Another good reason to take a look at HIDIVE is Bloom into You, simulcasting on Fridays. In no way is that a general statement – the Bloom Into You anime is a surprisingly excellent entry into the list of recent Yuri anime. (2018 is going to actually be a fun year to write up that top anime list!)
Because I have detailed every single concern I have ever had with the manga in previous reviews, I’m going to just set them aside. Not because the anime addresses them, but because the anime gives us additional layers and nuance to the story. I didn’t expect that…and I liked it.
The story is pretty much done straight from the manga. This is very typical in a Kadokawa series that runs in Dengekoi Daioh magazine. Traditionally, the anime runs through the first couple of manga volumes to stimulate interest in an ongoing series. It would thrill me to know that we were going to get to the point of the school play in Volume 6, but I do not expect it. ANN lists 12 episodes, which sounds about right for the typical Kadokawa marketing plan.
As ever, I find myself watching Sayaka, here voiced by Kayano Ai – who seems to be a regular in many of the popular Kadokawa series. The anime really plays up her longing looks at Touko and the laser-like intensity with which she regards Yuu. For her, the animation really amps up the tension.
The animation itself is all right. The faces strike me as having weirdly pointed chins which reflects the art of the first volume, but not the better art of later volumes. Backgrounds are given more detail than people, as is the way these days, but I feel the gap here is less pronounced. Body movements (and clothing motions) seem better animated than I expected and the backgrounds aren’t that hyper-realistic that makes the characters seem out of place. I do have one very sincere complaint, however. The eyes are animated strangely and yet, are constantly the focus of close-ups. I don’t mind that the faces are not exceptional well-drawn – I deeply mind that we’re forced to zoom in on them over and over. Dear gods, visual media directors, please stop doing every scene in close-up. For pity’s sake, back the fuck up.
Overall its balanced, if not brilliant, animation, with way too many close-ups on strangely drawn eyes.
Those of us following the manga won’t be in for any surprises regarding the plot, but if you haven’t been reading the manga I can actually recommend the anime as a solid place to start. And, man, does that feel good to be able to say. When I was at Yuriten and saw the poster for the anime, I actually groaned inside. After the last couple of Yuri anime that I could not recommend and frankly wish were wiped out of the collective consciousness, it feels really good to add another Yuri romance to Asagao to Kase-san among the recommended Yuri anime to watch for 2018.
Ratings:
Art – 7 -1 for the eyes, so 6
Story – 8
Characters – 8
Yuri – 5 + 1 for Sayaka, so 6
Service – 1 on principle
Overall – 8
I was delighted to find the anime quite enjoyable. I hope you’ll give HIDIVE a trial and see for yourself.
Glad to hear it’s good so far. I’ve been waiting to watch it with my partner, but as lovers of the manga we’ve both been so nervous to watch it. >.<
As someone who has actually never read the manga, I went into this as a complete newcomer. So far I am impressed with the story and characters. Although I have to say that I really agree on the art, perhaps Asagao to Kase-san set the bar too high for me but I continuously notice small things, such as the chin shape that you pointed out, that I find distracting.
Overall though I am very happy with this series and with the yuri offerings this year (especially as I am one of the people who liked the Citrus anime).
I can’t wait to see the top anime list this year, although I am pretty confident that I can guess what the #1 spot will be.
Heh.
Well, since I did not read the original manga, I was afraid that this show would be another over the top melodrama or fanservice where literally all the characters are lesbian schoolgirls, but suddenly it turned out to be a mature romance in a realistic setting.
I especially liked this near-class s atmosphere, because of which what is happening looks unusually nostalgic and gentle.
Yes, all that is pretty much straight from the manga. It is, as I say, a fairly direct adaptation.
Well, I quite liked that the author isn’t trying to turn yuri into a fetish, spinning the whole plot around it, just telling about the relationship of the heroines as normal and healthy romantic relationships. Especially against the background of lolicon and moe yuri this season.
I wonder what works inspired the author and anime production committee.
Ah, good, I have found myself wondering if you were watching this and what you thought of it. I stopped reading the manga after one volume as I was repelled by the issues it has which you’ve mentioned before, but decided to check out the anime as I’d wondered if it’d handle things better. Its certainly getting a solid adaptation, and I do think its less intrusively problematic, but I remain at best uneasy with it. Granting Yuu a voice, in the aural sense, does make her come off as less passive all by itself, which is nice… and I think the way in which some shots are composed makes underlying realities/sentiment more obvious… But the best I can say for my own feeling toward the show is that I’ve remained on the edge of dropping it throughout every episode so far. Ah well.
I watched the anime without knowing anything about the manga, and in my mind this has got to be one of the all-time yuri classics. I mean, it’s got a bit of everything: girls in love, adult women in a stable relationship, a girl realizing her own sexual identity, and it even has a cultural festival play which reflects the events in the real world(which unfortunately we don’t get to see, sob).
And it all takes place in a real world where people struggle with real-world issues.
According to my interpretation, there are no non-consensual elements here as Yuu never actually tells Touko to back off because she actually -wants- to fall in love with Touko and she says that she doesn’t mind Touko kissing her; Touko is always considerate of Yuu’s feelings even when she’s in a pushy mood; and it’s pretty clear by the midway of the series that Yuu is head over heels in love with Touko (which Maki notices). For example, the scene where Yuu backs off from kissing Touko after the cultural festival, my instinctive interpretation is that Yuu doesn’t do it because it would “cross the line” in betraying that Yuu actually wants to do it and isn’t just doing it as a “reward”. Which would in turn put off Touko, who wants Yuu to remain indifferent.
The ending of the anime makes it quite clear that Yuu will try to solve Touko’s issues so that the latter can eventually accept herself (and Yuu’s love, which Yuu currently is still afraid to show because of Touko’ issues).
I only found out about the controversial aspects of the manga after I saw the anime, and I was really surprised because there was nothing controversial in the anime! I think the director/screenwriter did a good job in changing the tone of the story here.
The only thing missing here is the epic climax of the cultural festival play (in the style of Blue Drop) which would bring the lovers together, but I also somewhat like the fact that it’s been left to our imagination. Still, I’d love to have another season and actually see the play, instead of just imagining it. Hopefully a miracle happens and we get to see a second season :)