Season 1 of the popular yuri anime Bloom Into You ends with many plot points left unresolved. With some characters' relationships changing and others' desires yet to be addressed, the upcoming second season of this high school drama will have plenty to unpack to answer fans' questions left over from its first season.
Despite only having 13 episodes so far, this heartfelt addition to the yuri genre gives viewers plenty to sink their teeth into. From Yuu's sexuality and Touko's struggles with her dark past, to Sayaka's feelings for Touko and other minor characters' relationships, Season 2 of Bloom into You has a lot to tackle from Season 1.
Akari, Miyako & Sayaka's Relationships in Bloom Into You
Firstly, even the smaller relationships give fans something to speculate about for Season 2. Yuu’s outgoing friend Akari, for example, still holds out hope for her crush on the basketball team, even though he already rejected her. Bloom Into You Season 2 might show them making progress after all.
There’s also their teacher Riko Hakozaki and her girlfriend Miyako Kodama, the café owner. In the Season 1 finale “To the Last Stop/Lighthouse,” Miyako asks Riko whether she prefers to date men or women. Riko says men but explains she’s more selective with women, which makes Miyako special to her. They seem to move past this conversation, but perhaps it foreshadows a future conflict.
Miyako is the one who councils Sayaka Saeki, Touko's right-hand woman at school, on her own feelings. In Bloom Into You Episode 7 “Secrets Galore/Sparks,” Sayaka recalls dating a girl in middle school, only to be dumped and told it was just a phase and that girls didn’t date one another. She transfers to a co-ed high school to avoid loving another girl but ironically falls for Touko.
Sayaka doesn’t want to ruin her close friendship with Touko, so she hides her feelings. However, she sometimes gets jealous of Yuu. In addition to questioning Yuu's role as Touko's Student Council campaign manager, there's tension between them during the relay race practice, with Sayaka and Yuu bickering over passing the baton. Will Season 2 show Sayaka finally confessing her feelings to Touko or continuing to keep them to herself?
Yuu & Touko Face Very Different Challenges, Together
Touko Nanami has also given Bloom Into You viewers plenty to ponder before Season 2. Her quest to become like her deceased sister Mio has proved difficult. Touko views her sister as flawless and strives to become her perfect replacement. However, she learns from Mio's former classmate Tomoyuki Ichigaya that she was sometimes a slacker, which challenges Touko’s image of Mio and, by extension, herself.
Yuu challenges Touko on this, asking why she can’t be her true self. Even Sayaka suggests that Touko be whomever she wants -- even if that means being different around certain people -- since Mio was clearly different around Touko as compared with her classmates. However, as of now, she won’t allow herself to drop the façade, telling Yuu that she shouldn’t love her since Touko hates herself. Hopefully, Season 2 will show some further development with Touko accepting herself and allowing people to love her.
Whether Yuu does or can love Touko are two more crucial questions. Yuu’s sexuality has been a notable topic of discussion. She states that she has never fallen in love with anyone and thinks she can’t, talking with fellow Student Council member Maki about her lack of romantic attraction. Maki, who many fans believe is asexual, shows support for Yuu but privately thinks she seems lonely, indicating that she may be able to love someone. His opinion is supported by Yuu’s slowly shifting feelings for Touko, particularly during Sports Day where Yuu seems to look at her more romantically during the relay race.
After that, Yuu starts to let herself enjoy time with Touko more, though she still never outright reciprocates the latter's romantic feelings. If Season 2 shows Yuu admitting feelings, the outcome could go in different directions. On one hand, Touko might finally allow someone to love her and they could start dating -- or she could reject Yuu since she asked her to never change or fall in love with her.
Many of these questions could be answered via the stage show Yuu's friend Koyomi writes for the Student Council. Bloom Into You's Season 1 finale shows Koyomi and Yuu editing the ending so the main character, played by Touko, doesn't have to choose which version of herself to become after losing her memory.
Viewers have yet to see how the other council members will react to these changes, or how they’ll play out during the performance. Since Koyomi wrote each role for a specific person, some of the characters’ real struggles are inevitably reflected in their lines. Their production during the culture festival could very well be the turning point for all of Bloom Into You's different relationships.
