“The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not healing, not curing; that is a friend who cares.” –Henri Nouwen

Winter’s darkness settled on a world ravaged by uncertainty five years earlier, but GochiUsa BLOOM, the third season to GochiUsa, would prove to be a warming presence, one which provided a touching tale of individual growth that accentuated how far the series had come since Cocoa’s arrival in the Half-Timbered town back in 2014. BLOOM returns to the story with a cast of character whose traits and mannerisms were now well-established – BLOOM hit the ground running because by now, every fan of GochiUsa was deeply familiar with each of Cocoa, Chino, Rize, Chiya, Sharo, Megu, Maya, Midori and Rin, and the advantage of having spent two full seasons, one film, and one special to develop the characters as they spent more time together, BLOOM would ultimately live up to its name. At the onset, Cocoa suggest Chino and Rize to make summer uniforms and picks up a magician’s kit. As Phantom Thief Lapin become popular, Cocoa helps Charo to wear the role more convincingly for her work, and supports Chiya after she’s appointed head of the class culture festival preparation team. Quite separately, as middle school graduation approaches, Maya, Megu and Chino consider which secondary school they’d like to attend. After Halloween, where Chino begins to realise Cocoa’s more similar to her late mother than she’d admitted, Rize begins looking towards her own future as her third year of secondary school draws to a close and considers the path of a primary school teacher as her career. By Christmas, busy schedules eventually prompt Chiya, Sharo, Megu and Maya to help out at Rabbit House, where Chino learns that Cocoa had secretly finished the Rabbit House uniforms her mother started work on years ago, in anticipation Chino would like to work alongside her friends. As a New Year draws near, and Rize reveals she was accepted to her post-secondary of choice, while Chino expresses a desire to see the world outside of the Half-Timbered town. Accompanying me through the autumn, as the golden foliage and warm weather of October gave way to a dark and cold December, BLOOM would give me something to look forwards to each week during a time when the world was locked down and there’d been precious little to look forwards to: the world of GochiUsa was far removed from the doubts and concerns of reality, and for twenty minutes each week, I smiled alongside the characters in GochiUsa as they went about their lives. However, while adorable and warm is a suitable description for GochiUsa, it would become clear that, by its third season, GochiUsa had begun maturing, too. In the time that’s passed, even someone as scatter-brained as Cocoa, and as reserved as Chino, could perceptibly change.

The obvious nature of Cocoa and Chino’s growth by BLOOM is the consequence of having had depth in the previous seasons and specials: GochiUsa‘s first season had spent considerable time establishing the characters and foreshadowing both Chino and Cocoa’s traits that allow them to grow. Cocoa, for instance, has a remarkable array of talents and is competent in baking, while Chino comes to appreciate the energy Cocoa brings to Rabbit House, even if at this point, she’s not willing to open admit as much. By the second season, Mocha’s arrival highlights how Cocoa, inspired by her older sister, sought to become someone reliable, and while Mocha does overshadow her, when Cocoa is given a chance to shine, she rises to the occasion: during Chino’s first trip into the mountains, Cocoa looks after her, and in turn, Chino manages to take a breathtaking photo of Cocoa that paints her as looking much more mature than she typically appears. Seeing Cocoa inspires Chino to try and be more outgoing: in Dear My Sister, Chino invites everyone to a summer festival, and by Sing For You, Chino decides to train so she can sing a solo role in her schools choral performance. Bit by bit, Cocoa and Chino mature enough so that, by BLOOM, the changes in Chino and Cocoa are a logical extension of their development. Cocoa, for instance, picks up a magic set and decides to practise so that she can perform tricks to impress Chino. While she struggles at the onset, Cocoa also persists, and a chance encounter with the spirit of Chino’s mother allows her to master the basics, in turn lead her to learn more advanced magic ahead of Christmas. Similarly, Cocoa’s enthusiasm in finishing the Rabbit House uniforms Chino’s mother had started isn’t just for show, and she ends up finishing them. Despite appearing air-headed, Cocoa does become someone reliable: with a bit of elbow grease and plenty of optimism, Cocoa proves herself to be someone who can get things done, putting in the due effort to achieve anything she sets her mind to. Similarly, while Chino had once been reserved and shy, seeing how effortlessly Cocoa gets along with everyone pushes her to be more outgoing. Chino helps comfort a small child who lost her mother and keeps her reassured right through to when the child’s mother appears, and an all-you-can-eat-bread-and-coffee event at Rabbit House has Chino walking children through the making of latte art. By the New Year, Chino begins thinking she’d like to see more of the world and learn more. The complementary dynamic between Chino and Cocoa is what facilitates this growth: Chino’s difficult to read manner prompts Cocoa to try all the harder to impress her, leading her to learn and improve multiple skills, and Cocoa’s outgoing manner inspires Chino to connect with the world around her. This give and take lies at the heart of BLOOM, showing how as a result of bouncing off one another, Chino and Cocoa’s growth is accelerated during the third season.

