Bloom into You

I find reading this manga to be both enjoyable and upsetting at the same time. On the one hand, it *feels* like there are aromantic characters being portrayed as normal people, and the MC is one of them. On the other, I'm sure she'll be "fixed" by the end of this as it turned she just "needed to find the right person" in order to fall in love. It would be nice if in media in general there was aromantic and asexual representation.

 

As an aromantic person, seeing this kind of story sometimes feels rather like having a gay character who later turns out not to be gay after all, he just hadn't met the right girl yet. The moral of the story is that gay characters aren't real, they just need to meet that special someone to open their heart. It hurts being treated in media like we don't exist.

Ultimately I think aromantic people are going to be almost inevitably disappointed by what appear to be portrayals of them as the leads of romance stories.  Romance stories even transform robots into lovey-dovey romantics.  You can portray gays or SM lovers or asexuals or intersex people or almost anyone well in a romance story because those things are all compatible with the essential attribute of romance, but if you portray a true aromantic it's not a romance story any more.

There are lots of aromantic characters in fiction.  Action and suspense stories are littered with 'em.  Most are tacit, but some are pretty explicit--take Sherlock Holmes in most renderings.  But romance?  Not going to happen much, it's the nature of the beast.  It's like asking "Why does het porn never show two guys doing it?"

I wonder how long Yuu will be able to deceive herself. 

Apparently not much longer. It appears that she's realized the truth, or is about to. The next arc will be her inner debate about deceiving Touko. Yuu will want to tell Touko that she loves her, but she will be afraid that if she does, she will be rejected (with good reason, Touko doesn't want to be loved).

Then the interesting question of why Touko doesn't want to be loved will move to the fore. This of course will involve drama about her sister's death and her own sense of inferiority. Perhaps the issue is that she feels that others who claim to love her merely admire her facade, and that no one knows the real her. Perhaps she believes that she is worthless and does not deserve to be loved. I like this series. Even if the plot seems to be heading in a predictable direction, the themes explored are interesting, and the characters have complex internal states which they are not aware of, even as they partially reveal them through their behavior.

I wonder how long Yuu will be able to deceive herself. 

Yo, enough about the complaining about this manga trying to "fix" aro aces. The manga has never said she was aro ace. For all we know, she could be a demisexual bisexual, or grey-ace.

what the fuck are these words even

How come Yaoi and Yuri, espeically Yaoi, always have the most provocative titles. If there's a manga called "Stick it in me," its 1000% gonna be Yaoi. I suppose the entire draw of these type of works is mostly sexual so there's not really much else going on?

Don't comment without actually reading the manga. The hell. This manga has substance.

Yo, enough about the complaining about this manga trying to "fix" aro aces. The manga has never said she was aro ace. For all we know, she could be a demisexual bisexual, or grey-ace.

Chapter 16 is too lewd.

....

I like it.

I find reading this manga to be both enjoyable and upsetting at the same time. On the one hand, it *feels* like there are aromantic characters being portrayed as normal people, and the MC is one of them. On the other, I'm sure she'll be "fixed" by the end of this as it turned she just "needed to find the right person" in order to fall in love. It would be nice if in media in general there was aromantic and asexual representation.

 

As an aromantic person, seeing this kind of story sometimes feels rather like having a gay character who later turns out not to be gay after all, he just hadn't met the right girl yet. The moral of the story is that gay characters aren't real, they just need to meet that special someone to open their heart. It hurts being treated in media like we don't exist.

I'd say that media as a whole is slowly getting there. There are almost too many authors and screenwriters out there competing to get as close to people's hearts as possible, and I personally think it's great they're trying to cover all corners of society. 

And at the very least, if the story does turn out the way you think it would, there's always Maki and his sass on his spectator's chair.

I find reading this manga to be both enjoyable and upsetting at the same time. On the one hand, it *feels* like there are aromantic characters being portrayed as normal people, and the MC is one of them. On the other, I'm sure she'll be "fixed" by the end of this as it turned she just "needed to find the right person" in order to fall in love. It would be nice if in media in general there was aromantic and asexual representation.

As an aromantic person, seeing this kind of story sometimes feels rather like having a gay character who later turns out not to be gay after all, he just hadn't met the right girl yet. The moral of the story is that gay characters aren't real, they just need to meet that special someone to open their heart. It hurts being treated in media like we don't exist.

Maki noticed it, Yuu actually loves Touko because she doesn't pressures Yuu to love her back; She accepts her for who she is (the same goes for Yuu). 

That page where Touko is "recharging her batteries" was cuteeeee

Except that at some point, for Yuu, "accepting that I don't love her back" turned into "refusing to let me love her back". Touko flat out told Yuu that she would reject her if she too fell in love. So now Yuu is stuck. The situation no longer is that she cannot change, but that she is not permitted to change. This adds some depth to the title. It is not a promise, but an inevitability.

This is so fucking CUUUTEEEE.

Hm, does no one like discussing in the forums? Just genuinely curious.

Maki noticed it, Yuu actually loves Touko because she doesn't pressures Yuu to love her back; She accepts her for who she is (the same goes for Yuu). 

That page where Touko is "recharging her batteries" was cuteeeee

Hm, does no one like discussing in the forums? Just genuinely curious.

