Bloom Into You Episode #08 Anime Review

Intersection/Rained In

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 will contain spoilers)

Oh no. I think it might be happening already. In episode six, we finally caught a glimpse into the thought process surrounding why Touko has fallen so hard for her kouhai. And considering that the episode directly after that spent a good 75% of its time on Sayaka, we didn't really get much of a chance to plug up the cracks in Touko's surface that have since begun to show. What I'm trying to get at here is that this 'undying love' that the student council president has been showing for our protagonist might not be as undying as we initially thought. In fact, the tables may even be turning for our two characters as Yuu begins to act more smitten with each passing episode.

Now, we're all pretty aware that rain has become time timeless anime symbol for things getting depressing or bad or whatever you want to call it. Rest assured, Bloom Into You is no exception to that. Almost the entire duration of episode eight is drenched, symbolizing the growing unrest deep within the hearts and minds of both Touko and Yuu. And as if the rain wasn't enough to showcase that, the sheer distance between these two characters finishes the job rather flawlessly. Up until now, almost all of Bloom Into You has centered on direct interactions between our primary couple. This week, however, Yuu and Touko don't even see each other until around the fifteen-minute mark. Sure, it could probably be chalked up to pure happenstance, but one key thought from Yuu emphasizes that this isn't exactly the case. Just as we had ascertained from the post-credits monologue in episode six, Yuu has also begun to realize that Touko doesn't exactly want her to return her unrequited love. And even though she's had absolutely no problem with this so far, it's beginning to get rather complicated in the grand scheme of things.

I think it's safe to say that, at this point, Yuu is becoming aware of the feelings she has for her senpai. Sure, she's still dodging that question whenever it's directly sprung onto her (Thanks, Sayaka), but her incessant blushing and cutesy verbal slip-ups beg to differ in almost every scene. The biggest example of this comes into play in the final few minutes this week's episode as both Yuu and Touko take shelter from the rain under the cover of a storefront awning on their way home. Going over the few minutes before they met up, Yuu actually says something along the lines of, "I was really happy when you showed up today." But instead of returning this line in an equally adorable manner, Touko sort of just stands there with a blank look on her face, almost forcing herself to believe that Yuu meant something else. Of course, Yuu picks up on this immediately and respins her words to contain an uninterested demeanor and, lo and behold, Touko reverts back to her normal self. 

For the first time so far, Yuu lets her guard down and the girl who has shown her unblemished affection for two straight months is the one to back down. It's almost inarguable that Yuu is longing for a new type of connection -- she even goes to hold Touko's hand for her own benefit this week instead of simply trying to gauge a reaction. It's easy to say that our protagonist has finally begun to bloom, but what's worrying about that is that the flower next to her might wither and die by the time that happens.

In Summary:

This week's installment of what I would easily deem as the best yuri series of the year is just dark and dreary as the weather in the featured picture. Sure, Yuu and Sayaka manage to bury the hatchet, but the chemistry between our main couple slowly but surely begins to fade. Despite things ending on a positive note, Yuu's growing affection and Touko's growing unease spell a dangerous final arc to this wonderful series. At this point, all we can do is hope that these two girls can discern their feelings and finish blooming as a couple, rather than just blooming into their own skin.

Episode Grade: A-

Streamed By: HIDIVE

Bloom Into You Episode #07 Anime Review

Secrets Galore/Sparks

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 will contain spoilers)

Following the masterful episode-six, Bloom Into You returns with yet another strong addition to an increasingly endearing and emotional romance. With Sayaka finally showing hints of a darker side at the beginning of last week's installment, this latest episode takes that and runs with it -- embellishing on her character in ways that I didn't expect to when the show first started. And while I didn't exactly desire a love triangle in this series, the way in which it is both presented and executed is quickly persuading me otherwise. Sayaka's sudden intrusion into an otherwise uncontested romance actually makes things all the more interesting and, for lack of a better term, intense.