Although GochiUsa had seemed timeless, combining an idyllic location and cheerful background with modern conveniences, the inevitable passage of time does not spare even the Half-Timbered town. By the events of BLOOM, a full year and a half has passed since Cocoa arrived in town, and while it is easy to forget time moves in a world where coffee and rabbits lie at the forefront of daily life, GochiUsa gently hints at time’s flow through things like the shifting seasons, and in mention of things like moving up a year and the risk of being separated from friends as classes change ahead of a new term. By BLOOM, however, the inevitability of growing up becomes apparent when Maya, Megu and Chino consider their future choice of secondary schools: Megu hails from a well-to-do background and will enroll at the prestigious academy, while Maya also takes this route because her grades allow her to do so. Although Chino worries about being separated from her friends, she chooses the public school Cocoa and Chiya attend, excited to meet new people and build new connections after being reminded that it was by taking this step forward that allowed her to befriend Maya and Megu. Quite separately, Rize’s own imminent graduation means she’s now considering career paths and post-secondary schools, and while BLOOM portrays the moment in a light-hearted manner (Rize runs away from home briefly after feeling that her father is belittling her desire to become a primary school teacher), the series also emphasises how throughout GochiUsa, Rize was both influenced by Cocoa and the Chimame Corps: rather than concealing her love of cute things under a tough-as-nails military façade, Rize embraces this side of herself and combines her preference for discipline and motivating others with a fondness for children towards a career in teaching, an option that Rize is naturally suited for (she is very fond of mentoring others and has a talent for motivating those whom she mentors). In this way, BLOOM would illustrate how even in a place where the clock appears to stand still, the inhabitants are still cognisant of their futures and rising to the occasion in a commendable fashion. Taken together, BLOOM becomes a definitive illustration of how slice-of-life anime can tell compelling stories that are more than just “cute” and “funny”: at a high level, its portrayal of interpersonal development shows how impactful the right person in one’s life can be in regard to advancing one’s own world views and setting them on a course to be a more open minded and hardworking individual.

Screenshots and Commentary

• GochiUsa BLOOM began airing in October 2020, a time of year when the weather was still warm, and when the golden autumn foliage lingered. However, I best remember the series for its December episodes, which return to Christmas and present as a much bigger, more involved event than what had been seen in the first season. At the onset, BLOOM would welcome viewers back to GochiUsa – it’s the middle of summer when things pick up, and the summer heat leads Cocoa to spearhead an effort to craft uniforms suitable for the warmer weather.

• However, as BLOOM progressed, it became clear that the series was a story about the inevitability of time; early on, Chino, Maya and Megu would begin contemplating what their secondary school paths look like. Chino is considering Cocoa’s school, while Megu is set to attend the same school Rize and Sharo do, and Maya initially struggles to make a choice, worried that attending a school for wealthy students would feel to stifling. BLOOM, despite its focus on this story, managed to seamlessly weave this with the everyday moments that made GochiUsa so enjoyable to viewers.

• Like most slice-of-life stories, GochiUsa is only “cute” and “funny” at first glance: when one stops to consider how humour and irony in daily moments contribute to something a little deeper (namely, Chino’s decision to walk her own path and open up to others), GochiUsa becomes an uplifting tale of recovering from grief and slowly rediscovering the happiness within the world anew. In the five years since BLOOM aired, I do not believe I’ve seen any discussions dealing with these topics in any detail.

