Romance can be a fairly difficult genre to get right, especially since cliches have become commonly accepted and fictional love stories often seem to have little in common with real ones. Because of that Bloom Into You is a breath of fresh air, a realistic yuri love story that, among other things, is a commentary on how true love can be different from how we expect.
The concept isn't easy to do justice without going on for a long time or spoiling plot points, but it isn't your typical love story. The main couple consists of Yuu, a girl who believes she isn't able to fall in love, a belief she holds even as she's falling in love, and Touko, a seemingly perfect girl who not only is perfectly fine with Yuu not reciprocating her feelings, but hopes Yuu will stay that way. The romance between the two develops at a realistic pace, albeit a slow burn, and their personal flaws are presented as significant obstacles that must be overcome.
The cast is well-rounded and human, without falling back on various tropes or archetypes. All of the recurring characters contribute in various ways to the story, and generally have reason to be there. Even Sayaka, who might otherwise be portrayed as just another rival competing for Touko's affection, is actually a fairly interesting and sympathetic character whose friendship with Touko effectively contrasts with Yuu's own relationship with Touko.
If I had to identify a flaw, it's that the pacing can sometimes be a bit slow, especially at the beginning. That said, it doesn't feel as though any of the time is wasted, since even the parts in which nothing much seems to be happening often help viewers learn more about the characters, or introduce details that will become important later.
The anime is a largely faithful and effective adaptation of the manga, since it's well-animated, features a good soundtrack and includes virtually all of the manga, even the extra chapters. That said, the first season cuts off somewhat abruptly, so I hope Bloom Into You gets another season at some point.
All in all, Bloom Into You is well worth your time, so you should check it out if you're a fan of romance.
A well-written and realistic yuri romance
Romance can be a fairly difficult genre to get right, especially since cliches have become commonly accepted and fictional love stories often seem to have little in common with real ones. Because of that Bloom Into You is a breath of fresh air, a realistic yuri love story that, among other things, is a commentary on how true love can be different from how we expect.
The concept isn't easy to do justice without going on for a long time or spoiling plot points, but it isn't your typical love story. The main couple consists of Yuu, a girl who believes she isn't able to fall in love, a belief she holds even as she's falling in love, and Touko, a seemingly perfect girl who not only is perfectly fine with Yuu not reciprocating her feelings, but hopes Yuu will stay that way. The romance between the two develops at a realistic pace, albeit a slow burn, and their personal flaws are presented as significant obstacles that must be overcome.
The cast is well-rounded and human, without falling back on various tropes or archetypes. All of the recurring characters contribute in various ways to the story, and generally have reason to be there. Even Sayaka, who might otherwise be portrayed as just another rival competing for Touko's affection, is actually a fairly interesting and sympathetic character whose friendship with Touko effectively contrasts with Yuu's own relationship with Touko.
If I had to identify a flaw, it's that the pacing can sometimes be a bit slow, especially at the beginning. That said, it doesn't feel as though any of the time is wasted, since even the parts in which nothing much seems to be happening often help viewers learn more about the characters, or introduce details that will become important later.
The anime is a largely faithful and effective adaptation of the manga, since it's well-animated, features a good soundtrack and includes virtually all of the manga, even the extra chapters. That said, the first season cuts off somewhat abruptly, so I hope Bloom Into You gets another season at some point.
All in all, Bloom Into You is well worth your time, so you should check it out if you're a fan of romance.