Sensei's 2015.04 Update: Just in time for Thanksgiving

[teggacat]

as usual quite an interesting update, I'll have to spend a bit more time learning/looking/nosing about
this weekend, but at a quick glance, no surpise, I found the Rozen pieces are quite stunning, but the Microid
cels are rather quirky and neat in a fun sort of way, Unico looks really cute too....
Thanks for sharing!

[Killua]

I'm really enjoying the Ouran. I watched this series on netflix with my wife and was greatly amused.

[sensei]

The Condition Green OVA Cels are very...........out there & psychedelic in their execution.

Definitely! I got the Ep. 3 storyboard years ago just because it was cheap and I wanted to see what an original storyboard looked like. Browsing it was like having a wild acid dream, and now that I'm starting to find cels, I appreciate the way, way over the top final effect they wanted. The team that made it were Toei regulars taking a break from DBZ, and it certainly shows.

The Microid S gallery always makes for a fascinating read

the Microid cels are rather quirky and neat in a fun sort of way

I'm hoping that the attention Osamu Tezuka is getting over here will spur someone to do a good translation of the manga. It has a pretty solid reputation in Japan, even if the anime (apparently) waters it down to make a 26-episode series out of it. Yanma, being the leader of the group, gets most of the screen time, but I'm totally bemused by the "bean beetle" pest, Mamezo, and am always on the lookout for new cels of him (and of butterfly Ageha).

The Shinku set is simply stunning + knowing that there is little doubt it was drawn by Ishii-san is an added bonus.

I found the Rozen pieces are quite stunning

Thanks: it's a stunner of a 12-episode series, a good argument for this length as ideal to explore certain ideas. It was long enough to define and explore the psychological problem, not so long that it began to be heavy on derivative and repetitious filler episodes. And Kumi Ishii's sketching style is crazy good! Some of the Ep. 1 gengas I just love to look at, monitoring how my eyes move around the paper, finding more and more to notice. A good example of how one talented artist can leave a palpable imprint on an episode and indeed a whole series.

Unico looks really cute too....

The unicorn is certifiably cute, but the stories all have a certain Tezuka sting in their tails. That draws me more than the cuddly parts.

I'm really enjoying the Ouran.

It is enjoyable in its gender-bending way. I should borrow my daughter's copy and watch it all the way through. Meantime I'm lurking to see if any more roughs show up on the market. So far all I've seen is the occasional out-of-context douga.

[tex-chan]

I'm terribly late to the party, but better late than never! But, finally, I have the time to sit down and give your wonderful update the attention it deserves!! I love to visit your gallery, as you know, and your updates so that I can savor each piece of artwork and the wonderful commentary.

This is such a fantastic batch of acquisitions! Perhaps it's not as "splashy" in some ways, but I would say it's plenty splashy in terms of gorgeous and well-thought-out additions to your wonderful collection.

The Rozen Maiden sketches, as always, are captivating. I have yet to attempt this series, but I am always intrigued by your artwork from it. The designs are so pretty. These new roughs are particularly beautiful. I love how they have so much detail, motion, and emotion -- something that can often be lost in the "rough sketch" stage of the production process. In particular, the rough of Suiginto really captures her expression and personality. That sketch just gives me a shiver! I wouldn't like to face-off with her as my enemy, that's for sure. Poor Jun! the first sketch, of the character flying into the air, is wonderfully full of motion within all the layers of clothing, and I love how determined her expression is.

I enjoyed the Unico pieces very much! It's nice to see some really lively and motion-filled images from this show come into your gallery. The ones you've added seem to be gems, too. I love how they highlight the subtle gracefulness of the character designs. My favorite of the bunch has to be the one of Unico with the spinning horn. I love the determined expression on his face and the frenzied motion of his horn.

The Microids cels are fantastic!! Love the grumpy expression of Mameza contrasted with Yanma's determination. These cels have little character designs that definitely pack a huge impact!! And the mimeograph storyboards!! Wow!! What a blast from the past. I used to make mimeograph copies for my teachers in school. Having just typed that, I now feel ancient: ha, ha! The storyboards are fantastically detailed, which seems to be pretty unique.

