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A review by xengisa
Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka Vol. 1 by Hitoma Iruma
5.0
Ramble rather than a review.
Sayaka was probably my favourite character in the manga (or maybe it'd be more accurate to say that she was relatable?), so I was pretty hyped when I heard that there was going to be a light novel focused on her. All in all, I really liked it! The prose, the storyline, and of course, the art. You'd need to read the manga to enjoy this series, I think, but it's moreso for the second volume than this one, because this one is set before the events of the manga.
It is rather introspective, but written very nicely, which I guess is kind of expected of a novel that's written in Sayaka's POV. So I think if you had even kinda liked Sayaka in the manga, this would be a great read. She makes a lot of cool points that are nice even outside of her character... If that makes sense. As in, if it were a standalone novel, it also makes some nice points. There is a lot of parallels being drawn here and there, and a lot of metaphors, which I didn't really expect, but that just made it all the more enjoyable to read-- moments like 'Oh! The author is subtly referring to that' and that sorta stuff.
In this novel, we get to see her through two main relationships: a girl from her swimming class, and a senior from her junior high choir club. These two relationships parallel each other very well, somehow, and Sayaka notes it herself. The beginning of both relationships are rather similar, and later on, the endings of both mirror each other as well. In the manga/moreso in volume 2, we also see how they parallel her relationship with Touko.
I was filled with this sense of, 'Man, I really don't want her to suffer!', sort of feeling. But still, I think the novel was nice because you could see her grow through these relationships. Understanding how she had become the way she was, was really nice, to say the least. The way her thoughts and feelings were written really made me empathise with her, and want to follow her story. So in all, it was a well written book, and I enjoyed it a ton.
Here are some of the quotes I liked from the book! I didn't expect there to be so many, in honesty.
- Sayaka's grandmother: "But the faster you pick things up, the more cowardly you'll become." / "Adults already know the outcomes of all kinds of things, you see. That's why they become cowards."
- I wasn't sure if I could overtake her at all, and even if I did hypothetically surpass her, there was a chance I would just be behind another person. If I had to repeat that forever... (break) Maybe there was no security to be found in first place at all. (This one is cool, because there's a similar theme/vibe in the second volume, about her feelings with Touko!)
- I had been gauging my abilities based solely on whether I was winning or losing against others, but now I knew that you couldn't get forward by mindlessly pushing forward. I wasn't sure whether that meant my outlook had expanded or if i had simply given up because I couldn't see what was ahead of me anymore. I wonder if my elementary school self would be satisfied with who I am now.
- People have a weak spot when it comes to endings. Nothing motivates people to prioritize things more than knowing they won't ever happen again. (Unrelated, but I felt like I was reminded of Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, when I read this.)
- I already knew, of course, that the face people showed to the outside world wasn't their true self. I was the same way. Those who let their true thoughts show through were lacking something as human beings. But was showing our fake faces to each other really love? I didn't know. (For this one, I was thinking about Manaka, and the elementary school swimming kid. Huh, and for the first half, I was reminded of Touko.)
Sayaka was probably my favourite character in the manga (or maybe it'd be more accurate to say that she was relatable?), so I was pretty hyped when I heard that there was going to be a light novel focused on her. All in all, I really liked it! The prose, the storyline, and of course, the art. You'd need to read the manga to enjoy this series, I think, but it's moreso for the second volume than this one, because this one is set before the events of the manga.
It is rather introspective, but written very nicely, which I guess is kind of expected of a novel that's written in Sayaka's POV. So I think if you had even kinda liked Sayaka in the manga, this would be a great read. She makes a lot of cool points that are nice even outside of her character... If that makes sense. As in, if it were a standalone novel, it also makes some nice points. There is a lot of parallels being drawn here and there, and a lot of metaphors, which I didn't really expect, but that just made it all the more enjoyable to read-- moments like 'Oh! The author is subtly referring to that' and that sorta stuff.
In this novel, we get to see her through two main relationships: a girl from her swimming class, and a senior from her junior high choir club. These two relationships parallel each other very well, somehow, and Sayaka notes it herself. The beginning of both relationships are rather similar, and later on, the endings of both mirror each other as well. In the manga/moreso in volume 2, we also see how they parallel her relationship with Touko.
I was filled with this sense of, 'Man, I really don't want her to suffer!', sort of feeling. But still, I think the novel was nice because you could see her grow through these relationships. Understanding how she had become the way she was, was really nice, to say the least. The way her thoughts and feelings were written really made me empathise with her, and want to follow her story. So in all, it was a well written book, and I enjoyed it a ton.
Here are some of the quotes I liked from the book! I didn't expect there to be so many, in honesty.
- Sayaka's grandmother: "But the faster you pick things up, the more cowardly you'll become." / "Adults already know the outcomes of all kinds of things, you see. That's why they become cowards."
- I wasn't sure if I could overtake her at all, and even if I did hypothetically surpass her, there was a chance I would just be behind another person. If I had to repeat that forever... (break) Maybe there was no security to be found in first place at all. (This one is cool, because there's a similar theme/vibe in the second volume, about her feelings with Touko!)
- I had been gauging my abilities based solely on whether I was winning or losing against others, but now I knew that you couldn't get forward by mindlessly pushing forward. I wasn't sure whether that meant my outlook had expanded or if i had simply given up because I couldn't see what was ahead of me anymore. I wonder if my elementary school self would be satisfied with who I am now.
- People have a weak spot when it comes to endings. Nothing motivates people to prioritize things more than knowing they won't ever happen again. (Unrelated, but I felt like I was reminded of Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, when I read this.)
- I already knew, of course, that the face people showed to the outside world wasn't their true self. I was the same way. Those who let their true thoughts show through were lacking something as human beings. But was showing our fake faces to each other really love? I didn't know. (For this one, I was thinking about Manaka, and the elementary school swimming kid. Huh, and for the first half, I was reminded of Touko.)