• For my part, when I entered BLOOM, I had known that I would have plans to blog about this series in an episodic fashion. When I wrote about GochiUsa 2 in 2015, I originally intended to write about the first three episodes and then return at the series’ conclusion to offer my final thoughts, much as I had for Vividred Operation, but when it became apparent that each episode offered something substantial and notable to discuss, I switched over to the episodic format to ensure I could cover everything.

• Back then, the fact I had no courses (and therefore, no assignments, quizzes and exams to deal with) meant there was time enough to write about GochiUsa each week without falling behind on my thesis work. Episodes aired on Saturday mornings, so I would simply wake up at seven, watch the episode and have a post out before noon. After this, I would turn my attention back over to my graduate studies or play Battlefield 3. When *BLOOM *aired five years later, the world was amidst the global health crisis, and I was working from home. *BLOOM *had also aired on Saturdays, and since there was precious little to do on my Saturday mornings back then, I similarly would write about BLOOM during the mornings.

• I don’t mind admitting that for Strike Witches: Road to Berlin, I cheated a little by writing during work hours. In those days, my second startup’s main app offering had reached a stable state, and the only changes I was making to it was improvements and bug fixes. This left me free to start work on a new side project, a concept a friend of the founder had known, and according to my Git commits, October was almost entirely devoted to building out the view controllers and initial authentication functions. By December, I had most of the UI elements finished and started hooking in the endpoint logic. However, there were days where things were slower, and I wound up taking advantage of that to keep up with two series.

• It was quite enjoyable to go through BLOOM and see what each individual episode was doing – at the granular level, each episode would focus on something specific, like Maya, Megu and Chino swinging by Rize and Sharo’s secondary school to gain a better measure of what life is like here, and determine which option works best for them. Although leading to numerous adorable moments, the decision to visit ends up contributing to the overarching goal of determining what happens after middle school, a process that ends up taking two episodes: Chino has a chance to see both Rize and Sharo’s school, as well as Cocoa and Chiya’s, before she makes her decision.

• The disadvantage about episodic reviews is that writing episodes as they air, rather than after a series is done, means that any additional context or information in later episodes won’t be known ahead of time. Later episodes may refute an idea, or clarify something in an earlier episode as significant, and seeing how all of these pieces fit together is essential towards understanding a given work’s themes. With this being said, a part of the fun in episodic reviews comes from trying to see how the moments within an episode do fit into a given series’ messages, and looking back at my older posts on BLOOM, I think that my posts end up doing a reasonable job of highlighting each episode’s contribution to GochiUsa.

• For the present, however, there’s no way of knowing how closely (or divergent) my conclusions about *BLOOM *were relative to manga author Koi’s, or the studio’s, intentions. For the first and second season of GocihUsa, official TV animation guidebooks were published that offer unparalleled insight into directorial decisions and the staff’s thought process behind how a moment from the manga was adapted into the animated format. This, combined with the fact the manga is now available for purchase, means there is a chance to compare the anime and manga side-by-side to see what was changed, and what remained the same.

• Having the physical manga in hand is a game-changer. Until last year, all fans would’ve had were online translations. The legality for these fan translations is not the topic of discussion here, but I will remark that folks who do consume their manga through less-than-legal online sources also will run into a different problem. While fan translators usually try to remain faithful to the intention and meaning of the original work, nuances and choice of wording can sometimes fundamentally change the meaning of a dialogue, having a knock-on effect regarding what a reader interprets from the scene.

• Further to this, there is no guarantee that fan translations are complete. In GochiUsa, for instance, the entire Christmas chapter from the second volume (corresponding to the first season’s Christmas episode) was completely omitted, and this gave manga readers the impression that the anime’s first Christmas chapter was a new addition when in fact, Koi had indeed written a Christmas chapter in the manga’s second volume. Similarly, some online sources mix up chapters, miss pages and make other minor omissions that change the way a chapter plays out. Thus, for a reader who consumes this copy of the manga, their interpretation and conclusions will differ than those of someone who had access to the official manga.

