Yagate Kimi ni Naru

"Yagate Kimi ni Naru" is the first proper Yuri show I have watched, and I must say it blew me away. Maybe it's the fact that I'm new to this genre, but the story was fresh and on point. It was simple, yet engaging, easy enough to follow, and unfolded naturally. I didn't expect to like the characters as much as I did. Unlike some other anime, they acted somewhat close to how an actual human being would. The main character, Yuu, is likable, cheeky, and interestingly somewhat relatable. Yuu is an avid shoujo manga reader, which is full of artificial and idealized love that isby no shape, or form attainable in real life. She is desperately chasing that alluring feeling of "shoujo love", but to no avail, making her believe she is different. Yuu's senpai, Touko, is perfect... a perfect mess. She is a beautiful, flawless genius and everyone's love interest. She rejected multiple people who confessed to her without a second thought. There is only one problem, Touko puts on a facade. This perfect image she portrays is not truly who she is, but her deceased older sister, whom she idolized and adored. She hates her true self and takes it as her life mission to BECOME her older sister and would rather die than break this character (she even states that). When Touko finds out that Yuu has never been able to feel love and is not attracted to her, she is mesmerized. She is tired of putting on an act, but with Yuu, there is no pressure, and she can be her "flawed" self. The dynamic between them is intriguing, and their interactions feel genuine. Yuu gradually breaks Tokuo's shell and exposes her for who she truly is. The depiction of their relationship was believable and nuanced, and it was fun being a fly on the wall watching it unfold. Alas, it can't be a perfect love story without a love triangle, right? Cue, Sayaka! Touko's friend, classmate, and doppelganger. They look and act alike. Sayaka has no problems serving as the second fiddle to Touko, as long as she is close to her. She is also secretly in love with her. Anyway, there is not much more to add besides the fact she adds some needed tension and makes things more exciting. The side characters were primarily sitting on the sidelines. It is not a bad thing, though. It means more screen time for Yuu and Touka, and ultimately, they are the show's main draw. There is the sensei and her girlfriend. They serve as a tool for plot progression and a venting outlet for other characters. Maki takes the role of the quiet observer, who indulges in watching other people's romance, as he is not yet or maybe will ever be capable of experiencing it himself. The theater scene depicted his persona masterfully. It was memorable and well-executed. The rest of the ensemble consists of the obligatory comic relief guy and generic school friends. The art is delightful. The models of the characters are consistent and fit the shoujo vibe the show is aiming at. The backgrounds are breathtaking and detailed, even reaching the ones of a decently budgeted movie. The overall animation is fluid and clean. I have not noticed any discrepancies. That said, there was nothing to write home about as far as sound was concerned. The opening and ending are okay, but nothing I would listen to more than once. The OST fits nicely and is not overwhelming, even though, at times, it was overused (like the one after the mid-episode break). Admittedly, the show has exceeded my expectations. The execution was splendid. I liked that the topics explored not only revolved around mere romance but also things like self-discovery and identity, which added needed depth. The show gets extra points for getting me invested and touching my heartstrings without being a cheap melodrama or an obnoxious tear-jerker.

