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Sensei's Den of Senility
Another Oddball last modified: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 (7:21:58 PM) Continuing my interest in art from lesser-known anime series, I finished up my "May Madness" with a cel from the 1988 Madhouse single-episode OVA "Yousei-ou."
http://sensei.rubberslug.com/gallery/inv_info.asp?ItemID=348508 The series, which translates to "The Fairy King," is a rethinking of Celtic mythology and fairylore in Japanese terms. The protagonist is a human who's invited into the fairy realm by the ancient Irish hero Cuchullain to help defeat the evil Queen Mab, leader of the dark elves. The cel is intense and well preserved for its age. It not only shows Jack in a tense moment but includes an interesting rethinking of Puck, the well-known trickster/shapeshifter used to good effect by Shakespeare. (This Puck is, from what I can tell, much more like the mischievous animal spirits of Japanese folklore.) The series comes with strong credentials, being based on a manga by Naoko Yamagishi, since recipient of the Tezuka Cultural Award Grand Prize for her work in the field. Animation direction/character design are by Takuo Noda, an artist with a long list of credentials, ranging from Tiger Mask in the early 70s to the 2011 X-Men anime. Yousei-ou cels don't seem common: I couldn't find any other held in an online shop or gallery and don't recall ever seeing a previous one come up for sale. It's a pity that the OVA, like other anime series I've found visually attractive, isn't available in English. From the cel and the scattered information I've gleaned on the web, it seems like it would be well worth a watch.
Beautiful new addition and from such an unusual / unknown show, too. I love it! The expressions are strong, and the cel seems to be in wonderful shape, too. I hope you''re able to find more from this OVA. I would love to see them!
Thanks, Tex. Cels from the 80s seem to have been preserved much more haphazardly than those of the 90s. I think most got wiped or recycled by studios. But I''ll keep my eyes open. The OVA is available on raw (Region 2) DVD from Japan, and the Yamagishi mangas are reasonably available. From what I see in online clips of the manga art, she had a strong art-deco style that must have influenced CLAMP, who came along after her success. Rg Veda (1989+)in particular looks quite a bit like Yousei-ou (1978+).
what a simply fascinating piece. I would love to see more from this OVA, very interesting. The art style is excellent, and as a bonus I learned alot too ^_^ Your gallery always amazes me, continued thanks for all your efforts and passion.
Thanks for visiting and reading my mini-dissertation on the background. (Dang my medieval studies background anyhow ... not to mention my passion for J. R. R. Tolkien.) Yes, it continually surprises me that there is good stuff out there in the anime world that''s visible only by chance glimpses out of the corner of your eye. Yousei-ou really ought to be more accessible to LotR folks over here, manga and OVA both.
Like I said on Anime-Beta, you have a real gem right there. I seriously admire how you research your material and write it so eloquently! Props to you Sensei! \ ^o^ / Despite the age, the cel still retains its beautiful bold colors!
Thanks, royalhour! I find that some studios used pretty good materials. Nippon Studios cels are usually still strong, even when they come with a musty smell of mildew. Madhouse also did fine work. Toei obviously used cheaper cels and paint, but as they also kept more cels to sell as souvenirs to tourists, they''re also more plentiful. I''d be curious to know just how this particular cel got preserved in the first place. |
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