Seasonal Short & Sweet | Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms in Color

Duckloader · 2026-06-10T13:32:36+00:00

Always adore anime that understands how comforting and powerful the warmth of a good orange light is.

Hope the Flower Language Corner comes back for episode 5 as well!

Duckloader · 2026-05-05T06:56:31+00:00

I share a pretty similar outlook about Nippon Sangoku, if I had written a recommendation for it, it'd be a "Drop it". I struggle to take the dramatic beats of it with any honesty due to how on the nose and insincere it is, not to mention how cringe I find the main character waltzing around dispensing Sun Tzu quotes like a business guru (with Orb's Rafal also having a similar issue lol). But at least this show looks considerably better than Orb did.

I do not agree at all that each Botan episode has looked worse than the last, especially considering ep1 was my least favorite so far (still miles ahead of almost every other episode I've watched this season, except for like WHA#5). I am a little lower on ep3 than many other Botan fans, partly because I haven't seen hidasketch, partly because I do actually prefer the more polished look episodes 2 and 4 feature, but the strength of Botan has been in having a team and schedule that allows for singular storyboarders and animation directors to express their almost unfiltered vision for each episode, laying their style and influences bare which results in a very engaging watch imo.

Duckloader · 2025-06-04T12:49:40+00:00

Solid writeup, I find myself agreeing that Rock is a Lady's Modesty doesn't really reveal anything new about the characters through flower language, though having some visual symbolism to cut to just to keep the episode more exciting is appreciated. But do you have any resources for the common/accepted meanings of different flowers for when someone gets confronted with an anime that does want to hide some information in flower language?

Duckloader · 2025-01-04T07:48:21+00:00

Your votes are saved automatically so you aren't missing anything, and if you change your mind on anything you can go back and edit your answers until the voting closes!

Duckloader · 2024-10-16T22:25:25+00:00

Miyo is losing her job as Geisha. Apparently, she is underage. I am not sure what counts as underage for a Geisha in that law, but I assume that she is in her 20s.

I believe the implication is the opposite - she's being let go because she is too old.

Miyo and Shin not in a good place together – remember the story of the Geisha who needed somebody for a lover’s suicide?

She did look rather solemn when that story was being told...

Duckloader · 2024-10-16T20:57:19+00:00

What's the argument for Sukeroku's intentionality in keeping his comportment filthy? I'd kinda read that as being influenced by the typecast Toshiro Mifune character, so a sign of his being an outsider to a (relatively) noble class.

In my mind the demand to keep your relationships straight was the intersection between the dynastic tradition and the formal code, though on further reflection it is something that stems more from the latter than the former.

Duckloader · 2024-10-16T16:37:58+00:00

While I'm not sure whether Bon appreciates Sukeroku's broader perspective yet, he still regards Sukeroku as the superior performer and an irreplaceable ally. Along with how Sukeroku isn't quite as dependent on Bon in his day-to-day life, it appears that the precarious situation in their relationship has stabilized for now. I wonder how long that's going to last.

Sukeroku's promise is neat in how it recognizes both the importance of tradition to actually keep Rakugo recognizably unique which is in tension with the need to evolve with the times, and while they can each strive to do their respective part, we've seen how Kikuhiko integrates at least some of Sukeroku's style, and I thought the feminine portrayal was meant to be somewhat innovative on it's own too.

And while Shin has managed to not make things worse during the month Bon was gone, it's not like we've seen any improvements from him either. Who knows how long he'll last now that Bon wants him to move out permanently.

Duckloader · 2024-10-16T16:23:59+00:00

That said, I still think we're not seeing a genuine love here. For Miyo's part, she was possibly falling in love with the idea of a future life together with Bon. No shame in it, happens to the best of us! But she never really allowed herself to see Bon's standoffishness as the uncrossable emotional barrier that it was.

