This is a review of the English version of Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka, licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment.
Specifically, volume 3. Volume 2 was previously covered in four parts, with the latest one here.
As with the previous volume, more thinking is required on the reader’s part. However, I did the thinking up to the free preview here.
Let’s begin the investigation on nuances lost or changed in chapter 1.
spine
(image source: Twitter)
Why is Sayaka not on the spine? The light novel series is about her, and each front cover (which is the basis for the spine’s image) depicts the titular character progressively turning her head and showing a happier expression with each volume. In addition, she is on the spine of the original’s obi.
(image source: Mercari)
page 9-10 (Japanese)
“I process things quickly,” she said.
The face that stared back at me wore a slightly different expression from the pleasant smile I’d grown accustomed to seeing. Something glossy, like droplets of water, inched down her obviously blushing cheeks.
“Process?” I asked, holding back the slight bewilderment that crept over me.
“That’s right. I guess you could say I’m practical or that I don’t lose sleep over things I can’t control.”
A shadow came over her face again. It was as though the sun had set, and something dark was reaching out from afar.
“I’m never angry or sad for long. I can’t do it, even if I try. It hurts when your feelings don’t mesh with someone else’s and things don’t go over well. It hurts, a lot. But it’s like my heart dries up fast. It’s the same for anger—I can’t be angry at a person for more than thirty minutes.”
I supposed thirty minutes really wasn’t very long. Personally, I could stay angry for a whole year, or even two.
感情の回転率がいい、と彼女は言った。
見つめ合うその表情は、知り合ってからよく見る、気持ちのいい笑顔とは少し違う。
彼女のいかにも分かりやすく紅潮させている頰に、水滴のような艶が這う。
「回転率？」
近寄る微かな戸惑いを押さえながら、彼女に問う。
日々の中、あまり縁のないその言葉を彼女が語る。
「そう。他の言い方だとさっぱりしてるとか割り切りがいいとか、そんな風に言うのかも」
お互いの声が近い。そして彼女の顔つきもまた、段々と陰を帯びる。
日が沈み、暗いものが遠くから伸びるように。
「怒ることや悲しむことが長続きしない。というか、できないの。誰かと想いがすれ違って上手くいかなくて、そりゃあ悲しい。すっごく悲しい。でも、すぐにそれが辛くなくなっていく。心が乾くのが早いのね、きっと。怒ることだって同じ、わたしは三十分も同じ相手を怒れない」
彼女の改まった自己紹介のようなものが、私に降る。三十分は確かに、短いかもしれない。
私はなんなら、一年か二年は怒り続けていられる。
今となってはその憤りも風化するように、どこかへ散ってしまったけれど。
Concerning 感情の回転率がいい: now emotions are generalized into things. Concerning 回転率？: now Sayaka seems bewildered by “process”. Loss of details: 日々の中、あまり縁のないその言葉を彼女が語る。 is gone. Concerning さっぱりしてるとか割り切りがいいとか、そんな風に言うのかも: now Haru seems to describe her personality. Loss of details: お互いの声が近い。 is gone. Concerning 誰かと想いがすれ違って上手くいかなくて、そりゃあ悲しい。すっごく悲しい。: now Haru seems to talk people’s feelings, and how it hurts. Loss of details: でも、すぐにそれが辛くなくなっていく。, 彼女の改まった自己紹介のようなものが、私に降る。, and 今となってはその憤りも風化するように、どこかへ散ってしまったけれど。 are gone.
Haru talks about her emotions. Sayaka is bewildered by the uncommon term “turnover”. Haru describes her emotions. Haru talks about her sadness in her self-introduction.
“My emotions have a high turnover,” she said.
The face that stares back at me has a slightly different expression from the pleasant smile I’ve grown accustomed to seeing.
A luster like water droplets inches along her obviously blushing cheeks.
“Turnover?”
I ask, holding back the faint bewilderment that comes over me.
She speaks of a term that I have little connection with in my daily life.
“Right. To put it another way, they clear easily or end cleanly, or something along those lines.”
Her voice is close to mine. Then, her face gradually takes on a shadow again.
Like how, when the sun sets, something dark extends from afar.
“I don’t stay angry or sad for long. Or rather, I can’t. I get real sad when my feelings don’t meet with someone’s and things don’t work out. Like, really sad. But it soon becomes less and less painful. My heart dries up fast, I bet. It’s the same for anger—I can’t be angry at a person for more than thirty minutes.”
Something like her formal self-introduction falls upon me. Thirty minutes may indeed be short.
Personally, I could stay angry for a year or two.
Now, though, that resentment has dissipated as though faded with time.
This close, it was difficult to avoid her gaze.
言い逃れや目線を逸らすのも難しい距離で、お互いの言葉が真っ直ぐ行き来する。
Loss of details: 言い逃れ is gone.
It was difficult to speak evasively or avoid her gaze at this distance.
page 11 (Japanese)
That vocabulary was enough to make me worry about her grades. Maybe this was proof I shouldn’t be getting involved with an underclassman?
“If I had to say what I like best about you, uh, it’d be your face,” she continued. “Your face is just the best.” Suddenly bashful, she closed her eyes, as though trying to conceal how her nose was turning red.
“Thanks…” I had to admit her fidgeting was adorable. “I can understand that.”
Appearances may not be everything, but they’re important. I considered it more sincere to compliment a person’s appearance when you didn’t know them very well, rather than pretend to know their inner thoughts.
試験が心配になる語彙力だった。そこにあなたと先輩が入り混じるのは不安定の証拠だろうか。
「どこが一番かっていうと、えっと、顔。もう最高です」
「……ありがとう」
急に分かりやすく、手放しに褒められてしまう。言っていて彼女も羞恥が高まってきたのか、赤く染まった鼻を覆うようにして一度、目を瞑る。そうやってむず痒そうな彼女は、こちらから見てもかわいらしいものだった。
「分かるわ」
外見というのはとても大事な要素だ。相手を深く知る前から内面について語るよりはずっと誠実な評価であると思う。
Concerning そこにあなたと先輩が入り混じるのは不安定の証拠だろうか。: now the subject is completely different. Loss of details: 急に分かりやすく、手放しに褒められてしまう。 is gone. Concerning 言っていて彼女も羞恥が高まってきたのか: now Sayaka seems to only note Haru’s bashfulness. Loss of details: とても and ずっと are gone.
Sayaka notes how Haru addressed her with あなた instead of 先輩. Sayaka indirectly states that she is also embarrassed from the compliment.
That vocabulary made me worry for her exams. Maybe the mixed way she addressed me was evidence of her instability?
“If I had to say what I like best about you, um, it’d be your face. Your face is just the best.”
“…Thank you.”
She suddenly complimented me openly and clearly. Perhaps she grew bashful, too, closing her eyes as though it would conceal her reddened nose. I had to admit her fidgeting was adorable.
“I can understand that.”
Appearances are a very important evaluation factor. I think it’s much more sincere than talking about a person’s inner qualities before you know them deeply.
And does that include when you love someone?
そして、誰かを好きであるということも。
私の指摘を、彼女が静かに肯定する。
Loss of details: 私の指摘を、彼女が静かに肯定する。 is gone.
She quietly affirms what I pointed out.
page 12 (Japanese)
If we were stars, we would have drawn too close—close enough that both of us might be destroyed.
私たちが星なら、迫りすぎてどちらも滅びるくらいに近く。
いつもと違う距離の中、私は彼女を見る。
Loss of details: いつもと違う距離の中、私は彼女を見る。 is gone.
I look at her from a distance that is unusual to me.
Next is the first half of chapter 2.
Aletheia 