“I’m feeling more pathetic than anything”

“Wtf do you want to talk? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine”

Well if that ain’t high school I don’t know what is

“I’m feeling more pathetic than anything”

“Wtf do you want to talk? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine”

Well if that ain’t high school I don’t know what is

That may be high school in most countries, but over here we call that middle school... While what is elsewhere middle school and junior high is, for us, elementary school.

I actually really like all this focus we're getting on the side characters. It helps get an idea of where all the characters are now and what they're up to. Plus, it's especially important we get to know Sayaka's perspective on things, considering she's the second most important character after Yuu and Touko.

Also, I LOOOOOVED Chapter 36. It was just everything teenage me could've used--a foreseeable happy future with a girlfriend/wife. It gives me hope that someday, it could happen. It's also something I never see in yuris, too. We're always shown the relationship when the girls are in high school and then that's it. But we're very rarely shown what happens in adulthood and how you can have a happy same sex relationship after high school. I love how Nakatani included something like this.

Some people sure overreact about the side characters getting focus. Volume 6 was entirely focused on Touko and Yuu, especially on Touko and her problems. Chapter 35 was about them as well. This short chapter about Sayaka is setting up future developments in which I am sure she will be envolved. We also saw some development on Touko's side in the first scene. And rather than a side character , Sayaka is the tritagonist of this series.

last edited at Nov 6, 2018 12:25PM

I'm kind of expecting a scene where Sayaka is super determined to tell Touko her feelings. Goes looking for her and finds her ..during i dunno, a break maybe, in a quiet place like the cliche roof, where shes sobbing or something and muttering Yuu's name. Sayaka hearing that changes her mind and supports them or something. Well that is a cliche romance thinking but a theory nonetheless. And the ending will be the trip where theyre back together, or more specifically, officially together.

It kind of feels like people have been disregarding Sayaka inturition. She almost immediately picked up on that the teacher and cafe manager were a couple. She pretty quickly picked up on there was something different between Toukos relationship with Yuu and came to highly suspect they were in a relationship and tried to seek confirmation repeatedly. The only thing that has held her back is her own half heated self denial of what she realized is going on only because of her own feelings what what it would mean for them. Though it did seem like she moved fairly quickly past that denial at least in part and accepted there is a relationship going on between Yuu and Touko in some form and even recognized Yuu as her rival for Touko. She just doesn't know how serious that relationship already is.

All the serious stuff aside, I just feel bad for Riko-sensei when her girlfriend keeps talking about their relationship behind her back lol

Sayaka will confess. And maybe Touko will accept. This is... oh dear god...
Goddess bless Nakatani Nio.

great chapter.

last edited at Nov 6, 2018 3:48PM

Sayaka will confess. And maybe Touko will accept. This is... oh dear god...
Goddess bless Nakatani Nio.

Definitely not gonna accept. I wonder why so many people actually believe it's possible after all that's happened lol

last edited at Nov 6, 2018 3:56PM

Touko seems extremely unlikely to accept...
And, afterall, there's still the issue of which character(s) will help Yuu and Touko resolve their problems...
Whether it be stories, IRL situation, history or fanbases, we always gotta have some faction gridlock... rolls eyes

Well, I know I got to say just one or two things today, but I did have the free time... Good night, everyone.

last edited at Nov 6, 2018 5:12PM

I am so sorry Sayaka, I know you are staring judgmentally at me from within my avatar, but I just can not root for you in this...

https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/bloom_into_you_ch36#3

Every single time Sayaka has noticed something's wrong with Touko someone else has beat her to doing something about it.

I feel that observation so much. Part of why it's clear they're not right for each other. It might be different if Touko then goes to Sayaka afterwards as the first person to say why she's been feeling pathetic, but that's obviously not what happens. Don't get me wrong, Sayaka is great and deserves happiness too, but she can't give Touko what she needs.

I just caught onto this, but the second page is so great symbolically, when Sayaka says the two temples are in opposite directions, and their friend exclaims "but they're like, a pair!" Sayaka and Touko are usually seen to be a pair, but just like the temples, they are literally sitting on opposite sides of the two pushed-together desks, and their hair colors are well, gold and black, just like the temples' colors. The following page I couldn't tell if I was overthinking it or not, but when Sayaka makes that offhand comment about giving up on Ginkaku-ji, it read like giving up Touko to me.