• This is exactly what ended up happening at TV Tropes, where one “warriorsgate” took it on themselves to edit the entire GochiUsa page there and undo the efforts of earlier, more articulate editors. In the process, the page includes details from the manga, and because warriorsgate is drawing from fan translations, chapter numbers are incorrect, and there are misinterpretations of themes. It is not an understatement to say that the GochiUsa page at TV Tropes is next to useless as a result of this, and thanks to TV Tropes’ policy on edit warring, other users cannot easily correct these mistakes without risking a ban. The silver lining is that, since Yen Press is publishing the manga, fans of GochiUsa can easily purchase volumes now, and this allows one to have a complete interpretation that is considerably more respectful to the original work’s meaning without needing to rely on TV Tropes.

• At the time of writing, the fifth volume of GochiUsa is scheduled to release May 2026, a shade under a half year away, and this means that we won’t have access to the events of BLOOM‘s first half until late 2026 or early 2027. I am especially excited to see how these volumes, likely six or seven, will unfold: GochiUsa‘s anime had taken several creative liberties from the anime, shifting the seasons so that Cocoa’s desire to photograph everyone happens during the spring rather than the winter, and while the anime does manage to re-align things, minor shifts to the time frame changes pacing and tone. As a result, I am curious to see how Koi originally depicted things within the manga.

• Revisiting BLOOM anew, I was impressed with how consistent the series was: even in the past five years, my opinions of anime have shifted somewhat, so to go back and rewatch BLOOM again, only to learn that my interpretations and conclusions from five years ago still hold true, was a clear indicator that BLOOM is both accessible and clear. After *BLOOM *returns to things by having Cocoa, Rize and Chino make new summer uniforms for Rabbit House, Chino is shown as taking her first steps forwards by helping a lost child. Cocoa, for her part, is beginning to show that she is, in fact, reliable: besides leading the making of new Rabbit House uniforms, she also puts in an effort to learn magic tricks. After a second episode featuring Cocoa’s attempt to give Chiya and Sharo a chance to hang out, as well as Cocoa suggesting that they do a watch party of Phantom Thief Lapin, BLOOM would venture into its main topic.

• Maya, Megu and Chino are in their final year of middle school, and the prospect of graduation looms along with things like school photos, during which each of Chino, Megu and Maya get their hair cut for said photo, and when Maya attempts to explore different hair accessories. However, the two episodes that explore Rize and Cocoa’s secondary schools were standout: the elegant and well-funded school Rize and Sharo attends stands in contrast with the more down-to-earth but still fun school Cocoa and Chiya attend helps Chino to decide where her future lies. Maya ends up concluding that, since her grades are up to snuff, she might as well give the ritzier school a try, while Chino, realising she can’t be with Maya and Megu forever, decides to enroll at Cocoa’s school, hoping to make new friends here and broaden her horizons that way.

• In BLOOM, Chino’s decision is reached not off-screen, but as a result of her stepping out and seeing both schools for herself before making her choice. BLOOM indicates that the only way to really understand something is to see it for oneself, and it is after seeing both schools, and the implications of enrolling at Cocoa’s school, that prompts Chino to act. While Chino still retains a somewhat frosty attitude towards Cocoa at times, by BLOOM, she’s opened up considerably, and letting Cocoa trim her hair was a tangible show of how there’s a trust between the pair now.

• Similarly, ahead of a special event at Rabbit House, when Chino feels slighted by the fact Cocoa is promoting her bread so well, she wanders into a field and trolls Cocoa and Rize. Moments like these show that Chino does have a sense of humour, and she’s now comfortable enough around Rize and Cocoa to goof off. I’m similar in this regard: around people I don’t know, I’m all business, but when I warm up, I’m not above using humour to defuse tensions (e.g. to make a software problem sound more manageable), and ahead of a volunteering event, I will mimic 80s-style gearing up montages.

