Rilezu Questions

[KinoLRB]

Hey guys,

I'm not normally one to jump on post-production materials, but since Kino's Journey is my favorite series and just so happens to be a digital production, I couldn't resist purchasing a rilezu from the series.

I'm fairly new to collecting, and I don't know very much about rilezus or post-production art in general. I have a few questions that I'm hoping some of you more experienced collectors can shed some light on.

Is each rilezu one-of-a-kind, or are multiples of the same image produced?

Also, I noticed that the rilezu I bought comes with a sketch. Is this the sketch used to create the rilezu, or is it the actual douga that was used in the production of the show? The sketch is somewhat different from the rilezu (sorry that I don't have pictures at the moment), so I'm thinking that it was used in the production? Is it a common practice to include the original production douga with the rilezu?

I realize that this may be hard to answer, but how rare are these things?

I also realize that some of these questions may be bit open-ended (as the circumstances for post-production material must vary from show-to-show) but any information would be appreciated. I'll post pictures of the cel in my RS gallery when it arrives, probably in 1-2 weeks. It's a beaut!

Thanks for your help!

[sensei]

As I understand, a rilezu is a one-of-a-kind item, made to match a particular frame in a series that was done using CGI format rather than actual photographed cels. Unlike production cels, they are intended as fine art objects, with hand-traced lines and more carefully done painting, so they actually approach hanken quality (i.e., one-of-a-kind cels specially manufactured for magazine illustrations or for the covers of authorized books, DVDs, CD covers, etc.).

So to answer your first question, yes, if it's an authorized rilezu, it is a unique image. They were sold to fans at prices considerably higher than most production cels, reflecting the higher quality of their fabrication. "Reproduction cels" do exist for several series and movies, and these were made in multiple copies. But they are usually much less expensive and are (in my experience) always represented as such

The second question isn't as easy to answer. The rilezu that I own from Haibane Renmei came with what is called a "clean-up sketch" in which the lines from three separate dougas were combined into one sketch. That was the sketch that the artist worked from, but it was not the authentic production sketch. Office F&O, the firm that did the rilezu for Haibane Renmei, also did a series based on Rozen Maiden. When they finished this series, they sold off all the production sketches that were left in their hands. I was lucky enough to get several of these, and in some cases one douga, the one that matched the rilezu frame, was missing from the sketch set (and so presumably was sold with the rilezu). But in other cases the douga set that I obtained was complete, with no missing frames, especially ones that had more than one moving layer. So I'd guess that in these cases someone at the firm did a "clean-up sketch" by tracing the lines from the various dougas used at one key moment onto one sheet, and this sketch was the art sold with the rilezu.

When you get your art, scan the sketch, including the top corner that has the sequence numbers, and share it with us. That will give us some facts to go on, and with luck someone who collects Kino's Journey rilezu will have a definitive opinion. Meantime, be assured that you are getting a one-of-a-kind image that has been fabricated from original studio production art used to create an acknowledged major work in this genre.

Perhaps the art used was at one remove from the actual dougas, but that detail would be significant only to purists who feel only "the" art scanned by the studio to make the series is "authentic."

[KinoLRB]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply, Sensei. I've been collecting for just about a year, and I am now just starting to grasp the complexity and nuance of the hobby. That being said, I greatly appreciate this bit of information.

It is, thankfully, an authorized rilezu, as the higher price reflects (not terribly expensive, but in the few hundred range). Also, I researched the Kino rilezu on other RS galleries, and each rilezu is framed in a dark brown matte that my purchase also sports.

The Kino sketch is indeed marked with numbers and notes, so I suppose this could be a sign that it may have its origins in the original production. The letter/number reads A1 and the 1 is circled, except that the number is located near the middle of the paper, not the corner. I've seen gengas marked in an identical fashion, with copious notes and the letter/number marked near the center as opposed to the corner. Also, since the sketch is very polished and nicely shaded, I'm thinking it may be a genga.