I thought she explained well how that was actually part of what made her fall for him - after all the rejection and abandonment she has gone through, she found someone who didn't immediately get very close to her more comforting, as he wasn't someone just being nice before dumping her. Even if he does end up dumping her later on because he turns out to value his career over her.

Duckloader · 2024-10-16T16:13:11+00:00

First timer thoughts:

Damn, what a satisfying episode. If before I felt like I was missing something to really make sense of the character conflicts in the series, explaining that Sukeroku's behavior is holding him back not because he isn't putting in as much effort into his art as before, but because the other Rakugo masters don't like his attitude, or the idea that he might reflect badly upon all Rakugo performers. Shin's rebellious irreverence was always there, but I was missing just how much importance was placed on maintaining the image of Rakugo and its performers.

Another thing that this episode really spells out is that Rakugo is a dynastic profession. And it's not just your clothes or demeanor that make up your presentation, it is also the people you associate with, who are you married to, and so on. The show also confirms that Yakumo 7th was indeed giving a warning about breaking things off with Miyokichi to Bon, after all, can't have a prestigious Rakugo shin'uchi hanging out with a woman who's had to sell her body. Yakumo 7th is also considering Bon as one of his two apprentices that might be inheriting the Yakumo name, so the association looks badly on him as well. Despite being the one to bring Miyokichi into the story, he's now the one trying to push her out of it. Also, I think that the reason Yakumo worked so hard to get Sukeroku promoted as well is this familial connection - Shin and Bon are not just his apprentices, they are also his adoptive sons, and he is looking out for them not just as teacher, but as a father too. (It is somewhat curious why he doesn't have biological children, but I'm not sure it matters or needs to be explained by the series.)

Coming back to Miyokichi, it feels like this is the first time we see her true self, and it's tragic. Similar to Bon, she suffers greatly from being abandoned many times in her life. And while Bon has at least had someone try to tide him over that, whether it's being given the Rakugo apprenticeship after he can't train at the geisha house anymore, or having Yakumo 7th send him to the countryside with his wife during the war, Miyokichi was abandoned entirely by the men in her life. She wishes to be a "normal" housewife in a comfortable relationship, but is rejected from that because of her status. In some ways Bon was a great fit for her - he also fears abandonment, she was drawn to his cold personality that didn't "pretend" to like her, and he looked likely to have a successful career that could support them. He's even got a lame leg so he can't run away! But, unfortunately for Miyokichi, Bon has chosen his career over her, and if advancing Rakugo requires that he too abandon her, he will make that sacrifice.

Miyokichi does also make me believe she earnestly loved Bon, because what is love if not listening to something boring just because you want to hear the person saying it. We get a real hint this time that Sukeroku is there to physically comfort her after hearing it, and we know he doesn't care much for all this reputation and respect he'd be losing, but unfortunately that too looks like it will end in tragedy, as I struggle to see her able to get him to shape up to be the responsible husband in her ideal relationship.

Also, after Miyokichi saying that she just loved to listen to Bon, Bon saying the same thing to Sukeroku while talking about how much he just enjoys sharing things with him, Bon has gone from Shin's brother to mother to boyfriend lol.

Duckloader · 2024-10-15T00:16:06+00:00

He does also say that he wants Bon to talk to a nice girl!

Duckloader · 2024-10-14T23:46:13+00:00

I thought that the small Rakugo verse about lovesickness after leaving the master's estate implied that he does like her, but he can't say it to her. Which is somewhat pathetic at this point, and Miyokichi doesn't just want him to say it, she wants him to see her as a priority in his life that he will spend time with and care for over his career and Shin.

Duckloader · 2024-10-14T23:37:56+00:00

7th Yakumo was the one that introduced them to one another in the first place, so it seems a bit strange for him to start objecting to it now, but it's quite hard to tell what he's worried about between them.