Up until now, Sayaka's character has been limited to the "Friend that only wants what's best for you" archetype when, in all actuality, she's been fawning over Touko since she first met her. Looking back on it, I guess Sayaka's sexuality wasn't exactly hidden, but its revelation really shone a light on her sudden shift in attitude when it comes to Yuu. You see, while Sayaka is definitely interested in Touko, her perception of homosexuality is sort of tilted to begin with. Having been turned onto lesbian relationships through a senpai just a year or two prior, she's still relatively uncertain of the world's perception of them -- especially considering how her first relationship came to a close. So, at the end of the day, we have yet another fragile character putting up a front. Just instead of trying to turn herself into the spitting image of someone else, she's struggling to thrive with the person she sees herself as. It isn't until running into another couple later on in the episode that she comes to terms with this. And even then, that self-revelation is just as fragile as her.

Episode-seven sees the introduction of two new characters: Riko-sensei (The girls' Japanese teacher) and her significant other, who runs the cafe everyone hangs out at. And while these two are in a relationship, they try to mask that so it won't reflect poorly on the reputation of Riko, who doesn't want her preferences known to her students. Through some interesting powers of deduction, Sayaka manages to piece their true relationship together and actually consults with shop owner privately just a day or two later. This conversation, which ultimately closes out the episode, ends with Sayaka finally finding validation through the eyes of someone else. No longer does she fear how others will perceive her, but the new challenge lies in how she will manage her feelings toward Touko.

Other than just Sayaka's self-discovery, episode seven also hones in on her disposition toward Yuu, who is essentially stealing Touko away from her. What's interesting about Sayaka's feelings toward Touko, however, are that they closely mirror Touko's affinity toward Yuu. And while that might sound rather complicated, it can be simplified as this: Touko and Sayaka are both drawn to someone that, if they were to change, would shatter their feelings for them in the first place. This idea actually details one of the central themes of the series -- changes are scary, especially for teens trying to learn their place in the world. Touko and Sayaka are not only similar in how they act and how they perform academically. The one thing which they truly complement one another on is how they are terrified of situations changing. This is ultimately the reason Sayaka decides to not profess her feelings and why Touko is so afraid of progressing romantically with Yuu.

Yuu, on the other hand, doesn't really have ample time to do anything this week. This is totally fine, though, because it's not like any section of the episode lacked substance. In fact, Yuu actually has a moment or two where her feelings for Touko are visibly progressing in at least some form. It's easier for her to pick out cute mannerism and- hey, now she's even on a first-name basis with her senpai. And despite the lack of any other clear development in that department, it's easy to see how things may or may not progress going into next week. With Sayaka finally entering into the 'competition,' things are about to get a bit more confusing for pretty much everyone.

In Summary:

Bloom Into You takes a small amount of time off from the Yuu/Touko dynamic and spends most of its duration teaching us about Sayaka. Unsure of what to make of her best friend (And crush) slowly drifting away, Sayaka manages to come to terms (Albeit only slightly) with the person she is and her role in Touko's life. The major issue now is how that perception may change with the inevitably blooming relationship between our two protagonists. Yet another major conflict has arisen. Our couple has turned into a trio and, no matter what happens from this point on, someone is going to get hurt.

Episode Grade: B+

Streamed By: HIDIVE

Bloom Into You Episode #06 Anime Review

Words Kept Repressed/Words Used To Repress

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 will contain spoilers)

Makoto Katou, you brilliant bastard. Who would have ever expected a guy with only one other major directorial credit (Beautiful Bones) to come in and impact a series the way Katou has done thus far? Without over-summarizing the episode in just the first paragraph, I will still say that this particular installment of Bloom Into You features one of the most beautifully executed scenes I've seen all year. In fact, everything about this episode goes against the grain that the series has grown accustomed to over the last month, and every second of it is nothing short of astounding. From the sudden shift in character dynamics to a rather heavy post-credits sequence, episode six is the best this series has been so far- and that's saying a lot.