But I may be getting ahead of myself. As you suggested, I'll post images when it arrives. Either way, I am so happy to own a studio produced piece from my favorite series. Any example of Kino art is quite rare and will always have a home in my gallery.

Funny you should mention your Haibane Renmei rilezu, as seeing it in your gallery is partly what inspired me to start this topic. Congratulations on owning such a rare and sought after piece. I finally finished the series last summer after starting it over ten years ago. Upon watching the final episode, I went online and started searching for production art. I thought, casually, "Maybe I'll buy a few sketches..."

I soon learned the dreaded truth.

[GuyvarIII]

I don't own any Rilezu from Kino's Journey.
But, Kino's Journey Rilezu were released by Anime World Star-
http://www.anime-world-star.net/rilezu/ ... x_kino.htm
If you didn't buy directly from them and you see your rilezu on their page, it will probably let you know at least what it originally came with.
Look under "品内容"

For example:
This one (http://www.anime-world-star.net/rilezu/ ... cts_rc.htm) comes with douga, genga, and the original background.

[KinoLRB]

Thanks so much for your input, Guyver. I didn't order my Rilezu from worldstar, nor is it on their site. However, the site that I ordered it from did note that the cel was manufactured by worldstar. Other than this, the site didn't give any specific information as to the additional material, though they do provide a picture of an additional (what I believe to be) genga sketch, similar in appearance to the others that accompany the worldstar selections. This is good. I'm feeling confident now that the item(s) accompanying my rilezu are original production material(s).

I'll supply images when they arrive in the mail. Thank you both for all of your help and information.

[sensei]

Hmmm ... if more rilezu came with the genga and original background (not just a laser-print copy), I'd probably bite more often. Anyhow, it's looking better and better for you, KinoLRB.

What you describe does sound like a genga (or keyframe in US animation lingo) rather than a douga, which is made without annotations inside the frame so it can be scanned (or photocopied on the back of the cel in older technology). I've seen some of these heavily annotated, but I'm sure this was done after it was used as a guide to the cel painter. (The annotations identify the specific paint colors to be used on different parts.)

[KinoLRB]

Thank you, Sensei. This is very exciting! Judging from the selection at animeworldstar, every rilezu is accompanied by a different combination of item(s). Some are accompanied with an original layout, background and douga, some just douga, some just genga, some come with nothing, and a few come with background, genga, douga and/or layout. Funny how the additional materials seem to have no bearing on the price. The price seems to depend more upon the pose of the character, which I guess makes sense.

I couldn't be happier that Guyver introduced me to their site. Not sure, but I might be able to order from them through SMJ...

[GuyvarIII]

I think you can buy directly from AWS. There have been a couple of times when they’ve told me I couldn’t buy certain specific cels, and I’ve bought items that weren’t on their site through an intermediary. But, in the past, I’ve bought cels and a Rilezu from them directly.

It never hurts to ask.
http://www.anime-world-star.com/docs/2000/cel.htm

[KinoLRB]

This is awesome! Thank you, Guyver! I found out that you can order them from SMJ as well, though I would imagine buying directly from AWS is ultimately cheaper. I'm tempted to buy all of them now lol!

[KinoLRB]

Thanks again guys for all your help. The rilezu has arrived and it is gorgeous! Here are the pictures as requested. I couldn't be happier with the amount of production materials that accompanied this amazing cel. I am in awe.

Layout:

http://celluloidcentral.rubberslug.com/ ... mID=373720

Original Production Background:

http://celluloidcentral.rubberslug.com/ ... mID=373722

Douga:

http://celluloidcentral.rubberslug.com/ ... mID=373721

Genga:

http://celluloidcentral.rubberslug.com/ ... mID=373723

The Rilezu itself:

http://celluloidcentral.rubberslug.com/ ... mID=373724


It also came with separate douga and genga sketches for the mouth only, plus an additional half-completed genga. I have another one on the way haha!

[sensei]

Congratulations! It's a wonderful piece, accompanied with lots of interesting studio history.