I think it's good.  But I don't think focus on character depth is the same as being the best--there are lots of other attributes to a story.  For that matter, I don't think focus on character depth is necessarily the same as actual character depth; sometimes you get farther by showing, not telling.

In terms character depth in a yuri, I'd pick Octave over this and probably Pieta as well.

In terms of just being a really good romance story, I would absolutely choose a number of yuri over this, starting with Girl Friends and Sasameki Koto and Hanjuku Joshi, more recently probably Kase-san, even though their characterization is not as deep, because of things like being more emotionally powerful, very adorable, excellent art, having good dialogue, comedy, and such-like storytelling skills.  The weird thing about Girl Friends is that it's just full of cliche but it does all the little things so well it becomes like the defining example of why those cliches were good enough tropes to overuse.

The thing I really dislike about most yuris and romance in general for that matter is the overuse of antagonists. There's always some sort of ruthless rival who trumps the main character or love interest in nearly all aspects. There's none (yet) in this one, and I'm having really high hopes on how they develop the Saeki-Koito relationship in this weird little triangle.

I've certainly enjoyed most of the series you mentioned. I love the fluffiness in Kase-san and Fu-Fu and the overall lack of melodramatic moments. And despite how many other readers have complained about the prevalent cliche that is the 'would she be disgusted about a yuri relationship?' question, it never really bothered me and I've always thought of it as a staple of the genre. But this series also glanced over that hesitation in a subtle way that has convinced me that maybe not all yuris have to go down that well-trodden path.

I'm not claiming this series is the best by any means, it's not even near finishing for goodness' sake! But it's certainly a fresh take in a genre that could really use some new blood. I personally believe that this series, in its cliche-toppling glory, would come to dominate the genre like Horimiya has.

I don't think there'll ever be another yuri with as much focus on character depth as this one. In fact, it's probably at the top of the entire romance genre.

 

The art, especially the expressions, being perfect also helps.

I think it's good.  But I don't think focus on character depth is the same as being the best--there are lots of other attributes to a story.  For that matter, I don't think focus on character depth is necessarily the same as actual character depth; sometimes you get farther by showing, not telling.

In terms character depth in a yuri, I'd pick Octave over this and probably Pieta as well.

In terms of just being a really good romance story, I would absolutely choose a number of yuri over this, starting with Girl Friends and Sasameki Koto and Hanjuku Joshi, more recently probably Kase-san, even though their characterization is not as deep, because of things like being more emotionally powerful, very adorable, excellent art, having good dialogue, comedy, and such-like storytelling skills.  The weird thing about Girl Friends is that it's just full of cliche but it does all the little things so well it becomes like the defining example of why those cliches were good enough tropes to overuse.

I don't think there'll ever be another yuri with as much focus on character depth as this one. In fact, it's probably at the top of the entire romance genre.

The art, especially the expressions, being perfect also helps.

And that's my only issue so far with this story. Not that there's anything wrong with yuri being everywhere, but the complete lack of a straight relationship just doesn't seem to sit right in this otherwise excellent manga.

What are you talking about? This is one of the least "yuri everywhere" series I've ever read. There's one yuri couple (teacher and manager) and one yuri triangle (the main characters). That's it. Besides them, everyone else is straight (Maki might be asexual though). As far as straight relationships, there is Yuu's sister and her long term boyfriend and Basketball-chan and the senpai she's shooting for. Yuu has been confessed to by a boy, Touko has been confessed to by several boys, Saeki's senpai was a straight bait, Maki was confessed to by a girl, Glasses-kun thinks his senpai are hot, and the rest of Yuu's friends want her to get a boyfriend so there's not even background yuri. Yes, Touko has been confessed to by girl(s) but that's a very common trope about the "popular senpai" even in non yuri works. Obviously there's going to be at least two yuri girls in a yuri manga and it's not hard to imagine there's a gay teacher at the school (my high school had several) who's currently in a relationship. Plus it allows them to be used as storytelling devices, giving advice on how girls can love girls (which they have been). Saeki also being gay might be the only stretch but it allows the main romance to have some additional drama and tension beyond just "Touko doesn't want me to love her, but I want to love her!". 

All in all, I actually love this series because its world isn't full of yuri and I don't understand how anyone else who reads yuri manga can think there is too much yuri.

If she's afraid she's starting to develop feelings, she could always hide them by masking them as friendship rather than coming up with awkward excuses. It doesn't seem that weird to me to be happy at a chance to hang out with a friend on a rainy day.

If I were Sayaka I'd tell Touko about what happened in middle school. I think it'd closen their relationship.

I don't think Sayaka is person who gonna tells her secret past, especially to Touko.

When you want to cuddle with this cute girl that loves you but if you do she'll get mad because it might mean you're falling in love with her.

Being Yuu is suffering.

When it rains in Japan, romance happens outside the shoe lockers, under the umbrella, and over the sickbed the very next day. When it rains anywhere else, we dodge speeding assholes who find joy in deliberately soaking pedestrians. What a magical place.

Everything will be diejobou!

When it rains in Japan, romance happens outside the shoe lockers, under the umbrella, and over the sickbed the very next day. When it rains anywhere else, we dodge speeding assholes who find joy in deliberately soaking pedestrians. What a magical place.