Phoenix Gallery Update

[Tsunami3k]

I absolutely love that Yurkia "V for victory" cel!

[sensei]

The Yurika ED is certainly a beewolf braggart item (as they might say in Cephiro), but I think the Megumi is equally an eye-catching image. The complicated design of the hair and headgear is very cleverly done, and the expression is wonderfully complex. Not quite OMG, more intense than regretful, just a delightfully unstable moment of shock. The background, even if unmatching, is just right for the colors.

Thanks for the commentary! You make a good case for getting hold of Martian Successor Nadeshiko as more than a source of beautiful cels.

[tex-chan]

Stunning update!! I love the cel of Yurika in her civilian clothes. Beautiful image and lovely expression on her face. The Megumi cel is perfect, too. And that School Rumble sketch is marvelous. Full of action and flowing motion. Congrats on your most recent additions!

[Quacker]

Tex-Chan, Sensei, Tsunami3k, UB Lee & those that sent through PMs, thank-you so much for your positive comments

The UB Lee; I know the exact item you are referring to mate, the Yurika End Cel which a collector had listed with a starting price of JPY250,000!? I swear some Private Collectors have a truly warped sense of value their collection actually maintains. That is a great way to scare off your potential bidders - listing an item at the price you think it is worth rather than letting the 'market' decide the final price.
I would be lying if I said that I was not tempted to click on the 'Bid now' icon, but then I would have found myself having to fork over about AUD3,500.00 for an item worth around half as much, which breaks a basic rule of Business Finance: never pay for anything you believe is overpriced. A Cel from the same sequence was listed for auction back in Dec.09 and sold for JPY120,000.
In the end, the 250k cel was not sold, along with the majority of the other Nadesico cels the Collector was trying to liquidate along side it. I have some feelers out for the Seller, hoping to make an Offer for that Yurika cel, but I would not be surprised if we see that END cel up for auction once again in the near future.

Tsunami3k; the "Never fear" Yurika cel is definitely a unique cel. After the first and second episodes, that pose pretty much became the show's signature move. What are some of your favourite OST CDs & tracks?

Sensei; sounds like Cephiro is a place I need to visit & experience next time I am state-side for Business.
Far be it from me telling you which shows to watch or not watch, but if you ever do find yourself with 5/6 hours of spare time, there are plenty of worse things you could end up watching......
It is one of those rare shows that is a mix of different genres - mecha, sci-fi, comedy, romance, drama - but is ultimately successful in seamlessly blending them altogether. Plus the director/creators made a concentrated effort in putting in as many tongue-in-cheek puns & references to some of the better-known & popular old-school sci-fi animes of the 70s & 80s. I remember reading a FanBoy post on forum elsewhere stating that a dedicated hardcore viewer counted 68 different references, but that was only up to episode 14.
When I saw the Megumi cel up for auction, it was one of those moments where I knew I had to get it - the cel represented everything about her character.

Thank-you tex-chan, I am glad you enjoyed the updated items. I thankfully lucked out with the School Rumble genga, the amount of detail drawn into the shot is staggering. It is a shame my basic scanner is not able to pick-up all these details.
I still have a few more items to upload and I also plan on trying my hand animating some Gengas which I picked up recently.

[theultimatebrucelee]

I know the exact item you are referring to mate, the Yurika End Cel which a collector had listed with a starting price of JPY250,000!? I swear some Private Collectors have a truly warped sense of value their collection actually maintains. That is a great way to scare off your potential bidders - listing an item at the price you think it is worth rather than letting the 'market' decide the final price.
I would be lying if I said that I was not tempted to click on the 'Bid now' icon, but then I would have found myself having to fork over about AUD3,500.00 for an item worth around half as much, which breaks a basic rule of Business Finance: never pay for anything you believe is overpriced. A Cel from the same sequence was listed for auction back in Dec.09 and sold for JPY120,000.
In the end, the 250k cel was not sold, along with the majority of the other Nadesico cels the Collector was trying to liquidate along side it. I have some feelers out for the Seller, hoping to make an Offer for that Yurika cel, but I would not be surprised if we see that END cel up for auction once again in the near future.

yeah that's the one, I did bookmark it for a few weeks to see if anyone would bid on it, guess its too much for even the most hardcore fans lol its good to know that there is a "true" value for a cel of that sequence. I wonder if during my collecting career the A1 cel from the sequence with matching background would pop up on YHJ. it'd be a real treat to see it, especially if its from a familiar gallery in rubberslug

[Tsunami3k]

Tsunami3k; the "Never fear" Yurika cel is definitely a unique cel. After the first and second episodes, that pose pretty much became the show's signature move. What are some of your favourite OST CDs & tracks?

