Bloom Into You is a nostalgic trip back to your school days, where every minor thing is the most important decision of your life. Its third episode showed the main character, Yuu, beginning to warm to her senpai Touko.
The Plot Thickens
This episode may have been focused on the student president election, but really, it was about perceptions. Take Yuu, for instance: when her family teases her, asking if Touko is her girlfriend, she says no, and her father expresses relief. However, Yuu really meant “not yet”.
Then there’s Touko herself: cool, calm, and aloof. However, before her election speech, she confesses that this is just an act. She’s actually, understandably, very nervous. This confident demeanour is just a mask she wears for other people’s benefit. The metaphor is a little on-the-nose, but the message behind it is heartfelt and I imagine, true to life for some people struggling to accept their sexuality.
Full Speed… Behind?
Bloom Into You is slightly strange in one regard. Most romance anime save their kissing scene for the final episode, but this show had one in its second. Of course, Yuu and Touko weren’t together, so the audience is now seeing them build up to that level of intimacy, almost Memento-style.
Let’s be honest: there’s very little that can be called simple in a teenage relationship. Throw in disapproving parents, negative public perception, and a fear of rejection, and it’d be easy for Bloom Into You to be a far darker tale. Yet somehow, it manages to keep things fairly light-hearted without stripping the plot of the gravitas it deserves. This steady hand on the reins is one of the show’s most under-appreciated characteristics.
So What Comes Next?
Well, Yuu seems intent on keeping a closer eye on Touko. They’ll be working together on the student council, which provides excellent cover, but the pair do have a tendency to slip off unnoticed. Will this continue in the days to come? Who knows? One thing we do know, though, is that these girls are slowly creeping into relationship territory.
This brings another question: will the two be “out”? Touko’s language was very telling; she publically used the word “daisuki”, which shows she really, really likes Yuu, although not necessarily in a romantic sense. There’s plausible deniability here, but as her public displays of affection escalate, sooner or later, someone is going to find out the truth.