From start to finish, this week's episode is filled with shocks. The first of these comes in the form of Sayaka's personality doing a complete 180 when she realizes that Yuu might be getting a bit too close to Touko. In borderline-menacing fashion, she tells Yuu to essentially leave her senpai alone because she already has someone else looking after her. The whole scenario sort of blindsides our protagonist, the same way it does us, and Sayaka simply exits the frame and leaves all of us wondering what the hell just happened. Sure, we all knew there was a little more to her character than meets the eye, but a complete tonal shift was still pretty spontaneous and it doesn't lessen the impact at all. In fact, I'd say it even goes on to amplify it given the circumstances Yuu has fallen under. If last week's episode wasn't enough to weigh on her psyche, now she's got a whole other monster to deal with in the form of a jealous upperclassman. All things considered, there is a lot going on for Yuu right now, and what she's about to find out doesn't make that any easier. 

You see, before Sayaka stormed off, she also made it a point to drop a major hint that Touko has been hiding something rather huge from Yuu. This "something" concerns the student council of seven years ago and, in case you've forgotten (Which you likely have), that was the last student council to propose having a stage play. Well, after digging around the library and seeking some help from her sister, Yuu discovers that the name of the student council president from seven years ago was Mio Nanami. But why was Touko following in the footsteps of her sister instead of just trying to do her own thing? Well, the answer is rather simple when it comes down to it.

Touko's sister died in a car accident seven years ago.

We were already aware that Touko went through some major social reconstruction in order to become the person she is today. What we didn't know, however, is that she wasn't turning into a different version of herself. Touko Nanami was attempting to become her sister entirely. The pressure of those around her, the people who looked up to Mio, pushed Touko into a position in which she would feel insignificant if she didn't follow in her sister's footsteps. Now, I'm normally rather good at predicting things like this, but this episode completely threw me for a loop. I'd like to once again give a shout-out to Makoto Katou for being able to pull this off. If I had been caught up with the manga, I'm sure this episode wouldn't have been nearly as impactful as it was, so for the first time in my life, I'm actually glad that I was behind on something. Especially since it went on to make the last scene one of the best I've seen in quite some time.

You know those moments where you really want to say something to someone but fall into despair trying to figure out how to say it? Great. Now, mix the essence of that feeling with a gorgeous sunset and some heavy-hearted symbolism. The end result winds up being an incredibly intimate scene where Yuu, for the first time thus far, has her feelings bust straight out of her heart and into the air as she essentially begs Touko not to become someone else. I use the term 'beg' loosely here as Yuu is still Yuu, but even that doesn't detract from the emotional intensity of the scene. There's clearly a lot more to Touko than any of us understand right now and Yuu gets that. She makes it clear that she's willing to do whatever it takes to stay by her senpai's side and, to us, she even admits that she wants to try falling in love with her. She never says it's impossible, just that it's unlikely. And if we continue to follow the trend of the last few episodes, I'd say it's more than possible.

However, this raises a huge problem when it comes to the post-credits scene. Up until now, I never thought that Yuu's inability to fall in love was the reason Touko grew so attached to her. But now that we've actually caught a glimpse into her thought process, this might not be the case at all. Will Touko continue to feel the same if Yuu does change? And how will Yuu feel if Touko changes in response to this? These are just two of many questions that episode six poses, and I'm looking forward to their answers more than anything else this season. 

In Summary: 

As the most well-executed and important installment thus far, episode six turns the tables on this entire series. With character dynamics changing drastically thanks to one simple discovery, the future for Yuu and Touko immediately becomes significantly more uncertain. The addition of Sayaka's new 'attitude' certainly adds an interesting element to the series as well as it continues on toward being one for the yuri history books. With beautiful direction and a gorgeous overall tone, Bloom Into You is not something you should even think of skipping out on. It is completely and utterly fantastic.