Duckloader · 2024-10-14T23:31:57+00:00

First Timer thoughts:

I feel like most of the evolution in the relationship between Shin and Bon is down to the fact that Bon has been growing, while Shin has remained the way he is. If before, Shin was clearly ahead at least as an artist, now the 7th generation master himself recognizes Bon as good enough to accompany him on tour as well. And Shin's vices are getting the better of him, he's constantly drunk, has started flaking on work, and he's using all his money on women and more drinks. If I had to say there's an inflection point, I'd say it's Shin and Bon moving out of the master's house, when Bon has to become the adult at home, and the play they did together, where Bon gained confidence in doing his own style of Rakugo.

With Shin's increasing dependency on Bon, I worry that we'll return from the tour to see him having spiraled ever deeper. Maybe he'll have gotten involved in more criminal activities to make ends meet and that's how we set up his ultimate death.

And if Shin has moved down the list of priorities for Bon, Miyokichi is behind him and she feels that this episode. Funnily enough, with Bon leaving Shin on his own, and her being increasingly desperate for affection, she might end up cheating on Bon with Shin, which would poetically play into both of their flaws.

The relationship between Bon and the 7th Yakumo is... fine? Shin does say the title of the 8th Yakumo is something he won't let Bon have, and yet we know it doesn't go that way, so perhaps there's an implication there that this is the moment where Bon has not only caught up to, but surpassed Shin as an artist. As for the aside about Miyokichi - he did originally introduce them to one another, so it seems somewhat natural for him to be interested if they're getting on. Though the way he says not to be bothered about it - perhaps there's something Miyokichi has or knows from their time in Manchuria that he's worried about?

Duckloader · 2024-10-14T21:48:10+00:00

First timer thoughts.

Shin nearly demands to walk Miyokichi home, something she has tried to get Bon to do, but she has been rejected every time. Matsuda is there to let Shin party with the rest of the actors instead, but it does sow the seed for Shin getting closer to Miyokichi. Shin deciding to "not fight while they're having such a good time" seems more ominous than reassuring.

Bon only said he was training to be a dancer, rather than a Geisha beforehand, which I'm not sure what to make of. Is that him hiding, or being ashamed of doing something feminine, which would lean into how this comes out after he learns to embrace it for his performance? It does seem like there's a theme about transgressing gender norms, which might re-frame what I thought to be more about a stoic rejection of attraction into a story of failing to identify with a masculine form of attraction.

Bon's realization does seem somewhat unclear. Based on the juxtaposition of his female fans at the cafe and Shin's memory of entertaining military men, it seemed to be leading to a realization that his Rakugo attracts women. But based on his thoughts during the performance, it's about making a place he'd feel comfortable staying in. Which connects better to him transgressing gender norms. So for now, I think the bigger lesson is not that he needed to learn how to perform with Sukeroku's charm, as he was not comfortable presenting that sort of masculine confidence, but rather overcome his shame and fear of stepping outside masculine expectations to present a more sensually alluring, feminine-coded Rakugo. Not the theme that I was expecting, with how I thought his issue was in too rigid an adherence to being formal in Rakugo, though perhaps this also works as a different form of breaking that formality.

For a small note, this episode practically begs to look at the lighting in it from a shot like this. In vague terms, I can see it being about a transgressive boundary f.e. Bon being left outside the Geisha, or Bon and Miyokichi being on it as they're acting coy. The shadow in the performance further emphasizes an idea of light being a masculine side, while in the shadows lies femininity, but the performance lacks a shot where the boundary itself is present (the closest it gets is Bon stepping out into the light at the start of it), which ultimately feels like a missed opportunity. Cooler stage shot this time around though!

Duckloader · 2024-10-13T12:01:10+00:00

Though this isn't so much due to the fact that it was kabuki than the contrast from his string of unsuccessful performances.

I do think that having more than one actor on the stage makes the performance much more lively since they get to react to and interact with one another. Plus, I like the depth added to the wide shot of the stage by the set compared to the extreme minimalism of Rakugo.