• Chino’s growth is accentuated when she manages to sell Rabbit House’s latest blend to customers like Rin, and she even manages to walk some children through making latte art. Chino’s progression in GochiUsa is especially apparent over the course of three seasons, and one thing that became apparent in BLOOM was how, even though Chino is the youngest of the central characters, the presence of children give Chino a chance to also show her maturity, as well. This growth is the culmination of meeting Cocoa, developing desire to emulate Cocoa’s warmth and, over time, finding security in Cocoa’s company. Knowing Cocoa is sincere, and that she won’t be judged, Chino gradually opens up.

• As it becomes clear that Chino’s stepping outside of her comfort zone in a tangible way, BLOOM would take the bold step of clarifying that her mother’s passing left Chino quite lonely. The seventh episode was the highlight of BLOOM – the first half is fluffy and amusing, but the second half would tell a very touching story about how Chino became more grim and reserved after her mother died, but, with liberal hints from the series that Chino’s mother resembled Cocoa, GochiUsa would also suggest that having a comforting presence in her life would give Chino a sense of reassurance, that it’s okay to be herself. Given this to be the case, I would hazard a guess and say that Chino’s initial coldness towards Cocoa is twofold.

• The first reason is that Cocoa reminds Chino of her mother, and Chino would subsequently worry that, should she become close to Cocoa, there would come a day where they’d have to part ways, and Chino would experience the pain of separation all over again. This particular issue is actually resolved in an elegant manner: BLOOM implies that, since Chino is willing to attend a different secondary school than Maya and Megu, she’s now better equipped to handle separation. No longer worried about making new friends, in part thanks to Cocoa, Chino reveals more of her true self as BLOOM progresses, becoming more expressive on more than one occasion.

• The blending of magic and mundane in BLOOM‘s Halloween episode would, in a series that had otherwise been very grounded, would accentuate how there are things in life that cannot be readily explained away, but irrespective of how we perceive them, there’s always lessons that can be drawn from one’s experiences. In Cocoa’s case, after she gets separated from the others, a chance encounter with the spirit of Chino’s mother gives her a chance to improve her magic. Metaphorically, Saki’s passing on her knowledge to Cocoa in the hopes that Chino will find her happiness anew, and since Chino has already grown in this sense, additional skill in magic allows Cocoa to bring more warmth into Chino’s life.

• The Halloween episode of BLOOM brought to mind Tamayura when I first watched it, an unexpected outcome – GochiUsa, known for cuddly and comical moments, hardly seemed to be a story about how grief is eventually replaced by warmth if one allows the right people into their lives, and while Chino’s grandfather chose to remain behind to keep Chino company, in the time since, Chino’s world has become infinitely more colourful after she befriended the reliable Rize and energetic Cocoa. The fact that Maya and Megu got along well enough with Chino shortly after she started middle school also shows that even at her own pace, Chino would’ve eventually found happiness and connection anew, but thanks to Cocoa, this development accelerates.

• While BLOOM refer to Chino’s growth, the series also deals with Rize’s future: after her father inadvertently laughs at her career choice (he thinks Rize’s desire to be a primary teacher is adorable but expresses this the wrong way), Rize runs away from home and lodges at Rabbit House until she can gather her thoughts. GochiUsa had long established that Rize had the makings of a teacher – she comes up with creative ways to keep people around her engaged and active, and while she’s highly disciplined, she also knows when to reward people for their efforts. From whipping up a schedule for Maya, Megu and Chino during Cocoa’s absence in Dear My Sister, to coaching Chino ahead of a choral performance in Sing For You, and a stamp rally for Chiya to motivate her training here in BLOOM, Rize’s greatest strength lies in her ability to lift others up.

• BLOOM daringly reminds viewers that through camaraderie and mutual support, people gain a better sense of who they are, and this allows one to step forward into their future with conviction. There is, in short, an “action” component in GochiUsa, like all other slice-of-life anime. I do peruse other opinions and perspectives from other fans, but one thing I’ve noticed is that most people tend to see such works as being little more than fluff, whereas the creators, both the manga authors and production studios, indicate they’re trying to inspire and encourage audiences with their works. The idea is that those who create stories like GochiUsa or similar also want their audiences to smile and find the resolve to step up in their own lives.

