Like I mentioned before in my previous post I have been slowly working on a new iM@S picture. Technically I’m not even close to done but I decided to finish sketching Haruka and Ai and posting it in honor of the fourth anniversary of the release of the arcade version of iM@S. I really liked drawing Dark Haruka with her Punkish Gothic costume and Katana plus I added her taking off her Nonowa Mask since I thought it would be cool. In contrast I drew Ai in her Snow Strawberry outfit doing her goofy signature pose.
Eventually I’m going to draw all 16 idols plus Kotori in small subgroups and bring them together in one colored super group shot like I love doing. I’m probably going to work on Yayoi/Chihaya/Iori hugging each other first followed by everyone else at my own pace in between working on all my other drawings. Of course I’ll have to wait until I finish this year’s t-shirt design for my University’s Anime Club.
Permanent link to this article: https://honya-ch.com/2009/07/26/idolmaster-4th-anniversary-drawing/
In the course of looking for references and ideas for the iDOLM@STER picture that I am currently working on, I somehow found myself on Niconico Douga watching a video featuring iM@S music but with different characters dancing to the music. With the tag “Dance×Mixer” as a guide I did some research and found out that it is a program just released a month ago used to choreograph 3D characters and make videos. Being a huge fan of otaku music I had no choice but live out my idol-coordinating fantasies by giving it a try. Of course I ended up wasting half of yesterday just playing around with it instead of drawing like I had planned.
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Permanent link to this article: https://honya-ch.com/2009/07/25/playing-with-dance-mixer/
Finally here’s the third new song from the Ho-kago Tea Time CD set. Translaion for this was a little harder that the first two K-ON insert songs and I’ll probably look back at all three sets once I take a break. This is the sixth and last post for the day and I’ll wait until tomorrow to do Aoi Hana and maybe some other lyrics if I’m in the mood. Anyway I hope you like these songs.
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Permanent link to this article: https://honya-ch.com/2009/07/21/lyrics-k-on-insert-song-fudepen-ballpen/
Here’s the second song on K-ON’s Ho-kago Tea Time CD set. Watashi no Koi ha Hotchkiss is a nice song about a girl who expresses her feelings by writing them down and stapling the sheets together until she can’t anymore. Fudepen ~Ballpen~ will follow in just a bit.
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Permanent link to this article: https://honya-ch.com/2009/07/21/lyrics-k-on-insert-song-watashi-no-koi-ha-hotchkiss/
Curry Nochi Rice is probably my favorite of the three new K-ON insert songs on the HO-KAGO Tea Time CD if just for the cuteness of Yui singing about curry. English translation included as always. Lyrics for the other two songs, Watashi no Koi ha Hotchkiss and Fudepen ~Ballpen~, will be ready in just a bit.
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Permanent link to this article: https://honya-ch.com/2009/07/21/lyrics-k-on-insert-song-curry-nochi-rice/
Today non-directional translations released their final patch for Kanon in honor of Key’s anniversary. Although Kanon has been fully playable for a while this patch addresses typos, things that could use explaining and malformed sentences. The patch is compatible with both the standard edition of Kanon (18+) as well as the all ages version. I’ve been putting it off for a while so I’m really eager to finally start playing Kanon which is both my favorite Key story and favorite anime. Thank you to everyone at ndt for translating this wonderful masterpiece.
Permanent link to this article: https://honya-ch.com/2009/07/21/kanon-final-patch-released/
I actually haven’t gotten around to watching Taishou Yakyuu Musume yet but I decided to do these lyrics anyway. I’ll get around to watching it after my schedule clears up. I’ll work on K-ON! Insert songs later but right now I seriously need sleep.
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Permanent link to this article: https://honya-ch.com/2009/07/21/lyrics-taishou-yakyuu-musume-op-romantic-strike/
Today is my favorite company Key’s 11th anniversary so for the past few weeks I’ve been working on a drawing to submit as part of Cloud668’s 10th Anniversary Letter Project. Basically messages and illustrations addressed to Key to commemorate their 10th Anniversary will be compiled into a letter to be sent on the release date of the Key 10th Memorial Box compilation.
