Yoshino Aoyama & Nene Hieda Appear on "SHIBUANI"! Going Behind the Scenes of "Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk" and "Kirio Fan Club"

ABEMA aired "SHIBUYA ANIME BASE (#SHIBUANI)" episode #82 live on April 10 (Fri) from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM. This episode welcomed voice actresses Yoshino Aoyama and Nene Hieda as guests, delivering plenty of information on new spring anime and behind-the-scenes production stories.

The program featured a special segment on the anime "Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk," which began broadcasting at midnight on April 10 (Fri). Based on the manga by Hei currently serialized in "Champion Cross" (Akita Shoten), the series is an "alcohol x girls' youth story." It follows 20-year-old college student Botan Kamiina, who moves into a student dormitory and begins deepening her relationships with fellow residents through drinks after a chance encounter with the dorm leader, Ibuki Tonami.

Yoshino Aoyama, who plays the protagonist's senior and dorm leader Ibuki Tonami, spoke passionately about the show's appeal. "At first glance, it looks like a typical slice-of-life show where girls just get tipsy and float around, but it actually depicts delicate human relationships and emotional nuances with great density," she explained. She revealed that the work is a challenging one that prioritizes pauses and atmosphere, noting that "sometimes there are only two lines of dialogue on an entire page of the script."

The unusual level of passion at the recording studio was also discussed. It was revealed that the production insisted on "naturalistic acting," where the "bold" (timing marks on the screen indicating when to speak) were completely ignored, and the animation was later adjusted to match the actors' natural tempo—a revelation that drew gasps of surprise from the studio. Furthermore, the staff's extraordinary love for the project was highlighted, noting the meticulous attention to ambient sounds like clinking ice or water surfaces, and the fact that the protagonist, Botan, has over 30 different outfit designs, with her clothes changing in every episode. Additionally, Aoyama mentioned that she focused on a "floppy, relaxed feeling" while playing Ibuki. She also shared a heartwarming anecdote: after she muttered "I'm so hungry!" during an early morning recording session, the staff began providing luxurious catering like eel and inari sushi every week starting from the following session, which softened the atmosphere in the studio.

Aoyama also highly praised Sayumi Suzushiro, who plays the lead role of Botan, describing her as a "hardworking and perfect actor" and a "natural charmer in the best sense who looks out for everyone even at drinking parties." "Botan Kamiina Fully Blossoms When Drunk" is currently available on ABEMA with the fastest terrestrial-simultaneous streaming every Friday at midnight.