And Condition Green!! Woo Hoo!! That Bad Girl cel is so fantastic that I can't help wanting to cheer her on -- just a little bit. What a pretty, pretty image. I'm not sure you could get a more perfect cel of her, even if you cashed in three wishes to do so. The cel of "commando guy" is terrific. It packs such a wallop of motion and emotion that I feel drawn right into the action. And Paula Prairie -- wow! What a beauty!!

As always, it's wonderful to see new items coming into your incredible collection. I am impressed by how your gallery continues to grow in breadth and depth. With each new addition, it becomes more and more of an anime / animation museum. I think this is incredible, and I appreciate the time and effort you put into researching the shows represented there. Happy collecting, my friend!

[sensei]

I'm terribly late to the party, but better late than never!

You're not late at all, and there's always a cookie reserved for you at the start of the tour.

The Rozen Maiden sketches, as always, are captivating. I have yet to attempt this series, but I am always intrigued by your artwork from it. the rough of Suiginto really captures her expression and personality. That sketch just gives me a shiver! I wouldn't like to face-off with her as my enemy, that's for sure.

It's just five hours out of your life ... and five good hours with surprises, humor, ah-ha! moments, and genuine psychological horror. And several unforgettable moments that hit with all the force of a much deserved slap or punch in the face. Rie Tanaka (Chii/Black Chii in Chobits) was much celebrated for her voicing of this role, especially her evil laugh. There is even a "Suigintou Voice Alarm Clock" that was produced as a spin-off from the series. I saw one once on YHJ, but alas it had already been bid up over 20,000 yen.

I enjoyed the Unico pieces very much! It's nice to see some really lively and motion-filled images from this show come into your gallery. The ones you've added seem to be gems, too.

I'm happy to have gotten two with Eros, who plays a pivotal role in the manga (and in the ancient myth used by Tezuka in the backstory), even though he does not appear in the surviving footage of the Unico pilot. But from other cels, I can see that Tezuka Productions did animate this scene, which is really central to understanding what Unico's perpetual exile is all about.

The Microids cels are fantastic!! Love the grumpy expression of Mamezo contrasted with Yanma's determination. These cels have little character designs that definitely pack a huge impact!! And the mimeograph storyboards!! Wow!! What a blast from the past.

I love Mamezo -- such a typical kid who is determined to enjoy being cyborgized into a cousin of a Japanese beetle. But Yanma also is an important hero in anime, and so it's great to enlarge my collection of him too. I've been around long enough that I used to practice clawhammer banjo, and put Sally Hansen Hard as Nails with Nylon on my picking fingernail. But then making mimeos for my writing classes meant that it always got stained an indelible purple. Years later the colleague who eventually married me admitted that she vaguely thought that having one purple fingernail had something to do with displaying your peculiar sexual orientation.

And Condition Green!! Woo Hoo!! That Bad Girl cel is so fantastic that I can't help wanting to cheer her on -- just a little bit. What a pretty, pretty image. I'm not sure you could get a more perfect cel of her, even if you cashed in three wishes to do so.

She really is one of the amazing character designs of early 90s anime, and it's a pity that the OVA itself is unavailable. By Googling her name (in katakana -- it could be Liza or Raisa) you can search through acres of erotica and not find one single description of her and her central role in this series.

I appreciate the time and effort you put into researching the shows represented there.

Thank you! Getting a memorable image is one joy, but I find the digging around for context and background information a second joy, often of equal or stronger power. And you are always welcome, updates or no.

[Kasi]

I always love seeing (and reading) about your newest Rozen Maiden additions!
Have you ever felt the need to collect from the following series and special? Or do they not hold the same interest? Sorry I've just often wondered this!

[sensei]

I guess it's partly that I'm not fond of sequels. Suigintou is so bad and so obsessive in being bad that her horrific demise is absolutely right in a narrative sense. So how could I possibly watch a second season where they put her all back together again and introduce a new doll who is supposedly even badder than she was? I have it, and I know Ishii-san did the animation supervision for this too. But have never found a reason strong enough to give it a try. I could be tempted by "Ouvertuere" though.

