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Monthly Archives: June 2019
Regarding Yuu’s 「Love」
This is a partial translation of あさつ’s entry. Please check it out for more details.
A brain organizing memo regarding Yuu’s 「love」. Simply itemized form. Contains the latest episode spoilers. It’s long lol
Yuu-chan wants to think of everything in terms of logic. Yuu always wanted to reciprocate to Senpai who told her she loved her. When she vaguely noticed that she 「loves」 Touko, she was unable to say it, so I wonder if Yuu covered her emotions to avoid verbalization.
In volume 5, there is a nuance of understanding the feeling of ease when one says it and the other party and accepts the love. She was unable to say it, but at this time Yuu wanted to. That, I love you too. In the anime it was represented with the droplet. But Touko doesn’t want that.
Yuu half unconsciously? always had the feelings of 「love」 within her, and I think she wondered if saying I love you might make Senpai happy, and wished that she would be. That’s why in volume 6 she thinks 「Would it be okay to say it to her now…?」 Touko seemed to no longer hate herself. Actually the part of Touko thinking 「love is scary」 is unknown to Yuu.
I think telling Touko 「I love you」 accounted for a great weight in Yuu. It feels at this time she didn’t think much about things such as what she loves about her or what kind of love she has now.
That’s why in episode 34 and after she didn’t get 「love」 anymore. She reached the objective of telling her love, but it couldn’t be accepted. So she runs away…
「You’re not my special one anymore.」
(I’m not Senpai’s special one anymore.)
I think episode 39’s 『I want 「love」』 contains various nuances…
She wants to obtain the feelings of 「love」, to make it her own once more.
She wants to tell the words of 「love」 to Senpai once more
She wants the words of 「love」 from Senpai once more
Episode 40’s 「How do you know I’m the special one and not someone else…?」
I thought it was also a question Yuu asked herself.
『How do I know Senpai’s the special one and not someone else?』
Touko’s answer was an argument based on emotion, so it wasn’t too good of a reference! lol
So, she analyzes her love once more, and 「I’ve decided that you are my special one.」
!? Decided!? Isn’t that too calm! I’ve thought it over many times, but when I looked at the following developments, I grasped that every emotion and action related to 「love」 cannot be verbalized after all.
Being able to say 「I love you」 once more, and having Touko smile with 「I’m happy」… the moment she saw that, were there any words left in her head?
The 「love」 overflowed. Emotion overcame logic. Perhaps that’s fine, when it comes to 「love」. It’s not a logical feeling that makes her tears spill, cling tightly, say I love you repeatedly, and kiss.
She didn’t quite understand when thinking about it with her head, but her heart and body fully knew!
So, now I want to ask, what does Yuu-chan love about Touko? I want her to answer while blushing. (*´꒳`*)
Bloom Into You Tohmi Higashi High School student general meeting report part 1
This is a partial translation based on entries made by 関東瓜 and ゆいみる 1, 2. Please check them out for more details.
「Bloom Into You」 special fan event 「Tohmi Higashi High School Student General Meeting」
2019 May 26 (Sunday)
Setagaya Kumin Kaikan (Hall)
【Daytime performance】 15:30
【Evening performance】 18:30
Since I did not take memos with paper and pen during the event, please understand that this contains a considerable amount of misremembering.
In particular, much of the speakers’ parts are vague recollections (a 『?』 after the names are parts I’m not confident at all, so please excuse me if they were different).
Also, please be aware this contains some spoilers from what the anime covers, up to the original work’s volume 7, and Regarding Saeki Sayaka 1 and 2!
Entrance
They make their entrance in turn, with Nogami who plays as Doujima as the lead, followed by Ichikawa who plays Maki-kun, Takada who plays as Yuu, Kayano who plays as Sayaka, and Kotobuki who plays as Touko.
They sat in seats (school desks and chairs) prepared in the back in the order they came in from the right.
The event this time is called 『Student General Meeting』, and student council president Kotobuki begins with the opening formalities.
The event did not allow 『standing up』 viewing during the live, but this instance was special.
