touko leaves, however, the true purpose of the scene comes into play. During an exchange with her family, filled with praise for Touko and her elegant mannerisms, Yuu's father drops a subtle hint that if his daughter were, in fact, a lesbian, he wouldn't be able to handle the shock. And while the scene doesn't drag this out or really embellish any further on that sentence, we can understand why Yuu's hesitance toward girl on girl relationships is more prevalent than other characters in the series.

This week isn't all about Yuu, however, especially now that the student council election is finally here. In the moments right before the candidates' speeches begin, Touko shows what can arguably be considered her first sign of weakness. Yuu, who has been more observant of Touko than anyone else, picks up on this and pulls her outside. Despite attempting to hide it at first, Touko opens up to Yuu and confesses that she isn't the model of perfection everyone sees her as. In fact, she went through most of her life feeling weak and unwanted and essentially sacrificed everything just to be able to feel like 'her.' Many of us can relate to never wanting to be seen as weak, so the fact that Touko has dedicated her life to that really goes to show us just how little she thinks of herself. It also explains why she's rejected so many suitors. Touko believes that these people weren't confessing their love for her, but for the image of perfection that she had created. All of those suitors were in love with not a person, but a concept -- and that goes on to explain why Touko is so infatuated with her kouhai. Yuu is the first person who is able to see through Touko's guise.

Of course, the two girls can only stay outside for so long and eventually have to get back in there and recite their campaign speeches. Yuu's speech, however, doesn't go exactly as planned. Instead of ending the speech in the standard manner of "That's why you should vote for Nanami," she actually goes off the books and explains how she, herself, has been made into a different person thanks to Touko. The direction of this scene was fantastic, with bits of internal monologue thrown in between lines of the campaign speech, showing that Yuu clearly views her senpai as someone special or important in some way, shape, or form. At the end of the day, she winds up going a little overboard in terms of her praise, but Nanami is still named the new student council president. And with Yuu finally deciding to join the council, the next phase of her relationship with Touko is set to begin.

In Summary:

I've got a feeling that this series of reviews is going to turn out the same way my take on Tsukigakirei was. That is, suffice it say, overwhelmingly positive unless something changes drastically. The mood, the artwork, the characters, even the opening and ending sequences are all nearly flawless as far as I'm concerned. And even though we're still in the early stages of the adaptation, I can't foresee any drop in quality coming any time soon. Excellent on all fronts, I continue to recommend Bloom Into You to anyone interested in the romance genre -- not just yuri.

Episode Grade: A-

Streamed By: HIDIVE

Bloom Into You Episode #02 Anime Review

Heating Up/Application For First Love

What They Say:

Yuu has always loved shoujo manga and awaits the day she gets a love confession that sends her heart aflutter with bubbles and blushes, and yet when a junior high classmate confesses his feelings to her...she feels nothing. Disappointed and confused, Yuu enters high school still unsure how to respond. That's when Yuu sees the beautiful student council president Nanami turn down a suitor with such maturity that she's inspired to ask her for help. But when the next person to confess to Yuu is Nanami herself. Has her shoujo romance finally begun?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Following one of the strongest pilots of the Fall season, Bloom Into You had its work cut out for itself coming into week two. With Touko's semi-confession already out in the open and Yuu still teetering on the brink of becoming her campaign manager, the series has already established itself as rather plot-heavy in comparison to many other shows of the same genre. But will it be able to keep this up for an entire cour? I mean, we've already delved deep into the possible (And probable) themes for the series, so the only thing left would be to embellish on them, correct?

Episode two sets out to do just that. While its counterpart made waves through its beautiful scoring and luscious backdrops, this newest installment of Bloom Into You shines a more vibrant light on how Yuu has perceived recent events, while not straying from how Touko has perceived the same ones. Before that, however, we're graced with arguably the best new opening of the season in Riko Azuna's "Kimi No Furete." If you haven't caught the episode yet, I advise that you go into it wearing a sweatshirt as both the OP and ED are almost sure to give you chills. But, moving on, the relationship between our two protagonists hasn't gone through any drastic changes overnight. One person who is undergoing a few changes, though, is Touko's best friend and future vice president (Assuming Touko is elected the next president), Sayaka Saeki.

It's clear immediately that Sayaka doesn't exactly approve of Touko's selection for campaign manager. She makes no attempt at hiding it either. But, as best friends typically do, Touko catches on right away and actually has a solid explanation for why Yuu was chosen and not Sayaka herself. While the reader may have ascertained certain 'feelings' that may be clouding Touko's judgement, the official 'on the books' explanation of this is that having Yuu on board will pretty much reel in all of the first-year votes. It's actually a really solid strategy in the grand scheme of things. No other candidates have taken on a first-year as part of the campaign, so if Touko didn't have a leg up on the competition before, she surely does now.