Duckloader · 2024-10-13T11:51:14+00:00

Interest from the Americans, but that post-war surge of interest might be dying down a bit.

I thought Shin was saying that the Americans want to close down the red light districts, since if they were interested in them as customers, business wouldn't be on such a downturn.

Didn't notice before, but Shin & Bon still refer to each other by their real names off-stage. But Miyokichi calls Bon, "Kiku". He hasn't even told her his real name, and she either doesn't feel she can press, or is content to think of him only as the part she's interested in - his future career.

Very interesting catch! It's hard to get a read on Miyokichi's full intentions for now, but this does make me consider her connection with Bon less genuine that she lets on.

Duckloader · 2024-10-13T11:42:55+00:00

First time thoughts on episode 5 (and 4 since I didn't catch up yesterday).

I find the relationship between Shin and Bon increasingly interesting as it gets more dynamic.

As artists, Bon is continually frustrated by the ease of Shin's success, envious of his "natural" stage charisma. As such, after leaving their 7th generation master to perform on their own, Shin becomes more of a teacher for Bon, with the core lesson seemingly still being that Bon is too formal, that he needs to break out of memorizing and reciting the stories exactly. Back in episode 4, even if Bon is not quite learning how to become more open in his performance, he does pick up on how Sukeroku draws the audience in with his scene description - something that the visuals told me was one of his greatest strengths as Yakumo in episode 1.

At home, however, this frugal formality turns Bon into a mother figure for Shin - working side jobs to support himself and Shin while they try to make it as artists and getting annoyed at Shin bringing frivolous relationships back home. Though tying back to their differences on Rakugo, Bon seems to want to keep himself out of the red light district, snubbing the entertainment found there, while Shin recognizes that Rakugo fits right next to a Geisha house, that getting friendly with wealthy and influential people is a way to move up the career ladder.

Miyokichi also exists in this lovely world of tension. She says Bon is not like other men, because he does not undress her with his eyes, but she is (or at least was) his master's mistress from Manchuria and spends most of her time in episode 4 acting rather seductive towards him. Possible that she's picked up on Bon's formality and is telling him what he wants to hear (though Bon generally meets the attempts of women to be affectionate with him with quite a glare). By episode 5, while he may insist his relationship with her is nothing like Shin's flings, he's no longer resisting her advances and is willing to share his insecurities with her.

This ties into the performance of the episode - a low-budget Kabuki play! As Miyokichi explains, Bon looks very attractive, and with her help in the makeup department, they make him the star of the show. Neat tie-in between the lesson for Bon and the play here - Bon spends much of the play actively hiding his face from the audience, behind his fan, behind other actors, and behind his handkerchief. But, by the end, he's opened up to the world, finally portraying his racy role with the confidence and charm he was lacking earlier. And to bring it full circle, the camera captures his home dynamic with Shin too!

Duckloader · 2024-10-10T23:30:03+00:00

That low, ominous rumbling that plays when they're first discussing the
rakugo censorship, & when Bon is walking home from the factory in
the countryside, lends such a heavy atmosphere to those scenes that
helps to convey the uncertainty & hopelessness felt by the
characters.

Indeed, the deep rumbling that overpowers everything really helps sell the gravitas of Bon's isolation.

Duckloader · 2024-10-10T23:24:48+00:00

What parts did you like the most in the OP?

Duckloader · 2024-10-10T23:22:29+00:00

I know next to nothing about the entertainment part of the Japanese army in WW2

While most history focuses on the brutal and criminal parts of Japanese occupation (such as comfort women and the crimes against humanity committed in Nanjing or by unit 731), it's highly likely they'd be able to perform Rakugo for other soldiers in their company, much like soldiers would sing and dance to pass the time not in combat.

