Like many of Sayakas experiences this series breaks many firsts for me. So much so I often find myself questioning whether or not the previous me was all that mature. Bloom into You was the first yuri series I watched and read It was the first to make me cry after finishing and not during and now it is the first light novel series I complete and feel so compelled to talk about that I not only waste a good nights sleep reading the entire series but also find myself writing a review about it. The stories of Saeki Sayaka were often overshadowed by the main force of the plot that drove Yuu and Touko together. But here in her own series about her own life we are shown just how deep Sayakas true side really runs. Before I move on to the actual review a few disclaimers This is my first time reviewing an LN You literally cannot get through the books itself without finishing the manga first so spoilers for both the original Bloom into You series and this book applies. Characters At the center of this entire threevolume series stands Saeki Sayaka. This isnt a story about the main plot anymore its about the girl who believed the calm and composed rich girl that took massive leaps and bounds outside of her comfort zone to reach for her star. This is her story and they did her justice. Even as you read the very first lines of the novel you can instantly hear Sayakas voice. This may sound arrogant but there truly couldnt have been a better way to represent her. And almost immediately youre taken to the moment that started it all. Years ago in the pool that was home to her swim classes we see the first flowers bloom within Saeki Sayaka and along with it her first conflict. This conflict stretches a vast 3 novels growing alongside the budding flower that is love. We see everything laid bare just as Sayaka herself believes so. You can feel the tension in her heartstrings the conflict that pulls her soul. Both sides of Sayakas coin only continue to grow in the second half of the first volume. Despite not being affiliated with Bloom into You before Hitoma Iruma painted a stunning picture of a reluctant young girl experiencing her first steps in love a love that is quickly shattered in manners that both the anime and manga just didnt have the time nor attention for. Its a painful feeling really. That just when youre beginning to believe you have that belief wrested away from you. This pain is often what turns away many people from acceptance of their LGBTQ stance in the real world the pain is simply just too unbearable. However through the ruins we see a side of Sayaka we never saw before. Her willingness to stand up even in the face of incomparable defeat drove her story into the next volume and thus the second part of her trilogy. When in the face of an unrequited love we see the same curses that held her back return again despite her active resistance this time. We see conflict as desire clashes against restraint and as she finally breaks free of her chains even if it would leave her once again in defeat she won the war. 300https://i.ur.com/HDcRcF8.jpeg The third volume is by my opinion the only one thats completely original. In that the only thing it uses from the main series is a single name: Haru. Irumasensei took a single name and stretched it into a compelling tangible and very much real character the guiding hand that took Sayaka from where she lay next to her broken chains and out of the dungeon that has locked her in for so long. Not only did Harus entire personality feel feasible it feels like we couldve met her a long time ago and we wouldnt have noticed. We see new developments as Saeki Sayaka the incorruptible indomitable and indefatigable woman change. A new star has appeared in her galaxy and this time it didnt shun her when she reached for it nor was it so far away it was a mere fleeting glimpse and Sayaka Saeki took her leap. Throughout the entire volume I found myself both desiring to be Sayaka and relating to her on more than one note. She felt human. Her resistance wasnt because of an intangible feeling of void only certain members of our society can feel like Yuu nor a desire to fill in the shoes of the giants whose shoulders we stood on like Touko. Even though what she dealt with was also technically something only certain albeit a growing fraction of our society deals with it was relatable to everyone. Because why else would I a straight male suddenly find my heart shattering when hers did or bouncing with joy when hers did? There was no better way than to describe this spinoff series as providing depth to a character in the shadows. Sayaka has spent enough time playing the background character and with Touko and Yuus story concluded it is her time to shine. Plot Overall I like the general plotline of this series. As a person who was introduced to this series via the anime it wraps up the loose ends that Nakatanisensei deliberately opened up it gives flesh to the bones that were developed and were given the background story that the arguable 3rd main character of the original anime shouldve gotten as well as a good glimpse into the future that connected the last 2 chapters of the original manga. Another note that I absolutely loved was the absolutely massive amounts of visualization this novel created especially in the 3rd volume. Weve never seen Sayakas university but it feels like were right there along with her in that hot summer heat comforting a girl whod just been through a tough breakup. This may sound arrogant but I knew early on that this series was something else. Looking back now I can certainly say it changed me. Even though many of us readers may not have the courage it took for many of these characters to take their strides even though it might be a possibility that many of the primarily teen and young adult based audiences may not have had the chance to meet their sweetheart in high school this series shows that love sometimes takes careful steps. For Touko it was finding the person who could see both her shell and her real self for the person she is. For Yuu it was finding feelings needed to describe love. For Sayaka it was finding the right star. Not one that dimmed when you touched it not one that was nothing but a fleeting speck in the night sky but one that was perhaps a bit rushed but always willing to shine at her brightest when she was there. 300https://externalpreview.redd.it/EZg4fxuyEZ63rK0L0Itn0gtmz41CJqL5aDJ7EEs0tA.jpg?width=640crop=smartauto=webps=162c7d422c4f46d32ea2bc3242a639f2e9ce5457