Awajima Hyakkei: The Art of the Back View – A Deep Dive into the Anime’s Symbolism of Leaving and Seeing Off

In the anime Awajima Hyakkei, the motif of the “back view” (後ろ姿) is not merely a compositional choice—it is the emotional and thematic backbone of the series. Critic Fujitsu Ryota, in the 132nd installment of his column Fujitsu Ryota no Anime no Mon V, explores how the show uses this visual device to explore loneliness, departure, and the quiet act of seeing someone off.

An Opening Defined by Backs

The series opens not with a character gazing up at the Awajima Opera School dormitory in awe, but with Tabata Wakana inside the building, looking outward through the entrance glass. The camera captures her from behind, the outside world overexposed and white. This original addition to the source material immediately establishes the show’s central visual language. The opening credits continue the pattern: major characters are shown from behind, their faces replaced by vibrant flowers that symbolize their individual lives.

Loneliness in the Back View

The first episode’s segment “Takehara Kinue and Ueda Ryoko” gives the back view its first symbolic weight. Ueda Ryoko, crouching in a back view, is accompanied by a monologue revealing her complex feelings of love and jealousy toward Takehara Kinue. The anime amplifies the wind from the original manga, making her skirt and braids flutter chaotically, mirroring her inner turmoil. This back view embodies loneliness—the solitude of harboring unspoken emotions. Eventually, Ueda distances herself from Takehara, who goes on to the Awajima Opera School.

Those Who Leave, Those Who See Off

The most iconic back view belongs to Okabe Emi, introduced in episode 2’s “Okabe Emi and Onoda Sachie.” Her first appearance is from behind, and soon Onoda Sachie stands behind her, also facing the school’s main gate. The gate, like the dormitory entrance, is overexposed white, as if the school is the only world that exists. Here, the motif gains a new layer: Okabe is about to leave the school, and Onoda is the one seeing her off. Later, it is revealed that Onoda herself will also leave, following Okabe. The back view thus becomes a symbol of both the leaver and the one left behind.

In a later scene, Okabe visits a bedridden Onoda. Onoda’s face is hidden behind a curtain, and Okabe is shown from behind—a reversal of the earlier composition. The back view now represents the act of seeing off someone who is departing, this time toward death.

Ibuki Keiko: The One Who Never Leaves

Ibuki Keiko, a third-generation Awajima elite who became a teacher after an unfulfilled acting career, is rarely shown from behind. Instead, the camera often captures her face. Her back views are few but telling: in episode 3, a shot from outside the staff room window shows her silhouette at her desk, trapped in a life of regret she cannot escape. In episode 6, when confronted by a former crony, she turns away but the camera holds her profile. In episode 10, she and Okabe pass in a hallway; Ibuki turns to watch Okabe leave, but the camera shows both faces. These choices contrast with the earlier back-view symbolism, highlighting Ibuki’s role as the perpetual “see-er off.”

In episode 11, Ibuki’s regrets are laid bare. The screen shows silhouettes of Okabe and Onoda, their backs to the viewer, and the audience finally understands: Ibuki has always been the one seeing others go. Her sharp, fox-like eyes were always watching those who left. From her youth, when jealousy drove a talented classmate to drop out, to her years as a teacher seeing graduates depart, she has remained inside the “box” of Awajima.

The Window of Hope

Ibuki’s mother, Yamaji Ruriko, provides a key to understanding her. Born to star Hizuki Natsuko (real name Yamaji Yoshiko), Ruriko was unloved and considered plain. Yet near the end of her life, she reflects that she learned to love others. In that scene, a large window is open behind her wheelchair. Even if she could not leave, the window allowed her to live. For Ibuki, the writer Tabata Wakana may have become that window—the one to whom she confesses all her regrets.

Okabe Emi Turns Around

Okabe Emi, forced out of school by Ibuki’s bullying, later marries and has a family, though her life ends somewhat early. In episode 12, her daughter-in-law recalls asking what Okabe would do if her own child wanted to attend Awajima. Okabe laughed and said she would support them wholeheartedly. Just before this line, a cut shows Okabe watering plants in the garden—and she turns around. The character who was always shown from behind finally faces the viewer. The series, Fujitsu argues, is essentially the story of how Okabe Emi, first seen as a back view, eventually turns to face us. Parallel to that runs the story of Ibuki Keiko, who forever watches others leave from the same place.

The final image of episode 1 shows students moving through the dormitory, rendered semi-transparent. They are all passing through the space of Awajima Opera, destined to leave. Only the place remains. It reminds us that we, too, are always seeing off someone’s back, and being seen off in turn.

Fujitsu Ryota
Born 1968 in Shizuoka Prefecture. Anime critic. Major works include “Anime Hyouronka” Sengen, Channel wa Itsu mo Anime: Zero Nendai Anime Jihyou, Seiyuu-go: Anime ni Inochi wo Fukikomu Professional, and Professional 13-ga Kataru Watashi no Seiyuu-dou. His latest book is Bokura ga Anime wo Miru Riyuu: 2010 Nendai Anime Jihyou. He also lectures at various culture centers and hosts a live stream on the first Friday of every month at Anime no Mon Channel.