• Although the cuddly artwork and humour-heavy storylines in things like GochiUsa might create the impression that these works are meant to be relaxing, appearances can be deceiving, and viewers who can look past said appearances will find stories of remarkable emotional maturity, stories which can remind folks of how important it is to cherish the people around oneself, and moments that might otherwise be taken for granted. I would imagine that to manga authors and anime studios, any slice-of-life work that can prompt these thoughts amongst readers and viewers will have been successful.

• In the end, Rize ends up reconciling with her father, who properly articulates that he supports and respects Rize’s career choice. This leaves *BLOOM *to enter its final act, which is centred around Christmas. Since Cocoa intends to get all of her friends Christmas gifts this year, she ends up working extra shifts everywhere, from Fleur de Lapin to the crepe vendor and local bookstore. Running into Sharo everyone she goes, Cocoa and Sharo do end up becoming a little closer. Of the people in this group, Sharo was the one person Cocoa has the most trouble getting along with, but over time, Cocoa’s sincerity causes Sharo to come around. Working multiple part-time jobs to secure the funds for her operation might’ve been worrying to viewers at the onset, but by this point in GochiUsa, Cocoa’s become as competent as Mocha in her own right.

• While Cocoa has long lamented how Mocha seemed to excel at everything she did, it is revealed that when it comes to the people she cares about, Mocha puts in the effort to learn so that she can do things right by those around her. Cocoa is shown as doing precisely the same: she began BLOOM a complete novice in magic tricks, but BLOOM also portrays her as practising her tricks in her downtime (and even accepting advice from beyond the veil). Reminding viewers of this indicates to viewers that the two sisters are very similar, and because Mocha is universally seen as being reliable and capable, the implications are that Cocoa can also be treated as someone who will grow into such a role.

• When I watched BLOOM‘s Christmas segments, I gained the impression that the Half-Timbered Town was more festive, and more ornately decorated, than it’d been in the first season. From a visual standpoint, this was likely just Encourage Films showing viewers what they got, but metaphorically, it’s a way of illustrating that Chino’s a great deal more appreciative of the world around her. When Chino goes on a walk through the town’s Christmas market to deliver an umbrella to Cocoa, she finds the atmosphere most enjoyable and, after spotting Sharo and Chiya, makes conversation with them before running into Rize, Maya and Megu. After stopping to join them, Chino loses the umbrella she’d planned to give Cocoa. While Chino prides herself for being responsible and capable, this moment was meant to show how the magic of the holidays can distract even someone who’s focused.

• Besides being more expressive, Chino also smiles more often in BLOOM – Sing For You had established that as a child, Chino was more outgoing, and seeing her old self return now, as a consequence of being comfortable with the people around her, was the surest sign that she’s now ready to take the next step. By Christmas, Chino is legitimately excited about the festive season and even plans her own Secret Santa surprise for Cocoa. By the time BLOOM reached Christmas back in 2020, it was December, and the two Christmas episodes aired just before Christmas.

• This had the effect of increasing my own anticipation for Christmas, where, despite lockdowns and reduced retail capacity, I still had a festive season. The global health crisis did have a knock-on effect with how my family celebrates Christmas: our celebrations are now much simpler. There are fewer decorations, gifts are more purposeful and recipes don’t require Ming Tsai-level skills to put together. One of the recurring challenges families face during the holidays is increased stress from trying to do too much, and a fantastic countermeasure for this is to be reminded of how it’s the people one is with that counts. In good company, it’s not how expensive the gifts are, or how fancy the evening meal is: being able to spend time with the people most important to oneself is a gift of incalculable value.

• This is why for me, Christmas is always such a relaxing season, and five years after BLOOM, my Christmases have settled into a new pattern: I sleep in, open gifts with family, spend the afternoon unwinding and then help make Christmas dinner. This Christmas, initially an ordinary-looking one, turned a bit more remarkable because I wound up buying a new iPad Air M3 to replace my aging one from 2014. The old iPad Air 2 I had dates back to my time in graduate school, accompanying me through a thesis defense and even my conference in Cancún, but of late, it’s struggled to hold a charge and freezes even when doing something comparatively simple, like watching videos.