Kotobuki 『All rise.』
Kotobuki 「We will now commence the Tohmi Higashi High School student general meeting.」
Kotobuki 『Bow.』
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!!! (Also from the hall)
Kotobuki 『Be seated.』
Kayano 「That was something amazing, hearing everyone say 『yoroshiku onegaishimasu』!」
Self-introductions
Takada → Kotobuki → Kayano → Ichikawa → Nogami introduce themselves in turn.
Highlights
(On the stage, the SaSaTsu otaku are Kayano and Takada……)
(Nogami’s voice resounds without a microphone…… seiyuu are amazing……)
In the evening performance, the cast decides to do one round of vocal exercises with the audience.
Kotobuki tells everyone to stand up again.
Everyone in the cast 「AH・EH・II・UU・EH・OH・AH・OH!!!」
(It really resounds, seiyuu are truly amazing……)
Everyone in the hall 「AH・EH・II・UU・EH・OH・AH・OH!!」
(A puzzling sense of unity…… this is also amazing……)
Everyone in the cast 「Sugooooi!!!!!!」
Kayano 「Eh? What, everyone is experienced!?」
Best ◯◯ scene
A contest where the cast chooses what they think is the best scene that fits a given theme among the anime’s 13 episodes.
After everyone announced their choice, the audience voted by applause.
Daytime performance
Best scene that sets one’s heart aflutter
Kiss scene by the railroad crossing (episode 2)
Chosen by Takada.
Takada 「This is a kiss scene, but the part after they finish with the two standing still and facing each other is nice!!
A trailing note so to speak, that sense where others are moving as usual but those two have stopped!」
Kayano 「Oh yes, a scene without lines such as this is typically cut when it becomes animated, but I’m glad this was properly presented.」
Kiss scene in the student council room (episode 4)
Chosen by Ichikawa.
Kotobuki 「Huh, it wasn’t 『eroi』 but 『heroi』.
A finicky scene, I had to do many retakes for it.」
From there the topic of 『Erotic Pass』.
* Erotic Pass is a phrase that Ichikawa invented to refer to YagaKimi ecchi scenes.
It wasn’t born from episode 4, but from episode 9’s PE storage room.
Ichikawa 「Sure, I did say Erotic Pass, but the one who spread it was Nogami-san.
I muttered it, and he said 『What’s Erotic Pass!?』 in a loud voice.」
Kayano 「His voice does carry well.」
Ichikawa 「And then, everyone went 『What’s what??』 and gathered around.
I felt like it spread at once.」
Kotobuki? 「Ah, but Erotic Pass didn’t originate from this episode.」
Ichikawa 「That’s right, it was the PE storage room episode.」
Kayano? 「So, we’re still at the foot of the pass.」
Ichikawa 「The Erotic Foot!」
Takada 「(standing up) Hey! It’s still daytime!!! Let’s stop talking about Erotic Pass!!」
The venue erupts with laughter.
Testing out first names scene (episode 7)
Chosen by Nogami.
Nogami 「It’s a casual scene, but the three started to be more aware of each other, and I think it’s the scene where their relationships are starting to change.
Like, ah, youth.」
Sayaka’s 『Goodbye』 scene (episode 8)
Chosen by Kayano, naturally.
Kayano 「It had a sense of, it’s final!!!
After recording, I read 『Regarding Saeki Sayaka』.
I was really glad that I hadn’t read it before recording.
If I did, I would have put in too much emotion.」
From there, she starts talking about SaSaTsu.
A Saeki Sayaka otaku with Saeki Sayaka’s voice talking about Regarding Saeki Sayaka was on the stage…….
Training camp’s bath scene (episode 11)
Chosen by Kotobuki, of course.
Takada 「Isn’t that different from the theme we’re going for!?」
Nogami? 「Bath scenes aren’t where one would use words like 『first move』.」
Takada? 「At the time of recording, I was told 『this is a battlefield』.」
The voting results……?
The order in which they were projected
Takada’s episode 2 → large applause
Ichikawa’s episode 4 → large applause
Nogami’s episode 7 → scattered applause
Kayano’s episode 8 → largish applause
Kotobuki’s episode 11 → scattered applause
Final vote between Takada and Ichikawa
…… but both had approximately the same volume.
The staff’s result was Ichikawa’s episode 4!
Evening performance
Best scene with a good mood
What color of hydrangeas do you like? (episode 8)
Chosen by Kayano.
