Episode six of Bloom Into You introduced several new plot points and served as a welcome addition to an otherwise relatively slow story.
Dealing With Jealousy
Until now, Sayaka, Touko’s friend, hasn’t had much impact on the plot. However, she’s not stupid: she’s noticed that Touko doesn’t have as much time for her, and focuses her wrath squarely Yuu, since she seems to be the main reason why.
Interestingly, Sayaka does provide a clue as to why Touko does what she does. She gives Yuu a cryptic hint about a previous Student Council president, who turns out to be Touko’s older sister. Here’s the twist, though: she’s not around anymore, having died in a traffic accident.
Who IS Touko?
Understandably, Yuu is a little freaked out. After all, if Touko is merely mimicking her late sister’s actions, then what does that mean for their relationship? When confronted, Touko reveals that so much pressure was put on her to succeed that she essentially just became a carbon copy of her sister. In fact, she even wears her sister’s old school uniform.
That said, Touko is not her sister, and there is (presumably) one major difference between them. With this new information out in the open, Touko isn’t afraid to ask for what she wants. And what she wants is Yuu’s loyalty, even if there are no romantic feelings involved. Our protagonist has opened up to herself a little too, and admits that while she doesn’t like Touko in that way, she does want to.
Further Escalation
The pair walk home hand-in-hand. It’s dark, after all, and Touko is sure nobody will even notice. Well, we know what that means. Expect to find out next week that someone did notice, and bonus points if they threaten to reveal what they know. This was a fairly clunky scene from an otherwise fantastic episode, and it’s just a shame that the writers had to telegraph such an important plot point in such an obvious way.
Bloom Into You continues to be one of the best shows this season, however. While neither Yuu nor Touko are perfect, they are, at the very least, relatable. Think back to high school – do you remember navigating the internal politics whilst trying to pass your exams, and possibly even land a date? It’s a rough time, and this show does an excellent job at illustrating it.
