On Your Marks/The Unheard Start Signal
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)
You know how I've been raving about Yuu becoming the antithesis of her former self for the last few episodes? Well, this review is likely going to be a bit more of that, so feel free to skip it if you think you've already heard the gist of my feelings on the matter. But for those of you that elect to stay, allow me to say that one scene of this episode in particular captures the essence of Yuu's 'transformation' better than anything else thus far. In fact, the moment is so flawlessly executed that it goes on to turn an otherwise uneventful ninth episode into one of the most impactful of the series.
In the grand scheme of things, a simple relay race doesn't seem like it would the emotional weight that much of Bloom Into You has endured. But, if there's anything I've learned from 'Sports Day' episodes in my time with anime (Particularly romance) it's that, oftentimes, these sorts of things can surprise you. Just like in reality, cupid's arrow can strike at any given moment. For some people, this happens the second they meet the object of their affection. For others, namely Yuu, this arrow happens to strike in the middle of nowhere in a situation that absolutely no one would ever catch onto should they be spectating. As far as I'm concerned, though, that makes her feelings seem all the more genuine. Backed by a beautiful insert song, Yuu watches Touko run the last leg of the relay race and drowns out everyone else but her. It turns a moment that would not have lasted more than fifteen seconds in reality into a slow-motion, sun-touched scene that immediately melts and reforms her heart. This is the moment where Yuu truly falls in love, and we will be able to look back on that once the series meets its end.
As if that wasn't enough to further solidify her 'blooming,' an earlier conversation with Maki works as an excellent supplementary piece for embellishing on this. We've already been made aware that Maki isn't exactly interested in pursuing romance of his own but would rather watch as those around him partake. Yuu, however, never exactly realized that the reason for this was that he, too, was incapable of feeling those butterflies that she had longed to feel for years. So when she finally opens up to 'someone like her,' it gives us the window to understanding [from someone actually feeling loveless] that Yuu can't possibly be feeling that way as well. But if that's the case, why does she continue to not act on her feelings.
Well, the answer to that question harkens back to just last week when Yuu realized much of Touko's affection comes in the form of not being able to receive any in return. So when Yuu finally has windows of opportunity to act on her feelings and truly indulge in her romantic desires, she must resist or face losing Touko entirely. She's terrified that if she lets her guard down and admits her feelings, she might lose them just seconds later. For a girl who has never felt this way in her life to face something like that is a feeling not many of us will ever be able to empathize with. We can, however, infer that things are going to be remarkably difficult for Yuu until she's comfortable enough to share those new feelings with Touko.
In Summary:
A flawlessly executed relay-race scene sees to the end of Yuu's blooming as she's finally hit with cupid's arrow. But with Nanami pressing down on the gas, Yuu must find a way to fight back her feelings or face losing them entirely. The primary struggle is no longer the battle between a young girl and first love, but a battle between that same girl and herself as she attempts to decipher the proper course of actions moving forward. Yuu's psyche is reaching its peak- there is only so much more weight she can take on before she succumbs to it. With the final 'antagonist; finally out in the open, our gorgeous yuri drama is approaching its final act. And if it's anything like the rest of the series, I can promise that it will be a good one.
Episode Grade: A-
Streamed By: HIDIVE
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