Key is probably the most important creative influence in my life affecting things like how I write stories and plan characters. I can thank Maeda Jun for introducing me to some of my favorite characters, stories and music. Out of Key’s main staff though Hinoue Itaru in particular is responsible for the change in my art over the years and you can see some of her style in this picture. I really wish my dream job of working with her doing art for Key would come true.
I really wanted to show my appreciation to Key to its fullest so I spent the longest time I have ever spent on a single drawing working to make this as perfect as I could so I paid meticulous attention to detail. The version I posted is only 4% the size of the orginal which is a ridiculous resolution of 5100 x 7200px.
Since I wanted to make this the greatest anniversary drawing ever I included the main heroines in EVERY Key series to date starting with pre-Key Moon to the unreleased Angel Beats with only one slight exception. At the top corners are the heroines from the Tactics’ games Amasawa Ikumi (Moon.) and Nagamori Mizuka (One: Kagayaku Kisetsu he). Technically I could also add Minase Manami from Dousei but I don’t really consider that a Key game since the first true gathering of Key’s main staff occurred during Moon’s time frame. In the middle are the heroines from all released games under the Key label: Tsukimiya Ayu (Kanon), Kamio Misuzu (Air), Furukawa Nagisa (CLANNAD), Hoshino Yumemi (planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume) and Natsume Rin (Little Busters!). I decided against adding Tomoyo since Tomoyo After is more of a side story to CLANNAD than its own real story. On the very bottom are the heroines from the unreleased Key series Kanbe Kotori (Rewrite) and Yuri and Tenshi (Angel Beats!).
There is still much more I wanted to do with this illustration but my ambition had to fight time so I decided it’s better to send something to Key than not. I’ll keep working on this drawing and I plan to add more references to Key’s work such as Sora (Air) and Miss Jena (planetarian); at the very least you can see Piro (Kanon) on top of Rin’s head. Overall though I am very happy with this drawing and I really do think that I truely conveyed how much I love Key. (I think I might offer prints for sale when I completely done but I don’t know how many people would actually buy it other than me to hang in my room.)
I hope Key continues to release top-quality stories and characters for many years to come. Thank you for the memories Key!!
Permanent link to this article: https://honya-ch.com/2009/07/21/key-10th-anniversary-letter-project-drawing/
While looking for an iDOLM@STER image for my wallpaper I came across a bunch of new pictures featuring Dearly Stars idol Akizuki Ryo in strange situations such as her shaving and being at a pool topless in a pair of swimming trunks. Wondering if there was some new information that became meme fodder within the last week, I checked the official website and found my answer; a week ago on the iM@S Niconico Channel the first episode of Dearly Station was released as a four-part feature focusing mainly on Ryo.
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Permanent link to this article: https://honya-ch.com/2009/07/18/and-suddenly-i-love-akizuki-ryo/
A bunch of online sites have started to take preorders for 07th Expansion’s newest entry in the Umineko franchise, Episode 5 End of the Golden Witch, and there are a few interesting things to note. Unlike Higurashi which used “kai” (解, answer/solution) to differentiate its second half, Umineko will be using San (散. scatter) instead. It’s an intriguing choice and I wonder if it may have to do with “scattering” the pieces on the game board or something to that effect.
While some sites have generic picture pending entries others such as D-STAGE have revealed Episode 5’s new portrait which appears to be yet another new witch. I personally believe this new witch looks quite lovely but the hand at the bottom right corner makes the portrait just a little disturbing (not nearly as much as all the murders mind you).
In addition D-Stage has also revealed one new screenshot featuring the said character in what appears to be the parlor. This new character looks suspiciously like Bernkastel so this makes me wonder whether this could mark Bernkastel’s corporeal appearance on the game board. Of course it’s not necessarily Bernkastel either since the eys are not quite the same; Bernkastel has purple eyes and a glazed-over look. I guess I’ll just wait until after Episode 5 is out to discover the “truth”.
Episode 5 will be on sale August 15 for a mere 1750 yen.
Permanent link to this article: https://honya-ch.com/2009/07/05/umineko-no-naku-koro-ni-san-episode-5/
