Tell me about Rilezu (please)

[BuraddoRun]

I've never purchased a post-production cel, and I'm considering doing so. What does it come with exactly? The pictures I've seen show the cels within a colored frame that has the series and production company names on it. Is that frame removable and reattachable without damaging anything? Does it come in a cel protection bag that is removable? Is the background just a lazer copy? I've read in other topics that they come with original production douga that they use to make the cel, but that sometimes even the douga is post-production?

Thanks for your input guys!

[sensei]

In my experience, the frame is just inexpensive colored paper, not even cardstock, and the cel bag is stuck to it on the back with the cheapest possible brand of celotape. The bag is a normal one, and so I always change it on arrival. The background is, in my experience, always a laser-printed copy of the original. Usually it comes with a stiffer backing board that may or may not be archival in quality.

The douga is sometimes the original and sometimes a post-production "clean-up" to combine images that, in the CGI process, were designed on separate layers. So far as I know, all rilezu are painted on a single layer, so a multi-layer "set-up" that would require a stack of cels in old technology now requires making a new douga that combines the A, B, C, D, etc. moving layers.

Betarians with more rilezu, please check in and confirm!

[cutiebunny]

I've only purchased a couple, but, frankly I haven't been satisfied with them to the point that I'm rearing to buy more. When they arrive, they usually are packaged quite well (the last one I purchased came attached to a piece of wood). All of the ones I purchased are painted on one layer, and any special effects are all done on another layer. Sometimes the layers are numbered; I have one that says "A1, B1, C1, D1, E1, F1, G1" on it, and yet there's just one additional, non-numbered, effects layer. The cels are usually taped to each other and taped to the background, and it can be difficult to try to remove the cels from the background without damaging it. You definitely want to remove the cels from the laser copy background as soon as you can - In the case of all the rilezu I've purchased, all of them had the paint portion touching the background. All of the copied backgrounds that I've received with my rilezu are all printed on a stockier paper.

Another thing that bothers me is that the coloring varies. Depending on the production, sometimes the coloring is perfect, while, more often than not, the coloring is off. My Hakuouki rilezu all look much darker in person than the actual screencap. Some scenes just don't look as nice with the darker coloring.

Most rilezu are pretty pricey, and for the work done, I can't justify it. While I can understand that the studio may not want to release the original sketches, I can't see where releasing the matching background is going to affect them. The rilezu would look much better with the original background, and if the studio is destroying the backgrounds anyways, it makes sense to release them to someone who would appreciate them.

[teggacat]

while Sensei and CB really covered the basics, its alot on personal preference,
I've had a few rilezu cels in the past, and while they were very beautifully done,
I found them to be grossly overpriced, I ended up selling the ones I aquired
and will not buy any more rilezu or post production cels any longer, unless
they are dirt cheap, like really muddy dirty dirt cheap, just not my cup of tea,
but on the other hand many people enjoy collecting them and they are usually
nicely done and very pleasant to look at. Just give your decision some serious thought
and you'll be fine.

[GuyvarIII]

Currently, I have Rilezu from 4 different shows.

A Rilezu is a 1/1, post production cel from a CG series, made from either a production drawing or a fused drawing copied from a set of the production drawings. Unlike limited edition cels, there are not multiple copies of the exact same image. Unlike fan cels, the line-work is not hand-done, but is transferred onto the acetate; the studio has access to the production coloring information (though paint does not always match exactly with the digital colors); and each completed cel is usually sent to the studio for approval before it is sold.

Rilezu usually come in a faux cut bag. The Rilezu cut bag usually lists the original scene cut numbers and sequence numbers, and has areas with stamps and check marks from the artists, indicating who and when they completed your Rilezu. All Rilezu are not one-layer, but there are no headless body cels, or floating eye and mouth cels. If the scene’s production sketches have a complete image of a face with a complete image of hand in front of it (from what I own as well as have seen) these are usually done on separate layers, also air brushed effects are usually on a separate layer. Each layer is separately bagged and presented on a copy background, sometimes printed on a textured paper with the Rilezu studio’s name embossed on it, other times printed on a nice card stock or photo paper (beware the tape they use to affix the bagged layers to the BG. It is not acid free). The layers and copy background are usually backed by a hard board and then bagged together in a clear bag with stickers indicating the show’s title and approval from the show’s original production studio.

Anime World Star’s Rilezu usually come with their full cut of Genga, Douga, and roughs (and sometimes also include layouts and BGs). Most Rilezu come with either a Douga or a fused post-production Douga, but some come without sketches. However, I’d ask to confirm what comes with the Rilezu you are interested in.

[irmgaard]

Here's a link to some pictures and information on Rilezu:

http://www.gamecity.ne.jp/shop/ange/neo ... /whats.htm

[Goldknight]

I love that link Irmgaard. I like that it shows my Hihara rilezu at the beginning and end. Just love watching it being made. ....... I am totally biased.

I have a ton of rilezu. Not nearly the amount I used to own, but I still have quite a few and I LOVE them all. Excellent quality art. I did get a couple that I wasn't too pleased with as the colors were a bit off, but for the most part I think it's awesome for series that you can't get production cels for. Quality wise I say they're better than repros, but that's just my opinion. I also like that they are one of kind unlike a repro or even a production cel which has sequence mates....except A-1end.

[BuraddoRun]

Thanks for the input everyone!

However, I’d ask to confirm what comes with the Rilezu you are interested in.

It's funny, that this seemingly simple and obvious advice actually saved me some money. The one I was interested is on Ebay, and for a good price in my opinion. I asked the seller, and he told me it didn't come with any sketches. I don't know if it originally came without any, or if he kept it or sold it separately or something, but either way, I've decided to not purchase it because I really wanted at least 1 sketch to come with it.

[GuyvarIII]

The only series that I know for certain came without sketches are Basilisk and Trinity Blood. However, when those Rilezu were first made available in 2006, they had the awesome feature that you could send in a screen cap, and choose whatever scene you wanted.

Also, I don’t think Strait Jacket came with drawings…
Actually, I don’t know what happened to the Strait Jacket Rilezu. I seem to remember about a dozen, or maybe less, of them being available. Did they all go into someone’s private collection?

[BuraddoRun]

The one I was looking at was from Red Garden. He had it at a starting bid of $50 + $25 shipping from Japan.