What exactly is love? Is it a feeling of trying to protect someone you treasure, or is it a feeling of gratitude for someone you deeply care about? There’s no exact answer for it, but everyone has their own ideal of how love is, and with this idea adding a sprinkle of yuri, may I introduce you, Yagate Kimi Ni Naru (Bloom Into You), a show focusing on our two female protagonist, Koito Yuu and Nanami Touko, and their journey onto finding what love, truly means. Story / Character -9.5- Within the first few minutes you get greeted by our first protagonist, Koito Yuu, whomis heavily obsessed in shoujo manga, and looks forward to having a heart pumping relationship, in which feels seemingly distant and unreachable for Yuu. Now being a high school student, Yuu was chosen to help out with the Student Council election. While trying to find out where the club is, she stumbled upon our next protagonist, Nanami Touko whom was being confessed by another male student. Having seen Touko rejecting the student, with the ‘excuse’ of not wanting to go out with anyone just yet, Yuu decides to consult her as Yuu herself too, is being bothered by the fact that her best friend confessed to her, and she didn’t feel the ‘spark’ she initially thought she might have. Thinking how Nanami senpai might’ve help her settle her problems, with the turn of the tide, Nanami suddenly confesses to Yuu, leaving Yuu in absolute confusion. What comes next are lovely moments that will surely make you go ‘awww’. Character wise, unlike what you see in most romance anime, the dominant one usually is the older ones, or the male lead (in this case it’s irrelevant). However, Touko albeit being a third year, is constantly showing her weaknesses, lowering her guard when she is around with Yuu, whom is younger than her. Even though as affectionate as Touko is, Yuu has convinced herself that she wouldn’t fall in love with Touko (or is it (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖) and in return for Touko’s feelings, Yuu tends to be more kind towards her, and allows her to cling onto her even though Yuu doesn’t plan on returning her feelings. Other character such as Saeki senpai and the teacher adds the depth for the story, making the story not necessarily just about Yuri at its core, but also people finding the true meaning to their life. Quite a simple plot to understand, everything you’d expect from a shoujo ai but with a touch of uniqueness to the dialogues and monologues. Art -9- This is a great adaptation from the original manga series, characters look on point, animations are very fluid. One unexpected part that totally blew me away was the use of camera angles, some scenes were literally breathed life into them, and some made the scene extraordinarily dream-like. All in all, Troyca has done an exceptional job on adapting this manga into anime, and I think it’s very commendable for making this anime such an enjoyable one. Sound -8.5- Most of the voice acting are done pretty well with some rare occasions where I actually found them to be slightly underwhelming, but not average enough to take a point off from the overall voice acting, so nothing to complain about here. The opening and ending are also quite good, I personally prefer the ending more than the opening, as it has a catchier vibe to it, and is sang by the two main protagonists. Soundtrack wise is sort of a mixed feeling (mostly good), what you usually here are ambient sound, like literally life-like ambient sounds, not many fancy soundtracks are going on throughout this anime, but they convey the feelings very well and tend to fit in the scenes. I personally just wished there was more to it, other than mostly being ambient. Overall -9- Bloom into you is a must watch if you’re a big fan of the romance genre, taking the slower, gradual progression for the plot makes you more invested into the characters, and I think that is a great way to catch the audience’s heart. Even though the plot is rather simple, the way it was executed through good directing and writing really makes this anime all the better. The conclusion for the anime isn't necessary what I thought it would've been (in relation to the manga that is), but was still a very wholesome nonetheless. If you want something that can hit you home, look no further and hope onto the feel train, and let the anime Bloom Into You.

Love takes shape that the universe may never have a precise answer on. Can we all agree that human emotions can never be truly understood? What does it mean to be in love? Why do people fall for each other? In our world of imperfection, we will never know the truth to this question. Humans are imperfect and we were built that way in the eyes of our creator. The art of anime adaptations is a fascinating subject that takes many forms. I’m very open minded with just about any genre although when it comes to yuri and shoujo-ai, I’m rather indifferent about it. Recent adaptationsof the shoujo-ai genre hardly made an impression on me such as Citrus or Netsuzou Trap. Both of those shows let me down big time with their aggressive stance on relationships. I wanted to see a softer side of the shoujo-ai genre without subscribing to sexual same gender relationships that relies on shock service. Thankfully, Yagate Kimi no Naru is the answer. I’m not too familiar with the community related to shoujo-ai works but it’s clear that the manga has popularity. The series was launched in April 2015 from the Monthly Comic Dengeki Daioh and in the present, it has over 500k printing copies and ongoing. However, I was also curious about the anime adaptation after seeing the staff involved. Director Makoto Katou made a rather interesting impression back in 2015 when they directed a mystery light novel adaptation called “Beautiful Bones: Sakurako’s Investigation”. While this series doesn’t contain much mystery, it definitely made me wonder if it has a similar mystique. Indeed, watching Yagate Kimi ni Naru (Bloom Into You) finally gave me a shoujo-ai