And as said before, yes, Sayaka the first to notice when something's wrong, the last to do anything about it. I'm loving Touko's change in vulnerability.

Small atmospheric detail, I like how the "but that day is probably already here" is juxtaposed with a road in front of Sayaka that she has to walk on (the crosswalk) and her not yet being given the signal to go. And the same symbolic composition appears in the last page, only now she is walking across the crosswalk, and she has been given the signal to go, plus the exact same phrase, "that day is probably already here".

The first time I read this chapter, I admittedly felt confused because it seemed like Sayaka was going to take advantage of Touko's change to confess and possibly think that she wouldn't get rejected? Because of the wording on page 12 about how Touko used to turn down every confession she received. But re-reading, think it's clear Sayaka sees that she does have her chance to clear things up for herself, but she has no intention of getting in the way of Yuu and Touko or anything. It was just her moment of gaining clarity, of being bold and realizing that the "someday in the future" which she had always put off is actually here now and it's her moment to act. So a good chapter, a necessary one to contextualize whatever she eventually tells Touko. And a heartwarming one, for her to know that a future exists for somebody like her, and that she can envision it. As the souffles and "sweet drink" on the cover page indicate, something sweet to fill her up with.

I'm excited for the next chapter again!

I am so sorry Sayaka, I know you are staring judgmentally at me from within my avatar, but I just can not root for you in this...

Sayaka has been a fine character, but given the way the story has been set up so far, there’s just no way this author makes a sudden pivot to Sayaka/Touko.

It’s a bit of a stretch to say that the whole thing has always been mainly Yuu’s story (we’ve gotten too deeply into Touko’s POV for that), but certainly the relationship between the two has been the story’s central and really only concern.

Put another way, given how meticulous and methodical this author has been throughout the series, the groundwork for a potential Sayaka endgame would have been established a long, long time ago.

Sayaka gets a spin-off as a well-deserved Miss Congeniality prize.

EDIT: ^ And I need an “I agree with RiverFlower” emoji.

last edited at Nov 6, 2018 6:18PM

I'm still going with Maki as the eventual main character of a harem manga. All the yuri will be turned into fanservice and the new name will be "Watching You Bloom."

I am so sorry Sayaka, I know you are staring judgmentally at me from within my avatar, but I just can not root for you in this...

Sayaka has been a fine character, but given the way the story has been set up so far, there’s just no way this author makes a sudden pivot to Sayaka/Touko.

It’s a bit of a stretch to say that the whole thing has always been mainly Yuu’s story (we’ve gotten too deeply into Touko’s POV for that), but certainly the relationship between the two has been the story’s central and really only concern.

Put another way, given how meticulous and methodical this author has been throughout the series, the groundwork for a potential Sayaka endgame would have been established a long, long time ago.

Sayaka gets a spin-off as a well-deserved Miss Congeniality prize.

EDIT: ^ And I need an “I agree with RiverFlower” emoji.

Not sure why you even quoted me, but I certainly did not mean to imply that I disagree with your assessment in any way.

I am so sorry Sayaka, I know you are staring judgmentally at me from within my avatar, but I just can not root for you in this...

Sayaka has been a fine character, but given the way the story has been set up so far, there’s just no way this author makes a sudden pivot to Sayaka/Touko.

It’s a bit of a stretch to say that the whole thing has always been mainly Yuu’s story (we’ve gotten too deeply into Touko’s POV for that), but certainly the relationship between the two has been the story’s central and really only concern.

Put another way, given how meticulous and methodical this author has been throughout the series, the groundwork for a potential Sayaka endgame would have been established a long, long time ago.

Sayaka gets a spin-off as a well-deserved Miss Congeniality prize.

EDIT: ^ And I need an “I agree with RiverFlower” emoji.

Not sure why you even quoted me, but I certainly did not mean to imply that I disagree with your assessment in any way.

Sorry—didn’t mean to mislead. I started on a “not gonna happen anyway” post and I guess I got carried away.

The lack of critical thinking skills of some members is awkward

Sayaka gets a spin-off as a well-deserved Miss Congeniality prize.

EDIT: ^ And I need an “I agree with RiverFlower” emoji.