Episode Grade: A

Streamed By: HIDIVE

Bloom Into You Episode #05 Anime Review

The Problem With Choices

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)

Well, after five episodes, I think it's safe to say that the 'blooming' has finally started. With Yuu's strange and uncertain feelings toward Touko being pointed out to her in last week's episode, she emerges this week with her guard up. And while episode five does an exemplary job of making this known right off the bat, it counters itself (And rather well, I might add) with incessant refusal from our protagonist that can't seem to grasp the situation she's landed herself in. And while some may view the vast majority of Yuu's inner monologues during this particular episode as factual, I'm here to refute that. I firmly believe that the bulk of these monologues are not things she is telling us (The viewer) but herself in an effort to combat her feelings.

Have you ever heard of that whole "Actions speak louder than words" phrase? Who am I kidding- of course you have. You're not an idiot. Well, almost every single action that Yuu has taken up to this point has been in complete contrast to the dialogue that precedes whatever it is that she decides to do. It's almost like she's trying to talk herself out of things before succumbing to desire or curiosity or whatever it is she's feeling. The fact of the matter is, though, she is feeling something. Sure, it's not love right now -- and it might not ever be love. But it's overwhelmingly clear that her dynamic with her senpai is unlike anything she's ever been thrust into before. This idea, though vague on paper, is best showcased in Touko's first visit to Yuu's house. Yes, she's been to the bookstore before. But in this week's episode, she actually gets to meet the parents of the girl she is sweet on.

The visit, which was meant to be sort of study/tutoring session, quickly turns into something much different -- something many of us have had to go through at some point in life. What I'm talking about, of course, is being alone together in a bedroom with the object of your affection. Touko becomes visibly flustered and it prompts a discussion between the two girls that could be interpreted in a number of ways. All of these interpretations, however, all wind up at a single statement from Yuu. This statement can be paraphrased as "I'm going to stay with you because you need me more than anyone else." While this may seem cold to some people, digging into the type of person Yuu is brings you to a much different answer. She isn't blowing off Touko's feelings and saying something along the lines of, "I'm with you because no one else has ever had feelings for me." We know that much isn't true thanks to the confession of her previous classmate. What she is trying to say is more akin to, "I like how much you need me." 

Sure, it's a relatively strange concept -- especially considering the nature of the girls' relationship. But you must ask yourself, "Is Yuu really blind enough to the feelings of her senpai that she would say something that can be so easily misinterpreted?" The fact of the matter is- no, she wouldn't. Yuu Koito is a very well-educated girl who, thanks to years of shoujo manga, has a fantastic understanding of romance. What she has trouble understanding is what exactly romance is supposed to feel like. But what we're beginning to uncover is just that. Yuu has started to bloom. She's happy that someone appreciates her that way Touko does, and she doesn't have any intention of giving that up despite countless statements that make it appear as if she does. At the end of the day, she's at a point in her life where everything is confusing. And the only constant thus far, the only thing she has been 100% certain of, is that someone loves her.

Also, there's absolutely no way Yuu isn't into Touko with how much she blushes during her senpai's cuter moments. I refuse to believe it.

In Summary: 

Bloom Into You remains just as endearing as ever with the most well-focused episode since the pilot. We get a better glimpse into the life of Yuu's family and even learn a bit of how relationships are handled in the household with some help from her sister. The Koitos are a pretty normal family. And sure, her dad said something about his heart not being able to handle if his daughter got it on with a girl (Bad paraphrasing), but I'm having a hard time believing that now. There's no way this wholesome family would object to anyone their daughter grew fond of -- especially now that they've formally met Touko. Regardless, the series continues on at a slow, yet enjoyable pace. Each episode brings us closer to understanding these two girls as they become more intimate with each other, ultimately uncovering a few things they didn't know about themselves.

Episode Grade: A-

Streamed By: HIDIVE