The Incomplete Me/Daytime Star/Mirage
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, I hadn't really noticed how close we've been getting to the end of this season until I saw "Episode 10" on HIDIVE this morning when I prepped for this review. With that in mind, my perspective on Bloom Into You may be morphing a little bit over the next week or two. Now, this isn't me saying that I'm going to turn my back on the show and go against everything I've upheld for over two months now, but that I'm simply a lot more worried for its future than I had been previously. This is a very slow moving show in all the best ways possible. And without much hope for a second season, I'm a little afraid that the conclusion Yuu and Touko deserve may be a bit out of reach, to say the least. That aside, there's still plenty to talk about in this week's episode.
Over the last few installments in this sickeningly cute series, we've seen Yuu shift from complete romantic disinterest to a sort of puppy-love for her senpai. This affinity, which had reached its peak at the end of last week's episode, continues on in full force as the young girl tries time and time again to hide it from the girl of her dreams. And while Touko seemed openly opposed to Yuu actually falling for her in weeks past, that begins to sort of fade away this week. I'm not saying that she's gone and changed her mind or anything, but the lack of inner monologues in comparison to her tendencies in the past may wind up signifying that those worries may be dissipating. Of course, this may also just be a result of the student council's play quickly approaching on the horizon. In fact, it's approaching so rapidly that it prompts Touko to propose one of my favorite slice of life trope episodes of all!
That's right, ladies and gentlemen. It's time to get yourselves ready for yet another SUMMER TRAINING CAMP EPISODE. (Insert party noises here). Now, we're going to have to wait another week to actually see this episode, but the fact that it's coming may actually bring the windows of opportunity necessary to reach an ultimately satisfactory ending. I mean, if Yuu is really going to come to terms with her feelings for Touko, being stuck together for two entire nights will give her plenty of time to come out and inform her of those feelings. Hell, we're talking about a girl who realized she was in love during a relay race -- can you even imagine how she'll feel during a stage play that they've worked months on? In addition, there's a sort of precedent for this if we harken back to the speeches Yuu and Touko gave during the presidential campaign. If she was unable to contain her emotions back then, when she was still learning who her senpai was, it's easy to believe that she might slip up again this time now that she's had time to [forgive me for this] bloom into her.
Sure, there are a few obstacles still in the way. Sayaka is going to be playing Touko's love interest in the play, after all. But as far as I'm concerned, Sayaka's character arc has already reached a satisfying ending. I can't foresee her upcoming role doing anything to jeopardize Yuu's future or Touko's feelings. If anything, we'll probably just get to see a few more shots of Sayaka blushing- but that's really it. The biggest obstacle of all, however, is going to be Yuu herself. You know, the same exact obstacle we've been dealing with ever since the race. But there's one scene at the end of the episode that gives us hope for this, and it comes in the form of a lengthy phone conversation between the two girls. If there's anything we've learned from watching this show, it's that love often reaches its peak at times we wouldn't expect. Moments like this, that appear mundane to anyone uninvolved, are oftentimes the ones that go on to predict the future for those who took part in them. If Yuu can provide solace for Touko during moments of vulnerability, it's easy to believe those moments wouldn't be willingly given up. And despite my rulings on this in the past- right now, I don't think Touko would turn her back on Yuu if she were to find out her true feelings.
But, as is the case for many shows of this nature, we'll have to wait until the very last episode or two to find that out.
In Summary:
Yuu's affection for Touko continues to grow as we rapidly approach the end of the series. With both a summer training camp and the student council play on the horizon, the window of opportunity to push this couple together has never been wider. The only downside is, the series will only last long enough to see the end of these two things. So if that opportunity is missed, as it has been in the past, we may just never see a resolution for these two. Either way, Bloom Into You remains as precious and endearing as always, and I will continue to recommend it to anyone interested in shoujo-ai or romance in general.
Episode Grade: B+
Streamed By: HIDIVE
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