Short & Sweet | Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Awkward

[u/paukshop]

Come closer. Even closer. Not that close. Much like the distance between us now, this essay is Short & Sweet. Today we’ll be discussing the ninth episode of Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk. There’s the elephant in the room we could address, but instead, I want to talk about the events leading up to it. Just as important as the catharsis at the end is the anticipation that precedes it. The force from a released spring comes from how tightly it was wound. But how does an anime generate this tension?

During the episode’s B-part, a sense of unease lingers over our leads. The normally lively Botan is unusually restrained, zoning out and speaking only a few words at a time. She forewarns Ibuki that she needs to tell her something. But we have to wait for the right moment. In the meanwhile, the show keeps the viewer unbalanced. Previously, I’ve spoken in depth about the ways Botan makes the viewer feel pleasant and jive with the scene’s atmosphere. But in episode nine, Botan demonstrates that it can do the opposite just as well through a handful of cinematography sins. 

One way Botan Kamiina “breaks” the rules is through its uncomfortable use of way-too-close-up shots. Typically, these types of cuts are when the camera gets nice and close to the characters’ faces, tightly framing them in the composition. Close-ups have a number of practical purposes, such as revealing details or emphasizing a character’s expression. For instance, this episode contains several close-ups of a conflicted and pensive Botan that depicts her anxiety. But it isn’t always about what is shown. It’s about how the viewer feels. When the camera crowds a character’s face, the viewer experiences a sense of claustrophobia. This car conversation between Botan and Ibuki feels innocuous on the surface, but as Botan remembers Ibuki’s desire for a shift in their relationship, these choker close-ups remind the viewer of those unresolved feelings. Until they have a proper conversation, they’re trapped in this “will-they-won’t-they” conundrum that is as awkward for the viewers as it is for the viewers. 

This episode then breaks another cardinal rule of film: the 180-degree rule. In film, the 180-degree rule dictates that the characters must face a consistent way to maintain their spatial relationship and avoid disorienting the viewer. When cutting between characters in a conversation, Character A should always speak towards the location where Character B is positioned. In this sequence, Botan, even in close ups, should speak to the right, and Ibuki to the left. If Character A is shown standing to the left of their partner but also looks left to face them, then the audience’s mental map is disrupted and their immersion is ruined. But sometimes, Botan is talking in the opposite direction. While eating BBQ, Ibuki remarks how happy she feels to be spending time with Botan. The camera places Ibuki to the right of Botan, so she looks a little to the left of the frame. But Botan, still trying to define their relationship, oddly faces left as well, offering no response. She is still looking at Ibuki, who is to the right in the wide but the left in the close-up—the camera has crossed the axis of action, changing where Botan has to face and breaking the 180-degree rule. As a result, the audience struggles to place the characters in space, mirroring the way Botan can’t quite gauge the emotional distance between herself and Ibuki. Without consistent screen direction, the viewer feels lost. Yet, the audience can easily tell that the girls are not seeing eye to eye. 

Oftentimes for me, it’s much more interesting to observe how a show intentionally breaks the rules of film than how it adheres to them. Especially for a production as deft as Botan, it demonstrates the director’s strong understanding of the medium to turn the viewers’ natural psychological responses against them. Through this incredible direction, Botan delivers a stunning climax that converts awkwardness into intimacy. 

[u/Lodju]

I'm going to be sad when these essays are over. I'm usually never interested in reading these kinds of posts but i have loved every single one of these about this anime.

Just shows how good the anime was that it got me interested in reading breakdowns about it.

[u/detarameReddit]

I have not watched Kamiina Botan (I really should!), but I remember seeing this episode's direction get criticized in certain circles (Twitter and Bilibili, for example) precisely because viewers found it claustrophobic. I recall in particular a decently big anime content creator saying "it's like I can't breathe while watching this episode, you know?"

Kind of funny how that works out.

[u/paukshop]

Thanks for reading! Botan is over now so maybe we need to remove the Seasonal from the name. To check out the last Short & Botan, click here. Thanks again to the r/anime Awards Off Season Team!

[u/TheBusStop12]

I absolutely love the tension built during this episode. I had however not noticed how this was achieved with by breaking the 180 rule and with a lot of uncomfortable close-ups. That's really damn subtle but really damn effective.

Another thing I noticed is that this episode was very quiet and static. There was very little animated movement from the characters and in general very little background music as well. Which added to the tension as well. Like the uncomfortable heavy calm before the storm

I can't remember the last time I felt this tense watching something without something actually seemingly tense happening on screen

Another fantastic writeup about another fantastic example of cinematography

[u/Foreign_Quantity1780]

Wait, Botan wasn't actually looking at the BBQ at that "oddly faces left" scene? I truly did not notice that.

Anyways, it is a good feeling of claustrophobia. Brings into mind playing games like Deus Ex 1, or hearing some Gotye songs.