上伊那ぼたん、酔へる姿は百合の花

Taiwanese lesbians: I love you. Japanese lesbians: I want to be wrapped up in this scent, and also are we actually in a relationship? Those were some weird shops the girls went to today, particularly the perfume shop up the hanging mannequin execution ground walkway. The foot only animation bits were really interesting for the distinct style of walking. I'm pretty sure Botan was skipping part of the time, for instance.

It's supposed to represent the two of them passing into wonderland. The whole bit there represents Ibuki as the rabbit and Kamiina as Alice. They travel through a surreal tunnel and end up in the perfume (potion) store. But Kamiina loses sight of Alice and is lost (in this case with the relationship). She exits and the rabbit statue at the bottom of a hole awaits her. Akane as the Cheshire cat with a smile smoking a hookah is rather explicit in this case. Kamiina being lost in wonderland is an apt metaphor.

unless they took heavy liberties on the reference, it is structurally impossible to have columns that far apart, travelators are not that thin (you need someone to be able to crawl in there) fire code wise, you can't have such a long corridor with no fire escapes unless you have a very strong fire suppression system (high ceilings, so there isn't one) accessibility wise, that travelator is quite steep, so either it has to be split into multiple travelators with refuges in between, or have it at a much less steep angle every country have specific building code, but in general, these cannot be broken to such extreme degree. unless it counts as art.

Chin-Lan’s so bold. Dropping ' I love you 's so casually. Love the part where Chin-Lan asked if Kanade being interested in Taiwanese films meant she’s interested in her. When Kanade said Chin-Lan could interpret it any way she liked, she duly took the offer. They might be the newest ship in the series, but it’s still an interesting one that I would gladly sail on. Akane considering dropping out of uni was quite the shock. It’d be especially devastating to Yaeka once she learnt about it.

Add to the fact that A Brighter Summer Day is 4 hours long and has really slow pace as well as Hou Hsiao-hsien films, which I think is a bit unorthodox even for Kanade as she usually talked about classic Hollywood and popular classic films before (aside from Drive My Car ). Knowing that Kanade is doing master's degree and currently has full time job, I know it took a lot of effort for her to watch those films, which goes to show how much she wanted to understand Chin-Lan.

Hou Hsiao Hsien is an interesting name drop -- because this series has a bit of the feel oh a HHH film. Yang was part of the same generation and movement -- but his films have a bit more high drama (shouting, fighting). But HHH's films are more contemplative -- and usually with an underlying aura of melancholy. HHH also has more of a connection to Japan-- including having made a film there -- Café Lumière / Kōhī Jikō. HHH is on of my favorite living directors, but sadly dementia has ended his career. HHH's films are apparently viewed as arty in Taiwan (rather than "popular"). Still, there are pilgrimages to many of the mostly rural and small city locations where his films were shot. I can't remember what sort of graduate program Kanade is in. Was it cinema- related?

Chin-Lan expresses her love very directly, and immediately, as soon as she feels it swell. You could say she's already let it consume her. Gujo expresses her love very indirectly by inadvertently showing how much time she spends thinking about someone. But I hope she comes around to being able to say "I love you" back. Also all that water imagery that's common to yuri stories is all around them. Like the underwater-ish sounds for Chin-Lan in watercolor, or the aquarium behind him, or Gujo getting rained on. I guess Gujo is following Chin-Lan out to sea.

And it's really a painful contrast between them who bond over a drink and Botan and Ibuki who bond because they drink. It's nothing spectacular in terms of cinematography, but just the way things are developing is somehow heartbreaking. Everything is unassuming, no drama, no sad music, no shouting. It's a nagging feeling settling in and you just know something is wrong but not wrong enough so that you have to argue... yet. It hurts watching this and sensing so clearly that the trainwreck is coming.

Chin-Lan’s so bold. Dropping 'I love you's so casually. Love the part where Chin-Lan asked if Kanade being interested in Taiwanese films meant she’s interested in her. When Kanade said Chin-Lan could interpret it any way she liked, she duly took the offer. This girls just has nothing to hide. She cuts straight to the point every single time. They might be the newest ship in the series, but it’s still an interesting one that I would gladly sail on. Low-key thinking Gujo loosing Ibuki to Botan is a W in disguise. Chin-Lan is a catch.