Kayano was interested in the hydrangea colors corresponding to the three, and when looking up the flower language of pink, white, and blue hydrangeas, they neatly fit Yuu, Sayaka, and Touko’s images. She asked director Kato if that was his intention and he affirmed.
Kayano 「These scenes where they ask 『what color do you like?』 are very stylish.
Oh yes!!
You see, I noticed something amazing!
The flower language of hydrangeas are different for each color.
And Director Kato was very particular about flower language for the OP too.
(*For details, please read the commentary report on the previous talk event
→Bloom Into You talk show report ~Director Kato’s grand OP commentary~ [TL note: partial English translation is here])
As for the colors, I think Touko is blue, Sayaka is whitish, and Yuu is pink.
Then the flower language for each color! They match the characters perfectly!!!!
Amazing, isn’t it!?!?」
「What does that happy mean?」 (episode 8)
Chosen by Kotobuki.
Kotobuki 「Huh, I might have misunderstood 『good mood』 as a theme.」
Takada 「Didn’t you say that during the daytime session too!?」
Aquarium date, soaked by dolphins (episode 13)
Chosen by Ichikawa.
Takada 「That hair tuft definitely has a will of its own.」
Training camp fireworks scene (episode 11)
Chosen by Nogami.
Nogami 「I like how this scene feels like youth!」
Nogami 「During this part, there was a great ad-lib festival going on in the background.」
Kayano 「It was amazing.
Hakozaki-sensei was really frosty.」
Kotobuki? 「Oh yeah, no matter what Doujima-kun said, she’d go 『yes, yes』.」
Ichikawa 「It was a fairly lengthy ad-lib.
『Maki, let’s compete and see whose will last the longest!』
『Combine!』 But that made it more powerful and burn out quickly.」
PE storage room Erotic Pass (episode 9)
Chosen by Takada.
The voting results of course……?
The victory went to Takada, who chose the Erotic Pass★
The conversation blooms into ◯◯
The radio’s familiar corner, adapted for the student general meeting!
It’s a game about “smoothly” connecting a conversation from theme A to theme B.
Time limit of two minutes.
Daytime performance
Kotobuki 「As soon as we have this corner, Yukki becomes useless.
At first she was better than me, but I wonder what happened.」
Ichikawa 「When I appeared as a guest, she was good. (Ichikawa says in past tense)」
Takada 「Hey, hey!!!」
Takada 「The daytime session has…… the student council second-years team (Kotobuki & Kayano) versus the student council first-years team (Takada & Ichikawa & Nogami)!!」
Kotobuki, Kayano 「Yay!」
Takada 「Isn’t that a little too much rejoicing!?」
Second-years team: the conversation of 『Golden Week』 blooms into 『wanting to join the student council』
Golden Week was 10 days long this year → must be hard for students spending that long time away from the new friends they made → school sure is busy with events like the athletic festival or student council election → students should make the most of their student life → like joining the student council → which is something only students can do to improve their school → I want to go to that school too
First-years team: the conversation of 『training camp』 blooms into 『recommended event goods』
Takada 「I am confident!!
So, leave it to me!!」
Ichikawa, Nogami 「Th-Then we’ll follow your lead!!」
Takada 「Incidentally,」
Ichikawa, Nogami 「Incidentally!?
Incidental to what!?!?!?」
Takada 「U-Um.
Have either of you done training camps before?」
Ichikawa, Nogami 「Yup, oh yeah.」
Takada 「Then, it’s fine if this place is a training camp, right?」
Ichikawa, Nogami, Kotobuki, Kayano, guests (probably everyone) 「??????????」
Takada 「It’s fine, right!?」
Ichikawa, Nogami 「S-Sure!」
Takada 「Then, this place is a training camp starting now!!!!!」
Ichikawa, Nogami 「Y-Yes!」
Thus suddenly begins a short play.
Takada 「Sound out from your belly.」
Nogami 「OHHHHHHHH!!!!!! (without microphone)」
Ichikawa 「OHH!」
Takada 「More!!!」
Ichikawa, Nogami 「OHHHH~~~!!! (without microphone)」
Takada 「That worked up a good sweat.