that I desired. Right off the bat, we meet Yuu Koito, a first-year high school student who has a love for shoujo manga. From her perspective, it’s easy to see what love is on a fictional level. It isn’t until a second-year student named Touko Nanami comes into her life that she really begin to experience what life and love is. Similar to Yuu, Touko also has trouble experiencing love although it’s clear that her mind is set to understand it. As a student, she is very admirable for her dependable personality and someone the freshmen look up to. However, all this seems to be masking her insecurity. The truth is, Touko has many weaknesses underneath her cool persona. It’s shown throughout the series that she feels loneliness due to her past and Yuu becomes the only person that she trusts in. On the other hand, Yuu seems to be more wary about love and wants to experience it. However, her view towards love is not as dedicated as Touko. She wants to experience love but often denies feelings of it. Yuu’s personality is more the opposite of Touko’s as she is indecisive at times, including her own future. So to say the least, how can these two develop a genuine relationship? Honestly, I think the main draw of the show isn’t to see if the main characters can get together as a couple. Rather, it’s about how characters experience love and what love really means to them. Realistically, both characters views love in different ways although it’s clear that they lack experience in it. Touko is the more obvious with her insecure personality where she often isn’t sure what to do to make happy moments with Yuu. On the other hand, Yuu often believes what she experiences to be more of a fantasy than actual love. I guess part of that comes from reading all those shoujo manga although as the series progresses, she begins to grow out of her shell. The storytelling continues to test the two’s relationship on many levels. It’s a show that capitalizes on bringing in drama and thankfully, I can say that it accomplishes that very well. The drama sells with the character personalities, behaviors, dialogues, and realistic feelings. I’m also more pleased to say that everything in the show felt very real. Characters behave like humans do especially for high school students of their age. It’s a time period when young people want to get the best out of their lives and love is often a prominent part of growing up. To me, this show manages to capture the essence of character growing up while discovering what love is about. While Yuu and Touko are the most prominent characters, it’s hard to take eyes off of some of the others. Sayaka Saeki is a good example as someone who used to attend an all-girls school and became a close friend with Touko. The two work together as part of the student council but it’s very clear that Sayaka sees her more than a friend. Love is the easiest way to describe it. It’s also easy to see why she falls for her too considering their similar personalities. Both Sayaka and Touko are hardworking individuals who are willing to help others. However, Sayaka is perhaps less outgoing compared to Touko and thus, not as easily as approachable. The series doesn’t dedicate to their relationship but it’s interesting to see Sayaka’s vision of love. In essence, she hides her feelings and is not someone that’s easy to read on the surface. This is a contrast to both Yuu and Touko as those two tends to say what’s on their mind. On a lesser extent, we also get to see the relationship between Miyako and Riko which is shown to be very healthy in nature. Their relationship is relaxing and almost like a contrast to the drama that we see so often in the story. As for the shoujo-ai genre, I think it’s pretty easy to recognize that pretty much all the main characters are lesbians in one way or another. Some are to a lesser but it’s pretty clear from the start. What were you expecting though? The anime advertised itself as such with the same gender relationships so be prepared to subscribe to that from start to finish. But as a show with a lot of drama, I should say to watch this with a careful focus on the characters. Watch for what they say, how they behave, and their intentions. For me, I find the most complex character to be Yuu since her personality is often sarcastic and believes too much into fictional love. This is true especially in the beginning where it became hard to know what she really wants. The more I watched though, the more I came to accept Yuu for who she is and her quest to discover love. And that’s what I find so entrancing about this show. In perhaps a coincidental timeline, we also get Troyca as the studio. It's the same one that worked on Sakurako’s Investigation with the exact same director. As my first impression, this anime managed look colorful and vibrant with its character designs. There’s a feminine charm for the majority of the cast that really brings the elegance out of the characters. The emotional context are captured with the vivid details of body language and human expressions. The background visual quality is also stellar with a certain degree feeling of photorealism. Some of the scenes during the mid-season episodes like the ones with the bridge stands out the most. Last but not least, I would like to mention that character voice mannerism for the main cast is portrayed with supreme talent. Not only did I feel attached to their personalities, these characters also sounded like they belong in this anime from the beginning. Ah, it’s about damn time. I’ve been indifferent about shoujo-ai shows for a good while but after seeing Yagate Kimi ni Naru, I may change my mind. This show managed to capture the expression of love in ways that exceed my expectations. It seized opportunities to recreate a sensational drama without stepping over the line. Keep your pants on because you’re not going to get sexual shock content all over your face. What you get is a drama done right in the most entrancing way possible. It's almost perfect.