Seriously, if one were forced to distill an entire series down to just one representative frame, that one may very well just nail it. As it turns out I do have a couple of Nadesico OSTs and You Get to Burning, Gekigangar 3 and True to Myself will ever remain among my perennial favorites. My #1 most played track is Juuni Genmukyoku from Twelve Kingdoms. Among my favorite overall series OSTs, there are many: Escaflowne, FLCL, Macross Plus, Mai Hime, Last Exile, Haibane Renmei, Eureka Seven, Tsubasa Chronicles, Stellvia, Aria, Fullmetal Alchemist, etc. Of course there are countless single songs that hit me right between the eyes but generally I can say I have great respect for the works of: Yuki Kajiura, Yoko Kanno, Kau Otani, Kotaro Nakagawa, Naoki Sato and many of their contemporaries.

It's hard to know where to draw the line really. Someone has already [rightly] pointed out my eclectic tastes in cels/shows in another thread which definitely carries through to my consumption of music. I credit the breadth of compositional styles married to excellent execution with my overall drift away from popular domestic music over the last decade.

[Quacker]

This week I received a not-so-small bundle from Japan containing my purchases made over the last four/five months.
It is a typically eclectic mix with new items from Escaflowne (it would not be a 'normal' Phoenix update without at least one Esca or Nadesico cel), Fate/Stay Night, Full Metal Panic & FMP: Fumoffu as well as a completely new section for InuYasha.

This new InuYasha section kicks off with four cels, my favourite being this great group Opening Credit shot with Kagome reaching down to grab InuYasha:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=357724

For the Otaku Boyz, there is a "naked" Kagome cel (which has already racked up quite a few hits already?):
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=357726

The Fate/Stay Night Rilezu is a dark & moody piece providing a glimpse of Saber's life before she became an epic spirit:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=357715

The majority of the items purchased, which are now online are for Full Metal Panic & the less serious, more funnier FMP: Fumoffu. Some of you may be aware that from mid May and through to September, a YHJ Seller popped-up that among other series, started to sell entire sets of FMP scenes on a weekly basis. These scenes varied in quality and each Sunday evening (local Aussie time) there would be 7 to 15 seperate auctions ending in which you could find yourself ring-side watching some serious bidding wars develop & unfold between the local & International collectors (or like me, actually be involved in some Bid-wars!!).
This Beautiful Opening Credit shot of Kaname did not come cheaply & the auction went for over an hour after it's initial finish time, but it was worth it as it is a fantastic piece of art in its own right, showing a happy & vibrant Kaname:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=357727

along with this other Fumoffu Opening Credit of Kaname:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=357723

Another new favourite I was able to snatch away from some Japanese bidders is this FMP Opening Credit set of Kaname showing her saluting:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=357725
Even for a vertical pan shot, it is a large douga!

Included in these latest Full Metal Panic additions is an actual Production cel. The cel comes from one of my favourite moments of this season & is a truly touching moment between the story's two main leads:
http://celsphoenix.rubberslug.com/galle ... mID=357722

I invite you to take the time to browse through & enjoy these new additions. As always, drop me a line if you have a question or comment.

[Macron one]

Splendid additions as usual, Quacker!

I especially like your impressive InuYasha cels (the OP cel especially) and the Full Metal Panic sketches. The flood of FMP cuts that hit YJ was indeed a true bonanza of quality pieces while it lasted. If anything, i'd say there were even more sets being auctioned every week than the 7-15 you mentioned (I'm guessing at least 20 or more per week, IIRC). The sheer number of sets going up for auction weekly fortunately had the effect of keeping the price of the majority of pieces reasonable, which allowed me to pick up several decent sketches also (Mine arrived earlier this week. Haven't had an opportunity to take pictures yet). A craftier seller would have spread them out a bit more, in order to maximize his/her profit. The more noteworthy cuts were still heavily contested though, so most of the best pieces ended up selling for quite a bit more than i was prepared to bid. While i may have picked up a larger number of sets, i must say that you managed to score the more impressive ones overall. That Kaname salute and Kaname/Sousuke composite are particularly cool!

[sensei]

Very splashy and special update. Kaname has a very distinctive and engaging smile, I see, something that seems not generic but unique to the character. And that makes the "Salute" sketch really enjoyable. She seems proud and heroic and yet ... somehow ... herself. Congratulations.

And the IY OP is immediately recognizable as well, a great addition. Any background on the "naked" Kagome, though? Is it like the "Nude bank" Sakuras from CCS, not really naked but missing a top layer with the clothing? I expect it will get plenty of visits from dirty old American guys drowning their sorrows over the demise of their "great white candidate" this week.

