Oh my god you guys it’s finally time. We’re diving back into Bloom Into You, and I couldn’t be happier. Last episode saw this phenomenal drama experiencing one of its most fundamental shakeups yet, as Touko learned that the facade she had been putting on in order to better emulate her sister was… actually a facade in her sister’s case as well. Though Mio put on a convincingly professional face as the head of the student council, in truth, she constantly leaned on her councilmates, and wasn’t really a diligent leader in the slightest.
Learning her personal ideal was a lie has left Touko understandably shaken, though it remains to be seen how she’ll actually adjust her behavior in consequence. It’s been clear all along that Touko’s desire to emulate her sister wasn’t really something her sister or family actually wished for – having seen her sister’s success, Touko has simply internalized a belief that achieving anything less would be a profound personal failure, and likely even a betrayal of her sister’s memory. Beliefs like that, the foundational myths of our self-images, don’t just dissipate when they’re proven not to match the historical record. Touko might reinvent herself or simply stay the course, but I can’t imagine her embracing full sincerity now – to be honest, it feels more likely that the coming rush of self-doubt and insecurity will only make her double down on her initial beliefs. But the fun of this show, and of character dramas altogether, is that great characters will always surprise you, and through surprising you teach you something new and true about the human experience. Let’s see how Touko handles this shift in another episode of Bloom Into You!
