The second volume of Hitoma Iruma’s Bloom into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka puts the focus mostly on Sayaka’s high school life, particularly her first year and her thoughts and feelings towards a certain girl.
There are only three chapters in this volume, but one of them runs quite long for light novel standards – I think.
Front cover of the second volume of Bloom into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka, featuring Sayaka Saeki and Touko Nanami
ONCE BITTEN, TWICE AS SHY
After her first girlfriend broke her heart, Saeki Sayaka swore she would never let herself fall in love again. Then she started high school – and met Nanami Touko. Drawn to each other from their very first meeting, the two girls develop a friendship that slowly begins to blossom into something more. But is Saeki ready to put her heart on the line one more time? Or will fear hold her back from taking the plunge?
Chronologically, the majority of this volume takes place during Sayaka’s first year of high school, which still makes that part a prequel to the Bloom into You manga. However, this volume does jump around the timeline a bit, referencing events from the end of Bloom into You – basically, you’ll get the most out of this volume if you’ve read the manga.
The events in this light novel do briefly touch upon events from the manga, but for the most part we get to experience Sayaka’s first year of high school. That was before Yuu arrived on the scene, and where Sayaka’s feelings for Touko started to grow.
Of course Sayaka finds herself conflicted with those feelings, and the light novel provides some insight into how she copes with those.
Hitoma Iruma has done a wonderful job of conveying Sayaka’s thoughts during her first year of high school, and nothing feels out of place. It is clear that Hitoma Iruma has a deep understanding of Sayaka and really does her justice in these light novels.
This volume also starts delving into Sayaka’s story after the events of the Bloom into You manga, and a meeting with a certain girl. That’s pretty much teasing what is to come in the third volume, and that is certainly something to look forward to.
Sayaka vaguely mentions how said girl reminds of her someone – she doesn’t explicitly mention who, but that does have a pretty interesting implication. I’ll hold back any speculation I have about for now, though, because I’m sure the third volume will provide some insight into all that.
The second volume of Bloom into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka is just as wonderful as the first. If you enjoyed the manga, then the light novels are practically must-reads.
Rory Muses 