Yagate Kimi ni Naru is an anime that reminds us of the complexity of love. Several philosophers, artists, even you have tried to express that feeling to someone when you fall in love. A close person, a forgotten friend, call it what you want. Maybe someone declared us, and we did not know how to respond. Maybe we have failed, or we have managed to understand the meaning of love. No matter what happened in our life, those feelings are still present. This series uses that feeling, something that we cannot describe and creates a refreshing and pure plot that will fascinate you. On the otherhand, some viewers may consider this series boring, absurd and ridiculous. If you do not like romance combined with slice of life, you will agree with them and this anime won't be for you. --Story-- The story is straightforward, and the relationship between the different characters is exquisitely well developed. We have two girls, Yuu and Touko. The first cannot experience the feeling of love. She may know the literal meaning, but she has never "loved" anyone and perhaps never will. The second is a perfect student, president of the school council who cannot accept being loved. All this leads her to reject any proposal of love or avoid any relationship with someone who shows this feeling towards her. The plot develops gradually when Yuu feels the need to reject a declaration of love. Since she cannot ask for help from her friends, she decides to ask Touku, who supports her and helps her reject the declaration. For some viewers, it could be unrealistic, a cliché, I call it destiny or love at first sight, Touku begins to love Yuu. At first, we can think that it will take advantage of Yuu's condition. However, this is the beginning of an innocent relationship in which both girls will try to understand the meaning of love and about themselves. On the other hand, the plot is a combination of heart and self-definition, slice of life and romance. The series uses school life to improve the relationship and create perfect moments where these characters can be together. In addition, it maintains simplicity and is pleasant. It does not need any strange exaggeration to ignite love like other series like Citrus with forced scenes to name one. Another interesting factor is the setting. In general, yuri romance fails because it is set in an unrealistic place where almost the entire cast is lesbian. However, in the beginning, we can appreciate a diverse group of characters that keep the plot alive and realistic. Unfortunately, the plot tends to this unrealistic configuration in some parts, and that can be seen as negative. The author avoids any social consequences, and this could be interpreted as ridiculous by some spectators. Also, that's one of my reasons for not giving the series a perfect score because it's weird and gives you the impression that something is missing. Another reason, the series has an open ending and the most relevant part of the story is in the manga, and it may not be animated (I hope I'm wrong). --Characters— I like the way how the characters evolve with the relationship. The story has two main characters. Yuu Koito. She is an avid reader, cute, friendly and caring. For some reason, she cannot experience love, and she expects to learn about it with Touku. One interesting factor is the way how she can read Touku because this helps to brace the outcome. For me, she is in constant change because her doubts appear more often. Sadly, we cannot explore more of her development for that reason I invite you to read the manga. Touko Nanami. She is a perfect girl for all the persons around her. However, she is a character full of fears and doubts. She hides that face from anyone, but Yuu can look inside her. She dislikes being loved because she hates herself, so she will reject anyone that show any affection towards her. For me, she is a very complex character but in the deep, she is the weakest one. When she is with Yuu, she gets anxious and irradiates a beautiful feeling to the audience. --Art and Sound— The animation is good. However, there are some angles where the character lost some proportion, and they will look a bit pointed. It is weird but does not occur too often. The camera dynamic and movement are excellent, they are smooth and fit the romantic moments. It makes your eyes focus in the details of the scene. Additionally, the animation uses a bright and vivid palette that is pleasant to the eye and makes the characters glow. The soundtrack contributes with the atmosphere of the scenes and helps in the crucial moments. The sound is elegant, soft and perfect. The OP is fantastic, and I love the rhythm and the connection with the lyrics. The ED is average, but it has a pleasant score combination. --Enjoyment— I do not have too many negative complaints about the series. The plot is entertaining, and it arouses curiosity. The relationship between the characters is realistic, cute and pure. I love how Yuu tease her Senpai and how she reacts to that. The relationship is amusing and captivating. Sadly, the manga stills ongoing, so the series is not going to be completed. I certainly will recommend the series because it has a real emotional level with minor plot issues and acceptable pacing. However, if we compare the series with others from the same genre like Citrus or Aoi Hana, it will give you the impression that something is missing. The series is missing the charisma of a complete couple (two characters are needed in a relationship). In this show, Touku has that charisma, but Yuu lacks it because she cannot express the feeling of love and that gives the impression that the show is average or unfinished, but it is part of the plot concept. For that reason. I invite you to read the manga because you will see Yuu’s progression and changes in the source.

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