• Christmas proved to be a fun callback to the days when I was much younger and spent Christmas Day building Legos: between setting up the new iPad (which was easy because I have extensive backups) and putting together the Lego Game Boy my younger brother gifted me, the day passed by in the blink of an eye. I ended up taking a walk to my favourite viewpoint in the bitter cold, was all but blown off by the frigid winds and promptly returned home for eggnog and shortbread before turning my attention towards dinner preparation. This year’s Christmas dinner was an old classic: a prime rib roast with garlic prawns, fully-loaded mashed potatoes with marble cheese, bacon bits and sour cream, and vegetable medley (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots).

• Although still a small family event, this Christmas proved to be superbly enjoyable, and a quick look back finds just how dramatically different the world is in the present day. Five years earlier, restrictions meant that our customary Boxing Day trip to the local mall for calendars, was not possible, and I vividly remember how I spent the difference of that day writing out my thoughts to BLOOM‘s finale. This year, plans for a mall trip remain, and besides a trip to get calendars ahead of the New Year and Angus burgers, I’m also hoping to swing by the bookstore to see if I can get any good hardcovers for a third off. Going out on Boxing Day is always hectic on account of the crowds, but after this, the difference of my winter break is looking a little more laid back.

• In BLOOM, the Christmas episodes proved to be the season’s apex, a realisation of the dream that was foreshadowed back in the first season – it turns out Chino’s mother had hoped that Chino’s friends would one day work alongside her, and by BLOOM, the combination of Cocoa’s warmth and steadfast support from each of Rize, Maya, Megu, Chiya and Sharo, all help to create a point where everyone’s working with, and celebrating with, one another. If the Halloween episode had been intended to show that Saki’s spirit lives on and is embodied through Cocoa, giving Chino the support she needs, then the Christmas episode shows how Chino’s taken ahold of this moment and has come very far from where she’d began back in the first season. Such a sight would’ve only been a dream in GochiUsa‘s first season, but in BLOOM, everyone celebrating Christmas at Rabbit House together, in Rabbit House uniforms, has become a reality.

• BLOOM‘s finale acts as a dénouement to the third season, where Mocha sends Cocoa her old uniform, along with Cocoa’s middle school uniform and a stollen. This fruit bread is Germanic in origin, and Mocha’s stollen is identical to the one I purchased from the local European market in appearance, which was a delicious finisher to lunch. Like its predecessors, BLOOM‘s episodes are composed so that the first half always deals with something light-hearted, and the second half covers something more heartfelt or thought-provoking.

• While GochiUsa‘s viewers had commented on how Mocha effectively stole the show with her appearance during the second season, BLOOM would reveal that Cocoa can carry the show’s spirit and has become a very effective mood-setter, being just as competent as Mocha when the moment calls for it. One detail I did not notice about *BLOOM *during my original watch-through was that Cocoa would mention that Mocha’s best attribute was how she always tries her best, even in spite of failure, and it is this detail that reminds viewers that Cocoa herself has grown: Mocha is no longer the all-knowing, unbeatable older sister, but rather, a role model whose traits make her worthy of admiration.

• BLOOM‘s finale closes with Chino contemplating travelling outside of town to broaden her horizons, and I vividly remember feeling a sense of anticipation at what followed – from a storytelling standpoint, BLOOM had practically all but invited an adventure outside of town. It’s now been five years since *BLOOM *aired, and to my great pleasure, the official GochiUsa site announced that the anime project is going to take the form of a film. While I had been hoping for a fourth season, as that would all but eliminate the gap that usually accompanies anime films, the confirmation of something tangible is nonetheless welcome.