OK, let’s change T-shirts…… Huh!? There’s no T-shirts!!!」
Nogami? 「Here is a T-shirt! What an amazing design.」
Ichikawa? 「Large size is also available.」
Nogami 「Also, the back has today’s date!! It’s commemorative!」
Takada 「It’s true!!! You have to buy it!!」
Takada 「I want to drink some water…… (gestures turning on a faucet) Ah! I don’t have a PET bottle!」
Ichikawa? 「Here is a tumbler!」
Takada 「A tumbler! And it’s cute!!!」
Nogami 「On sale only today!!!」
Needless to say, it was the second-years team’s victory.
Evening performance
The evening performance has the men’s team versus the women’s team.
After this announcement, the men’s team quietly fist-pumped.
Conversely, the women’s team felt down.
Kotobuki? 「But look, miracles might happen, right!?」
Takada 「Hey!? Isn’t that strange!?」
Men’s team: the conversation of 『muscle training』 blooms into 『wanting to read Bloom Into You』
Hey Icchi, you do muscle training, right? → I do. Stuff like sit-ups and push-ups → Do you go to a gym? → No, I do it at home → So you’ve got a fair amount of muscle? → That’s right. It feels nice to have them → ………… Um…… I dislike exercising so I only do it minimally → Um, I’m still partway through volume 7, but if I’m not mistaken Maki and Yuu go to a batting center → Ah, I want to show someone cool places like that → aquarium → a manga with a pure date at an aquarium → YagaKimi
Women’s team: the conversation of 『how to spend a rainy day』 blooms into 『YagaKimi characters I seem to be coming to love』
Kotobuki 「Yukki, what will you do?」
Kayano 「Do you want us to follow your lead?」
Kotobuki 「You want to do your best here, right?」
Takada 「Well, but, about 『smoothly』……」
Kotobuki 「Ah, that’s true.
But, this might be our last time……
Why don’t you go all out?」
Takada 「………… Yes, you’re right.
I’ll go all out!」
Kotobuki, Kayano 「Ohh!」
Takada 「How to spend a rainy day, well, what would you two do?」
Kayano? 「Wait, you’ve yet to say only normal things!」
Takada 「Um…… then, how about you? Kayano-san.」
Kayano 「Eh? Me?
L-let’s see. I think I’d buy an umbrella or something cute, and have fun going out.」
Takada 「I see, I see.
Then, how about you? Kotobuki-san!」
Kotobuki 「Ah, eh? Um, I guess I like looking at hydrangeas.
Aren’t there hydrangea temples or such? They’re nice places.」
Takada 「Then, please imagine that we are all at a hydrangea temple.」
Kotobuki 「Ah, yes, imagining it.」
Kayano 「Understood.」
Takada 「Did you do it?」
Kotobuki, Kayano 「Yeah!」
Takada 「Then, start!」
!?!?!?!?!?
Thus begins a skit.
Kayano and Kotobuki admire hydrangeas while holding umbrellas (around the left side of the stage).
Looking from there, heading to the right side of the stage
Suddenly begins an impromptu 『Rained In』 skit.
Takada 「It’s really pouring down, but I don’t have an umbrella, maybe I’ll call Onee-chan.
Ah, but…….
Hmm, I wonder if someone will pick me up.」
Touko (Kotobuki) 「Yuu! What’s the matter!? You don’t have an umbrella!」
Yuu (Takada) 「Nanami-senpai!」
By the way, Kayano promptly withdrew and returned to her seat.
Kotobuki 「Huh? What happened to Kayano-shi?」
Takada 「She left.
People who can read the air sure are wonderful.」
Kotobuki 「『What does that mean?』」
Takada 「Eh? Eh? Ah, um……」
Thus time is up!
Takada 「I really wanted to say, Sayaka is great, at the end!」
Kotobuki 「Ah, I see.」
Kayano 「Still, nothing could be done just now.
With Touko, that’s how it goes.」
Takada 「That’s true.」
Needless to say, it was the men’s team’s victory!
Regarding the character Nanami Touko
This is a translation of とんびくま’s entry.
A thoroughly personal interpretation regarding Nanami Touko.
※ Contains spoilers up to episode 41.
※ Long shoddy writing warning
『Bloom Into You』’s story thread has the main character Koito Yuu solve the problems that the heroine Nanami Touko has, and as a result the two are connected. With that said, what are the problems that Nanami Touko has?