Politics isn't the only area where things are heating up, though. Episode two sees two drastic changes in the relationship between Touko and Yuu -- the first of which is something that has come a bit faster than many viewers may have anticipated. The second, however, is what will propel the series forward while still managing to clear up some confusion about Yuu Koito and the asexual identity as a whole. Touko confirms her feelings for our wonderful orange-haired heroine in the form of a sort of...self-rejection. She's figured out that Yuu doesn't view her romantically, but still wants to maintain her feelings as its the first time she's ever felt 'fulfilled' in her life. The sudden announcement takes Yuu by surprise but, even though she obviously can't reciprocate her senpai's feelings of romance, she doesn't hate them. This prompts Yuu to accept Touko's proposal of an ongoing, unrequited love that will, hopefully, bloom into something more one day.

In Summary:

A great follow up to a great pilot, episode two hits all the right spots while adding a phenomenal opening and ending sequence. Not only are the characters developing at a rather comfortable pace, but the overall quality of the animation and sound design sit amongst TROYCA's [small] portfolio as some of their best work to date. With a story just as sentimental as its centralized themes, Bloom Into You remains the highlight of the Fall season in my book. Please, for the love of Yuu, watch this.

Episode Grade: A-

Streamed By: HIDIVE

Bloom Into You Episode #01 Anime Review

I can't reach the star.

What They Say:

Yuu has always loved shoujo manga and awaits the day she gets a love confession that sends her heart aflutter with bubbles and blushes, and yet when a junior high classmate confesses his feelings to her...she feels nothing. Disappointed and confused, Yuu enters high school still unsure how to respond. That's when Yuu sees the beautiful student council president Nanami turn down a suitor with such maturity that she's inspired to ask her for help. But when the next person to confess to Yuu is Nanami herself. Has her shoujo romance finally begun?

The Review:

Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)

Okay, listen up guys -- I'm going to do my best to contain my excitement in this pilot review, but the fact of the matter is that I'm still bouncing with joy over how this was even adapted. I first encountered Bloom Into You through the Seven Seas' manga release back in January of 2017 (The review is still floating around here somewhere) and immediately fell in love. Yuu Koito isn't your traditional yuri protagonist. Sure, she's cute, aloof, and doesn't immediately reject the idea of girl on girl relationships, but the one thing setting her apart from the rest is that...well, she's sort of incapable of feeling romantic feelings at all. 

Now, I'm all about some good, old-fashioned girl on girl tongue wrestling. But what a lot of people are beginning to forget (Thanks to series like Citrus and Sakura Trick) is that a lot of the time, you can't just start these stories off with makeout sessions. Much like in reality, real relationships take time to...bloom. See what I did there? Either way, Yuu's struggle (Which drops a plethora of hints at a debatable asexual preference) is one that is already interesting, if not objectively captivating. Back that up with one of the school's beauties and student council vice president, Touko Nanami, coming into the picture and we've already got a strong foundation for a yuri coupling. The new girl and the beautiful senpai has been a shoujo-ai staple for as long as I can remember, but it isn't very often that one of them is almost entirely disinterested.

Despite being an episode built from the bottom-up to emphasize Yuu's feelings on romance, the series pilot does an exemplary job in setting the stage for the rest of the anime. In just fifteen minutes (Before an extensive post-credits scene), we've already been familiarized with the two girls we're going to be following and are free to formulate our own ideas of how their relationship may develop. It's a wonderful example of 'show don't tell' philosophy that relies more on self-reflection and awkward silence than vivid descriptions of why the characters feel the way they do. It's no secret that love works in mysterious ways, but it's also no secret that, oftentimes, it doesn't work at all. Bloom Into You is a shoujo-ai series detailing that exact notion. Right now, we have no idea how anything is going to work. But the beauty of its themes will be brought to light in due time, much like how we learn lessons in reality. 

This isn't a show about girls' love, it's a show about figuring out who we are.

Apart from heavy thematic implications and well-written characters, Bloom Into You has plenty more to offer. At this point in the Fall season, I've watched somewhere between eight and ten new shows. This looks better than the vast majority of them. Even though they haven't been around as long as many of their competitors, studio TROYCA is proving once again that they aren't ones to be messed with. A vivid color palate, extraordinary lighting effects, and fluid animation rivals the beauty of the world in which all of these things inhabit. When you add an intimate original score from the likes of Michiru Oshima (Snow White With the Red Hair/Little Witch Academia), all of these aspects are heightened exponentially. I know it's still early in the life of this adaptation but, at the current time, I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this. It's everything I wanted and, moving forward, I'm excited to see where it takes us. 

In Summary:

Remarkably balanced and surprisingly intimate, Bloom Into You offers a unique take on the yuri genre featuring a debatably asexual protagonist. Gorgeous animation and an entrancing soundtrack work as the perfect backers to further thrust us into an already-immersive experience. Watching the relationship between Yuu and Touko unfold is going to be one of the highlights of this season for me. And if you share any interest in the shoujo-ai genre, I highly urge you to accompany me on that journey.

Episode Grade: A-

Streamed By: HIDIVE