The "homesick" Hitomi, which I noticed while I was doing the trifecta of naked Kagomi, Hitomi and Saber, is also a strong addition: as you say, otherworldly in its emotionality.

Thanks for sharing!

[toonybabe]

I love your new Inuyasha cels!

[theultimatebrucelee]

Great update!

really love the Inuyasha op cel! I remember this anime always had super catchy OP and ED songs to go with their brilliantly executed animation which makes them really memorable, this scene especially.

the full metal panic sketches are awesome as well, the OP pan of chidori is very cool. I've not seen the seller listing any second raid sketches though, that was my favor season by far out of all three even though its only 13ep.

[Yupa]

Very nice FSN rilezu. I like the lighting effects.
Also lovely FMP sketches of Kaname. They really did a good job on her character design. Very detailed and distinctive.

[teggacat]

Great updates! Excellent variety! Wonderful collection!
Thanks for sharing!

[Quacker]

Thank-you so much - Teggacat (and Congratulations on your latest additions!), Yupa, Toonybabe & Everyone else for your kind words & PMs!

I especially like your impressive InuYasha cels (the OP cel especially)

Thank-you Macron 1, it has taken me awhile but I have finally started to watch (and enjoy) InuYasha for the first time. I am only half-way through the first season at the moment though, so a long way to go yet.

The flood of FMP cuts that hit YJ was indeed a true bonanza of quality pieces while it lasted. If anything, i'd say there were even more sets being auctioned every week than the 7-15 you mentioned (I'm guessing at least 20 or more per week, IIRC). The sheer number of sets going up for auction weekly fortunately had the effect of keeping the price of the majority of pieces reasonable, which allowed me to pick up several decent sketches also

I agree, towards the end of September there would have been 20+ auctions per week for bidders to fight over (which made for some interesting viewing). At the very beginning though, only 5/7 items at once were originally listed but as more & more Bidders became aware of what was up for Offer, the number of cuts increased each week. And that was also the challenge "Do I make a Bid now for cut 1 or do I hold-off & see what becomes available the next week?" "Is this going to be the last of their auctions or will there be another round next week?" It was tricky trying to balance & pace your Bids as well as what you bid on.
Looking forward to seeing your new FMP items which you received this week up in your Gallery.

Very splashy and special update. Kaname has a very distinctive and engaging smile, I see, something that seems not generic but unique to the character. And that makes the "Salute" sketch really enjoyable. She seems proud and heroic and yet ... somehow ... herself.

Thank-you Sensei. Along with Hitomi, Saber as well as Haruka from Rahxephon, Kaname makes up the quartet, being one of my favourite female characters.

And the IY OP is immediately recognizable as well, a great addition. Any background on the "naked" Kagome, though? Is it like the "Nude bank" Sakuras from CCS, not really naked but missing a top layer with the clothing? I expect it will get plenty of visits from dirty old American guys drowning their sorrows over the demise of their "great white candidate" this week.

For the "naked" Kagome, I thought that as well, that it was possibly a "Nude bank" but now not so sure - the main Kagome layer is labelled as A10 with an additional B10 hair layer, both layers have been stapled (yes stapled!?) to the greenish background you see in the scan, marked as C113.

I love your new Inuyasha cels!

really love the Inuyasha op cel! I remember this anime always had super catchy OP and ED songs to go with their brilliantly executed animation which makes them really memorable, this scene especially.

Thank-you Toonybabe and UBLee, all four InuYasha cels have definitely proven to be a real hit (two moreso than the others). I am only now discovering the joy of watching IY for the first time. I have a few more IY cels still to post up. The Opening Cel is actually quite a bit larger than the typical cel, allowing for far more detail to be drawn & painted.

the full metal panic sketches are awesome as well, the OP pan of chidori is very cool. I've not seen the seller listing any second raid sketches though, that was my favor season by far out of all three even though its only 13ep.

I thought you would enjoy the Kaname items mate. For me, the image of Kaname saluting epitomises the first FMP anime series in one douga - themes of miltary, comedy, action & romance all rolled into one. As for TSR, dougas/roughs are out definitely there, I remember seeing some come up back in 2008, but as you can imagine they are extremely sought after & very tightly held by the hardcore local collectors. Hopefully like Fumoffu, the other FMP series animated by KyoAni, artwork will slowly trickle out to the general market.

Very nice FSN rilezu. I like the lighting effects.

Thanks Yupa, any Saber rilezu that pops up on YHJ I will always make a serious bid for. The character of Saber is one of my favourites. I like how this particular Rilezu shows a rare glimpse back into Saber's past.

[ReiTheJelly]

Love the new Kaname pieces! And the new IY group OP.