⑴ Strong aversion to herself
⑵ Fear of affection from others.
I think it’s these two, roughly speaking.
As for the reasons Touko came to have those problems, I think the former is relatively easy to comprehend but the latter is not, and while frankly I love the character Nanami Touko, this part was the most difficult to comprehend.
How is her dislike of herself and her fear of love linked?
In the original work’s episode X,
Touko’s monologue has
「「Love」 is a violent word.」
「「I love that you’re like this」 means 「if you’re no longer like this, I wouldn’t love you anymore」, right?」
「「Love」 is a word that binds.」
To Touko, love = violent, forces me to be the me you love, a word that binds.
Hmm? Those binds are scary?
To be bound is tough, so I can understand if she dislikes it.
But I couldn’t quite connect how binds = scary.
Furthermore in episode 34, Yuu doesn’t bind Touko even once, yet Touko is afraid of her love, and her love couldn’t be accepted.
Even though the curse of aversion to herself has been undone by Yuu.
And then the 「I’m sorry」 causes Yuu’s face on volume 7’s cover…
Why?? What’s going on! Nanami Touko!!
I couldn’t make sense of this and that, which I thought was because I didn’t have enough empathy for Touko, so looking at the impressions of various others, I somehow managed to reach an answer that made sense to myself. Because it is a thoroughly personal interpretation, I’m sorry if my guess is off.
Why does Touko dislike herself in the first place?
The ones who can sympathize with Touko consider it to be due to a complex occasionally seen between siblings.
Younger siblings with capable older siblings naturally compare themselves to the older ones, which tends to lower their self affirmation.
Perhaps Touko revered her capable sister, which caused an inferiority complex and an aversion to herself.
If Touko had grown up normally, she would eventually know that her sister was by no means perfect, and I think she would have been smart enough to be able to form her own self as she grew.
However, Touko suddenly loses her sister. While having the complex about her sister, and receiving the words from those around her,
I have to take my sister’s place.
I have to carry out what my sister left behind.
In this way she puts a curse on herself. As a result
「When I act like Onee-chan, everyone’s happy. They tell me I’m special.」
At a glance it looks like a good thing, but though everyone’s happy and tell her she’s special, to Touko it’s praise for her fake self who imitates her sister, and the more it’s said, the more the real, weak Touko is denied, like saying she’s unneeded.
As that was repeated, I think she came to consider her real self, the one who doesn’t imitate her sister, as a being with no value, and not needed by anyone.
Touko hates that sort of self.
Next, why is Touko afraid of affection from others?
For example, someone who only knew the perfect Touko says they love her, but that’s impossible as it’s directed at the Touko who pretended to be like her sister.
Responding to that means being forced to keep up with the expectations and pressures directed at the impostor.
If she can’t keep it up, then her self whose being has no value will be known, and that disappointed someone would leave her.
And if they can come to love her real self, Touko won’t come to love them who loves the self she hates.
From the above, love is a word that binds and then leads to loneliness.
To be bound is a violent thing, and furthermore she is afraid of the loneliness if someone leaves her.
That’s why love is violent and scary to Touko.
After the student council play, Touko is able to affirm that she’s not unneeded, that her perfect self and real self are both her self, but her way of thinking about affection expressed from the other party hasn’t changed.
Up to now, the love expressed from others to Touko was a violent, scary thing that binds and leads to loneliness (in her perception), and she only knew such a love.
Based on that, I could make sense of episode 34 when Touko was unable to chase after Yuu.
At episode 34’s point in time, Touko doesn’t understand why Yuu loves her.
For binding Yuu, for not considering her feelings, that’s why she immediately gives words of apology, and doesn’t quite understand why Yuu came to love someone like her.
If I’m no longer the me Yuu loves, Yuu wouldn’t need me anymore.
She would lose Yuu whose side is the only place she was able to find relief. That is scary.
In other words, from Touko’s point of view, because she will lose Yuu whether or not she accepts her, she is unable to choose either.
I think that’s why she couldn’t move as a result.
Afterwards, Touko becomes aware that she has places to belong other than at Yuu’s side, and thinks Yuu is no longer her special one, yet she unconsciously feels lonely.
