Kamiina Botan, Yoeru Sugata wa Yuri no Hana Episode 3 SB/AD/In-Between - Gin-San ED - Katsuya Shigehara EPISODE OF THE YEAR!!! This is, of course, judging the episode from an actual production standpoint, because the story itself isn't necessarily anything mind-blowing. But JESUS CHRIST, this has some of the most unique AD work I have ever seen in animation. Gin has genuinely pushed my respect meter to a thousand because I absolutely loved everything about this episode. The vinyl scene, the crayon section, and the designs of the characters' hair, hands, and clothing are beyond anything I have seen in a production like this. The BOLD LINEWORK alone is a testament to why I love animation so much. Everything feels so deliberately off-model, and the anatomy is pushed so far beyond conventional character consistency that it almost feels like the episode is actively breaking every industry standard imaginable. And yet, somehow, it fucking WORKS. HOLY HELL, IT WORKS. Shigehara is genuinely not even human at this point. The direction and storyboard work is easily some of the best I have seen this year. In terms of sheer ambition on the storyboard sheets, it even comes close to FSF Episode 6. The amount of detail and thought put into the compositions is genuinely ridiculous. The fucking hands alone would have @BessikriM crying tears of joy. This is the kind of work that could genuinely give Shin Kashiwaguma and Keisuke Mori a run for their money. I thought the wiggly linework was already a little strange last episode, but this takes everything to another level. The drawings are insanely detailed, and the visual experimentation feels even more pronounced this time around. There's so much to appreciate in the way the episode manipulates its artwork, and even the clever use of white sheets is an absolute blast to go through. Every scene feels like it has something new to offer, whether it's the unconventional linework, the character designs, or the sheer amount of visual information packed into each composition. This episode has genuinely changed my life with how good everything looks. The combination of such unconventional AD work, ambitious storyboarding, and an unapologetically experimental visual identity is something I absolutely adore. It reminds me of a Monogatari-esque episode, but one that fully commits to its visual ideas and executes them in a way that feels incredibly cohesive. Do me a favour and give this show a watch, especially this episode. People genuinely have no idea how good this one is, and I desperately need Gin-san to do more work like this. This is exactly the kind of animation that reminds me why I love the medium in the first place. #上伊那ぼたん #kamiinabotan