• The *GochiUsa *movie is going to be produced by Bibury Animation Studios, who’d previously worked on Azur Lane, The Quintessential Quintuplets and 100 Kano. Hiroyuki Hashimoto will be the lead director, and Akane Yano will be the character designer. A theatrical film could act as an excellent conclusion to the animated adaptation, which has diverged from the manga in several areas, and because it’s now been more than a decade, rather than prolong the series, it makes sense to wrap this work up on good terms. Chino’s desire to travel, followed by Rize’s graduation from secondary school, and Chino, Maya and Megu’s entry into secondary school, acts as a definitive stopping point, showing that Chino now has the motivation to check out the world and take those steps forward towards making new friends.

• While some have already speculated that graduation will necessarily take place before travelling, this approach is not logical from a thematic standpoint: for Chino, doing something under her own power is still less daunting than approaching new people and trying to befriend them. To show Chino travelling, and then using this newfound confidence to break the ice with others is much more appropriate for this film. With a film confirmed, I will definitely be returning to write about the *GochiUsa *movie when it becomes available. I will note that, since the film is explicitly referred to as such, it will almost certainly be longer than Dear My Sister and therefore, have enough materials to cover off both the travel and graduation chapters.

• Whether or not the film will act as a stopping point, or a segue into Chino’s life in secondary school, is something that will be left as an exercise for the future. Returning to BLOOM now and learning of the film was no coincidence: it’s been precisely five years since BLOOM finished airing and left an A+ impression on me, and knowing that we viewers will get to see what happens after Chino’s mind is broadened is an exciting prospect. At the time of writing, however, no release date for the film is available. This might’ve been a disappointment long ago, but if these past few years were anything to go by, that time will pass in the blink of an eye, and I hope that I’ll have a few new accomplishments to reflect on by the time the GochiUsa film releases.

GochiUsa BLOOM, from a storytelling perspective, had done a phenomenal job with its core messages of individual growth and how the flow of time is inevitable. However, BLOOM also would venture into a realm that seems far removed from the adorable and fluffy aesthetic the series is known for: themes of managing grief are also covered in a tactful, tasteful manner. This was quite unexpected, since GochiUsa had been largely comedy driven, but in its execution, BLOOM wound up integrating this elegantly into its story – the use of Halloween as a time of respectfully convening with ancestral spirits and embracing their wisdom, as well as contemplating one’s loved ones, was a masterful way of showing what recovery looks like. Sing For You had indicated that Chino’s mother had passed away prior to the events of GochiUsa, and Chino’s grandfather ended up passing into Tippy’s body to help Chino navigate the days ahead. Since Cocoa came into her life, her upbeat and cheerful manner has had Chino opening up (in spite of herself) and, combined with the mention that Cocoa is actually quite similar to Chino’s mother in disposition, BLOOM appeared to inform viewers that moving past grief sometimes entails a fateful encounter with someone whose traits make it feel like the world hasn’t ended. By doing the sorts of things Chino’s mother did, Cocoa unknowingly shows Chino that there is still love and tenderness in the world, and having such a steadfast (if somewhat vociferous) source of support gives Chino the feeling of security she needs to cultivate a curiosity for the world around her. BLOOM therefore illustrates that recovery, with the right support from friends and family in one’s corner, is absolutely possible, and further to this, people should be allowed to recover at their own pace. This is precisely the sort of environment that GochiUsa has provided for Chino and, bit-by-bit, Chino is becoming more expressive and outgoing – having her express a desire to venture into the world and see it for herself was the surest sign of this growth, bringing BLOOM to a satisfactory close. When I finished GochiUsa BLOOM five years earlier, I was left with an unquestionably positive experience: GochiUsa had plainly matured, showing that the story could seamlessly accommodate more serious topics without compromising the aesthetic and tonal elements that the series had become known for. This left me strongly hoping for a continuation, and while there’s been news of another anime project in the works, five years on, no concrete details have been provided. Even in the absence of details, however, one can work out that venturing out of the Half-Timbered town and having Chino, Maya and Megu graduate (along with Rize) to be logical next steps towards showing how a more confident Chino, and more capable Cocoa drive whatever adventures that follow. In the present, however, fans of GochiUsa have the manga to look forwards to: since this December, the manga has caught up to the events of GochiUsa 2, and the upcoming volume, set for release in May 2026, is going to venture into the story that Dear My Sister and Sing For You adapted.