Yuu is different from when they first met, yet she’s always on her mind.
At this point in time, Touko already loves Yuu even though she’s changed, but because she doesn’t know such a love exists, she is unable to comprehend her feelings.
As long as Touko sees love as a word that binds and leads to loneliness, she couldn’t accept Yuu or her own feelings.
Afterwards, in the confession from Sayaka,
「you will keep being the you I love, a word of trust」
Even if you change, I believe that you will keep being the you I love.
She comes to know such a love exists.
I think it’s a perfect answer to
「「I love that you’re like this」 means 「if you’re no longer like this, I wouldn’t love you anymore」, right?」
That’s why Touko was happy about Sayaka’s love, but at the same time she realized the love she has for Yuu is also such a love. (Sayaka is suffering…)
Even if Yuu has changed, Yuu will still be the Yuu I love.
Episode 40’s confession is because she believed so.
However, at the time of the confession from Touko in episode 40, because she still didn’t know what Yuu’s love was like,
she was still afraid and trembling when saying that line
「I want you to keep loving me.」
But she believed in Yuu, so she could say it.
And then the answer from Yuu,
「My love is something I chose and reached out for myself.」
「Up to now I’ve already made my choice many times.」
The love from Yuu to Touko was a love that chooses her no matter what and doesn’t abandon her.
This love was also a love that isn’t violent or scary, a shape of love that doesn’t bind or bring loneliness.
Touko believed in Yuu’s sort of love, and was able to accept it. So, she could reciprocate with 「I’m happy」 from the bottom of her heart.
Only two people, Yuu and Sayaka, have a love Touko can accept.
And being able to have such a love, the only one who was able to be chosen was Koito Yuu.
Episode 41’s Touko seems to have returned to when she was young, but she feels more settled than before.
I think that with the need to perform as her sister gone, and her trust in Yuu, she can become a Nanami Touko who is able to continue choosing Yuu from now on.
When Touko grows up, she could overcome any difficulties together with Yuu.
I can no longer say she’s a minefield.
Having become that sort of Nanami Touko, I wish her and Yuu happiness.
Deciding for Oneself, Koito Yuu’s 「Love」
This is a translation of 461’s entry.
※ This entry includes contents to 『Bloom Into You』 episode 40 (for sale April 27, 2019). Please be aware if you have yet to read it.
Making choices
The previous entry about the original work is here. [TL note: English translation is here]
The time has come for Koito Yuu to choose.
However, this was a mistake. The time for Yuu to choose wasn’t in episode 40. In this episode, the irresolute Yuu realizes she had 「chosen」 Touko time and time again so far.
The act of 「choosing」 was something Touko consciously made in episode 38. She made that choice after understanding the act would deeply hurt the close friend who has been watching her. For Touko, choosing was that serious.
Height, hair type, boldness and prudence. Touko and Yuu are depicted to contrast in many ways, and also have very different approaches to choosing.
I’ve always
been bad at
choosing
In the white space with many doors = choices lined up, Yuu at first stands illuminated by a light from above. She waits for a grand something to come from any of the doors. She doesn’t try to move herself and enter a door. The direction of where the light shines from changes, and she runs at full speed towards it. While being led by the strong light that darkens the sides, Yuu becomes aware that she has kept choosing the path towards Touko in a number of ways.
Then the colored pages end along with Yuu’s inner world, as in the real world Yuu has been running from episode 39’s river beach, to open the sliding door of the student council room.
Yuu panting as she opens the sliding door of the student council room is really a refrain of episode 1. If opening the door is a symbol of choosing, then Yuu has chosen Touko since the very beginning.
When asked, how can you tell I’m the special one, Touko’s reasons for 「special」 aren’t logical at all. When Yuu compares them to how she reacts towards her 「special one」, she says it’s 「incomprehensible」.
Having read thus far, I think Touko is a person who acts according to her emotions when it comes to things she 「loves」.
Addressing the underclassman without honorifics from almost the first meeting, and if she thinks she loves the person, she kisses them on the street. For the sake of becoming her sister, she couldn’t allow losing the student council elections, but she makes Yuu who doesn’t know whether she’s excellent or not her campaign manager. If she thinks 「I want to do this」 then she does so. It is only after that that she gives a plausible reason or logic. She’s quick-thinking, so there doesn’t seem to be discrepancies between her actions and reasons. It takes someone like Sayaka who’s always by her side to sense her various excuses.
