Since I cracked open the fantastic Bloom Into You Premium Box Set earlier this week, and plan on finishing it up tomorrow (except for the cheesecake, which will have to wait a few weeks) I figured I had better just bite the bullet and wrap it all up in one go. So here we are with Yagate Kimi ni Naru, Volume 8 (やがて君になる) in our hands, ready to say farewell to this series in Japanese.

Volume 7 (which will be available in English in April 2020) left us on the cusp of a major change for Yuu and Touko. A major change that had been telegraphed for many volumes, so surely no one will be surprised. After this massive change in their relationship, the narrative shifts entirely from a story about young people struggling with who they might be to one about learning to be comfortable with who they are. To do this, some of you will have to let go of who you thought they were. This bring us to the creation of a relationship in which both Yuu and Touko had to figure out what they wanted for themselves.

Time marches on and the story skips two years into the future to end in what is an extended final chapter. Yuu visits her school once again, this time to watch her successors in the Student Council perform their play. And to catch up with everyone for a brief moment. Sayaka, Yuu and Touko have one last moment together in which the punchline of the yet-to-be-released third Sayaka novel is spoiled…and I’m perfectly okay with it. ^_^ It’s not like that was any less obvious than the end of this series. In a Yuri story, it doesn’t matter how many obstacles exist, we kind of have to realize that we’re headed to an inevitable conclusion.

The conclusion to this story may have been inevitable and, if we’re honest, a bit predictable, but it is nonetheless a nice ending and one that gives fans of the series plenty of room into which they can write their own desires. What conversations did Yuu and Touko have about identity and gender and sexuality and sex in those two years? We’ll never know, so feel free to tell the story you need to tell to make it work for you.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Characters  – 10
Service – There is a sex scene. Whether you consider that service or not is entirely up to you.
Yuri – 10

Overall – 9

In the end, I am once again staring at the title, wondering if we’ve all been played for fools. Maybe  every single character had someone they thought they had to become in order for things to work. Or, maybe Yuu was never the protagonist and we’ve been watching her in a supporting role all along to Touko’s journey to become, then surpass, then let go of her, sister. Or maybe the title had no specific connection at all and we were left, like the characters themselves, to struggle to find meaning.

We already know there will be a few “curtain call” projects for this series. Artbook, stage play reprise, the third Sayaka novel, and a series of LINE stamps have been planned. The first novel, Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka is available for pre-order from Seven Seas, so we’ll be  talking about this series still for some time to come. But, in the meantime, we’ll tip our hat in thanks to Nakatani-sensei and wait to see if there’s something next.