[Macron one]

I guess it's partly that I'm not fond of sequels. Suigintou is so bad and so obsessive in being bad that her horrific demise is absolutely right in a narrative sense. So how could I possibly watch a second season where they put her all back together again and introduce a new doll who is supposedly even badder than she was? I have it, and I know Ishii-san did the animation supervision for this too. But have never found a reason strong enough to give it a try. I could be tempted by "Ouvertuere" though.

It's been a while since i've last seen Rozen Maiden Traumend, but i believe it deviated considerably from the story of the original manga. It also ends on a frustrating, totally unsatisfying cliffhanger. It's otherwise a rather good season, but i could certainly imagine why you might want to give it a miss. I would strongly recommend watching Ouverture however, as it does an excellent job of showing just how Suigintou became what she is and making her a great deal more relatable as a character. After watching Ouverture, the Shinku/Suigintou relationship will seem far less black and white than it did in the first TV series.

[Kasi]

I guess it's partly that I'm not fond of sequels. Suigintou is so bad and so obsessive in being bad that her horrific demise is absolutely right in a narrative sense. So how could I possibly watch a second season where they put her all back together again and introduce a new doll who is supposedly even badder than she was? I have it, and I know Ishii-san did the animation supervision for this too. But have never found a reason strong enough to give it a try. I could be tempted by "Ouvertuere" though.

That's fair enough. I actually didn't know you hadn't seen it. I think I assumed you didn't like the continuations, or at least not to the level of the original.
I think it is a series with more flaws than the original, but I personally found it more memorable. I disliked the fact they cheaply revived Suigintou, but I was also happy to see her back and her relationship with Shinku further explored. I consider the new doll to be more of a villain, simply because she has next to no personality and little depth. She's definitely not as interesting as Suigintou.
I respect your restraint to not watch a continuation you don't like the sound of though. I usually can't help myself and end up complaining through the majority of them

[sensei]

I'm iffy on sequels in any case, liking series that find an interesting premise and explore it for the first time. Second time seems self-indulgent, a bit like Melville writing It's Not Over Until It's Over! Ahab vs. Moby II. His missing leg and arm (ripped off at the end of Moby I) replaced with steampunk prostheses equipped with assault weaponry able to fire 100+ clips of titanium-alloy harpoon barbs, Captain Ahab, now backed by Captain Nemo in his ultratech steel submarine Nautilus, goes after the extraterrestial menace in cetacean garb, vowing to bring a final end to their age-old rivalry.

Ick. Pierre (Melville's next novel after the original Moby) was bad enough.

[sensei]

A smallish update, thanks to Cel Depot's presence at AnimeNext. New arrivals include:

Condition Green: Bad Girl
Tenshi ni Narumon: Miruru hijacking Rocket Muse
Tenshi ni Narumon: Papa holding Baby Noelle
Hyper Police: Natsuki passing her unlimited weapons bounty hunter examination
Rozen Maiden: Detective Kun-kun and Inspector Cat

And the usual oddballs:
Daa! Daa! Daa!: Kanata playing with Ruu in what looks like a Gummy Bear outfit
A nice fanart of Peorth and Belldandy, a father's day gift (along with a "Big Head" grill spatula) from my daughter
An unidentified background showing earth under attack from superflat strawberries.

Nothing really splashy, but all eyeworthy in some way. And it's good to see a real anime art booth at this con's dealer's room alongside the usual brain-scan cat-ears and cosplay body pillows.

[JWR]

Nice update, i especially like the Consulting Dectective Kun-Kun

[teggacat]

Cool
glad you found some interesting pieces at the con,
oddly enough [well,for me anyhow] I really like the Condition Green cel alot,
and that background--look out!! STRAWBERRIES On the Loose ! Love it
Thanks for sharing

[sensei]

Thanks, JWR and Tegga. I find the "Detective Kun-kun" embed delightful. And Bad Girl in the Various Box made AnimeNext worthwhile, along with the really interesting panel on the "Superflat" art movement and its influence on Puella Magi Madoka Magica. (I also thought of Gankutsuou, which also has a distinctive visual feel that probably comes from this style as well.)

Strawberry Force Fields Forever!

[tex-chan]

Ooooh! Absolutely love, love, love that adorable cel of Papa, Baba, and Baby Noelle! All the other additions are magnificent, as always, but this particular TnN beauty has to be my favorite. What a wonderful and touching scene.