While Touko is type whose emotions take priority, Yuu is basically a rational person. You can say she’s overly theoretical. She worries too much and can’t decide for herself, and is depicted many times to take on a passive attitude, like starting something 「because someone told me to」 (middle school club, helping the student council, being with Touko, etc). I think she’s someone who wishes for a clear 「reason」 that makes sense in her head, before she surely takes action.
Such scenes where Yuu chose Touko are when Yuu’s emotions overtake her thinking, and when Yuu thinks and takes action on her own to help Touko, even if it was against Touko’s intentions.
Volume 1 episode 5, during the student council election campaign speech, Yuu who kept thinking about Touko impulsively declares 「I want to become a student council officer」 and 「I want to help Nanami-senpai」.
Volume 2 episode 10, Yuu who wanted to come to love someone is afraid of becoming unable to stay with Touko, and promises 「I won’t come to love you」.
I think an explanation about volume 4 episode 22’s 「let’s change it」 and volume 5 episode 28’s 「we know only you」 is unnecessary. And note all of these are the last episodes of each volume.
Volume 3’s last episode 16 doesn’t appear in episode 40’s instances where she has 「chosen」. However, this episode is when Yuu’s heart chose Touko.
It’s just that her rational mind doesn’t acknowledge it, but Yuu’s emotions have already chosen Touko. That’s why volumes 4 and 5’s episodes are no longer about 「emotions choosing Touko」.
Wanting to change a person’s character is certainly arrogant, and not something that can be done with ordinary resolve. All the more so if they react against it.
Even so, Yuu stepped in. She wished for Touko to acknowledge herself. I would say those weren’t feelings of thinking the other party as special.
Yuu thinks back on not 「what she thought」 of Touko, but 「what actions she took」 because of her, and there found 「reason」 enough to decide Touko is special. When she finally finds an answer that makes sense in her head, she takes Touko’s hands with her own will.
Deciding for oneself
I’ll decide for myself
what I will do
In volume 7’s interlude 「Checking Answers」, during their college days Riko-sensei says these words to Miyako-san when the latter tries to draw back from her.
When I first read this, I only thought Riko-sensei was a strong-willed person, but having read episode 40, I think about the work as a whole. Isn’t 『Bloom Into You』 a story about 「deciding for oneself」?
Sayaka decided to keep standing by Touko’s side. Koyomi met her admired Renma-sensei, and redefined her dream for the future. The main character of the play, who Touko sees herself in, decided for herself the self she wants to become.
This story’s main theme poses the question 「what does it mean to come to love someone」, to which the main character gives a solution that it was 「something I chose and reached out for myself」.
With volume 8 being announced as the conclusion, 「Bloom Into You」 only has 4 or 5 episodes left.
Even if the story ended with episode 40, the contents were as such that it wouldn’t be strange. I don’t know what will be depicted hereafter, but since people don’t live only on love, I would like to see Yuu and Touko each become independent adults with 「deciding for oneself」 as a passing point. In volume 2 episode 8 「Choice Question」 there is a depiction of Yuu somewhat envying Koyomi who had decided what she wants to do, so in the sense of receiving this baton, if the choices that lead to the future are depicted it would be a very beautiful end.
The end…… is it ending…… I don’t want it to end……. But I want it to end beautifully…….
—
・ I couldn’t put it in the text, but there are other scenes where Yuu’s emotions overtake her thinking. Volume 1 episode 3’s 「I wonder why I said I don’t mind」, and volume 3 episode 13’s 「it made me happy」.
・ 「Choice Question」 was a super important title. It was the episode where Yuu chooses Touko with her own will for the first time.
Translation note:
The episode title 選択問題 has multiple translations.
One fan translation calls it “Multiple Choice Question”.
Seven Seas Entertainment, who licensed the manga in English, calls it “Multiple Choice”. Another fan translation also calls it as such.
Sentai Filmworks, who licensed the anime in English, calls it “The Problem with Choices”.
I call it “Choice Question”.
Aletheia 