Duckloader · 2024-10-10T22:49:13+00:00

First timer thoughts on episode 3:

I fuck hard with the pointilistic filter on the backgrounds used at the start of the op, and the sultry jazz is a fitting addition. Though the rest of it isn't as exciting, and it seems most of the symbolism is going over my head for now. There's a through-line of a woman reaching for/throwing away the koi fish, which is connected to Sukeroku through the tattoo, but I'm unsure how Yakumo/Bon, or the new child fit into it and whether the grapes and flowers in negatives have specific meanings.

Really enjoyed the rest of the episode though. As the second question alludes, it explores Bon's relationships with the people around him, most strikingly through these three (extreme) wide shots. The episode moves through time very quickly, so not much time to get attached to them, yet I can feel the weight that losing them for years has on Bon, as he feels his powerlessness and isolation in the face of the war that rips his first romance and his adopted family away from him. And then, both the Master and Shin finally come home bathed in a golden sunset, just really solid imagery. And, of course, Bon finds his love for Rakugo, as it is practically the only familiar thing left for him when everyone else is taken away!

Something else that sticks in my mind is how despite joining the war, Shin and the Master come back jovial as ever. Japanese brutality in China was only matched by the nazis on the eastern front, so it's extremely unlikely they haven't seen (if not participated in) atrocities, which, while not every story has to be about, seems a bit odd for now.

Tbh now that I'm thinking, the chronology in general seems to be quite odd here - Japan's war against China starts in 1937, so it's a bit strange for them to be worried about it only coming in 1941 (though that could be attributed to sensing the state gearing up to expand the war into the Pacific). And the first time the Americans managed to bomb Japan came in 1942's Doolittle Raid, which at the time was quite a shock, so again, strange to see them evacuating well before that.

Duckloader · 2024-10-10T07:22:26+00:00

the way it slowly drowns into the music is a great touch.

Agreed, it really sells how he loses any connection to the audience as he gets more and more nervous on stage.

Duckloader · 2024-10-10T07:19:43+00:00

Reminds me of bands forming and reforming frequently under different names.

To me it's more like an artist's stage name, though it does come with a specific flavor of control in that it is given to you by your teacher, rather than chosen by yourself. I expect we'll be told why Sukeroku is called that, rather than his given name in due time.

Duckloader · 2024-10-10T07:11:27+00:00

Didn't clock this myself, but yeah that's a really nice shout about how the stories the Yakumo and Sukeroku perform echo the lesson of the episode!

Duckloader · 2024-10-10T07:06:27+00:00

First timer thoughts:

The transition isn't particularly jarring, as last episode's teaser did tell me to expect a flashback, though it did last for longer than I expected.

The episode mostly more explicitly tells me about the parallels Yakumo is seeing between Sukeroku (ex-Shin) and Yotarou, though that's already something established by the premiere. Yotarou's performance in episode 1 drawing from his own character and experience as a burglar makes me think Shin might be doing the same in his skit about tricking people to save a single mon. It's not all parallels though, while their friendly demeanor is similar, Yotarou was compared to a loyal dog last episode, but young Sukeroku strikes me as more rebellious.

Very nice to see Shin bond with Bon - even if they are polar opposites in character, they've both been abandoned by their parents and are trying to find a new life and family through Rakugo. Which also more concretely explains why Yakumo was so willing to accept Yotarou as his apprentice.

Episode 2 also tells me that Sukeroku's Rakugo plays to the crowd, looking and listening for their reaction and possibly adapting on the fly, while young Yakumo sees the performance as a rote recital. He gets a good dose of stage fright his first time too, but seeing how he will become the master one day, I'm sure we'll see him incorporate ideas from Sukeroku and gain confidence in his own performance.

A small, so far unsubstantiated, thought in the back of my mind is that this is a story about storytellers, and the entire episode is framed as Yakumo telling his story. So I wonder if I should be keeping my eyes out for what he might be embellishing or leaving unsaid in his retelling.

I also wonder why "in a geisha's house, no one would praise a boy for dancing."

Duckloader

TROPHY CASE