Three cheers for love triangle side characters with their own stories and personalities who are still likable and not either total losers or total assholes.

I am honored, friend.

Bloom Into You in a nutshell:

What Is Love
Baby don't hurt me
Don't hurt me
No more

Sayaka gets a spin-off as a well-deserved Miss Congeniality prize.

Three cheers for love triangle side characters with their own stories and personalities who are still likable and not either total losers or total assholes.

I was thinking about a related topic today—how the better-written manga often contain plenty of familiar elements and narrative tropes, but they’re reworked and configured in interesting ways.

It would be very easy to summarize YagaKimi (misleadingly) to make it sound like any number of dime-a-dozen yuri/romance manga, and Sayaka as the best friend with the longtime silent crush is one such element (along with the hyper-competent student council prez, the thematically significant cultural festival, the training camp retreat, etc.).

Yuu herself is a good example—I can think of various other characters who have one or more of some version of her characteristics, but not one who really fundamentally resembles her overall.

But she also doesn’t feel like an odd or artificial construct, either (as sometimes happens when authors are obviously trying to create an “original” character). In other manga character traits like Yuu’s shyness or her athletic ability or her straightforwardness often tip over into becoming the character’s whole identity—“the quiet shy one,” “the sporty tomboy,” “the rude blunt one.” But not here—those qualities are part of her without finally being her.

Not sure why you even quoted me, but I certainly did not mean to imply that I disagree with your assessment in any way.

Sorry—didn’t mean to mislead. I started on a “not gonna happen anyway” post and I guess I got carried away.

No worries, it did feel like you went on a little tangent there hehe.

What is with yuri stories and there being interludes after the big confession. It's like the mangaka goes "ooo! I got 'em hooked, so I can make more money dragging this out a bit without worry!"

What am I saying that's exactly what it is.

I was thinking about a related topic today—how the better-written manga often contain plenty of familiar elements and narrative tropes, but they’re reworked and configured in interesting ways.

It would be very easy to summarize YagaKimi (misleadingly) to make it sound like any number of dime-a-dozen yuri/romance manga, and Sayaka as the best friend with the longtime silent crush is one such element (along with the hyper-competent student council prez, the thematically significant cultural festival, the training camp retreat, etc.).

Yuu herself is a good example—I can think of various other characters who have one or more of some version of her characteristics, but not one who really fundamentally resembles her overall.

But she also doesn’t feel like an odd or artificial construct, either (as sometimes happens when authors are obviously trying to create an “original” character). In other manga character traits like Yuu’s shyness or her athletic ability or her straightforwardness often tip over into becoming the character’s whole identity—“the quiet shy one,” “the sporty tomboy,” “the rude blunt one.” But not here—those qualities are part of her without finally being her.

It's not the recipe and the ingredients but the skill of the cook that matters, so to speak.

But she also doesn’t feel like an odd or artificial construct, either (as sometimes happens when authors are obviously trying to create an “original” character). In other manga character traits like Yuu’s shyness or her athletic ability or her straightforwardness often tip over into becoming the character’s whole identity—“the quiet shy one,” “the sporty tomboy,” “the rude blunt one.” But not here—those qualities are part of her without finally being her.

It's not the recipe and the ingredients but the skill of the cook that matters, so to speak.

Yeah I think it's great. Yuu could be the quiet, not-talkative, blunt, rude, sporty, tomboy-ish, passive, obedient, thoughtful, caring, loving, observant, non-reactive, emotionless, excitable, creative, gentle girl we all know her to be, with a thousand more descriptors attached, and it still wouldn't be enough for somebody who hasn't read the manga to truly understand her. Even for those of us who have read the manga, we wouldn't be able to fully understand her. Even the mangaka could potentially never fully understand her, as her story unfolds and other details are always up for interpretation.

I love it. It's what a great character looks like. Just as mysterious and clear-cut as real humans, as defined by both actions and self/other evaluations. I have noticed that Nakatani's characters always carry this ambiguity that's hard to describe. Like that they are self aware and also aren't? Like they act without thinking but it's also obvious why they made the decisions they did.

It's actually a very interesting dynamic that I don't think I've seen much in stories of any sort. Speaks to Nakatani's skill and very distinguishable artistic style (both visually and narratively).