kudotsurugi

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Weird question, but do you do commissions at all?

Not at present, but maybe someday. Still need to work things out before I do any proper commissions.

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Decided to draw this piece based on the recent Detective Conan/Case Closed dub collection, Conan VS the Black Organization, that TMS recently released on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

If you want a wordy explanation on why you should watch this new dub, I made a post about it here, so feel free to give it a read.

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ATTENTION DETECTIVE CONAN/CASE CLOSED FANS! WE HAVE A NEW DUB AND YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING!

In case you haven't heard, TMS Entertainment released a new English dub of select episodes for Detective Conan on both Netflix and Crunchyroll earlier this month. The collection titled Conan VS The Black Organization, features the following episodes:

Ep 1: The Rollercoaster Murder Case

Ep 2: The Kidnapping of the Company President's Daughter

Ep 128: The Black Organization: 1 Billion Yen Robber Case

Ep 129: The Girl from the Black Organization and the University Professor Murder Case

Ep 176-178: Re-Encounter with the Black Organization

Ep 230-231: Mysterious Passenger

I have more to say under the cut, but here's the TLDR: This collection has new, faithfully dubbed content with new & returning cast members, and TMS plans to commission more of this dub if it does well. Please support it!

If you've decided to keep reading, here are more details.

If you recall the old Funimation dub, it ended around episode 123 of the series (listed as 130 on their DVDs due to splitting the double-length episodes into two-parters) due to low sales, so they never reached a majority of the episodes listed above. So, aside from episodes 1 & 2(titled The Big Shrink and The Kidnapped Deputante in the Funi dub), which were also redubbed, this is the first time these episodes have been officially brought over to the West!

Fans will also be happy to know this new dub by Studio Nano in Texas follows suit with Bang Zoom and Discotek's movie dubs in that all Japanese character and location names are retained, and the dub scripts are more faithful to the Japanese original. In addition, we have a mix of old and new voice talent among the Conan cast, including:

Molly Zhang as Conan Edogawa

Mauricio Ortiz-Segura as Shinichi Kudo

Megan Shipman as Ran Mori

Robert McCollum as Kogoro Mori

Alexis Tipton as Ai Haibara

Christopher Guerrero as Professor/Doctor Hiroshi Agasa

Mark Stoddard as Inspector Megure

Colleen Clinkenbeard as Vermouth

Nick Huber as Gin

David Matranga as Vodka

In addition, TMS has been premiering a movie dub each week on their YouTube channel, which will include the 5th Conan movie, Countdown to Heaven, premiering on the 26th of July at 7pm PT/10pm ET. Presumably, it will have a redub, but we don't know at the time of this post if it will be from Bang Zoom or Studio Nano. If it's available to watch in your country, please go watch them, show your support for more Conan, and most importantly: Be Respectful.

UPDATE(24/07/2025): The movie premiere of Countdown to Heaven has been confirmed by TMS' Youtube link to be an English subtitled release. While this may be disappointing to those hoping for a new dub of the movie, please support the premiere all the same. More Conan available in the West is always a good thing.

For anyone wishing for the old Case Closed dub to return, I say this: as a fan of the old dub and its cast, the Studio Nano dub is probably the closest we've come to capturing the spirit of that dub while still respecting the source material. Stoddard was the original voice of Inspector Meguire(Megure) and is reprising the role. Clinkenbeard was previously the voice of Rachel Moore(Ran) and is now playing the role of Vermouth. Additionally, McCollum, who is our new Sleeping Kogoro, had a role in the old dub as soccer player Harrison Acres (Hideo Akagi).

In terms of the new talent listed, Tipton carries the spirit of Haibara's more jaded and sarcastic personality, performing that scene in episode 129 to perfection. Ortiz-Segura's performance as Shinichi is closer to Kappei Yamaguchi's portrayal in pitch, but is a solid voice for the character, and I hope to hear more from him in future dubbed episodes. Guerrero's performance as Agasa even brings back his European accent, going for a more British take on the voice rather than German, which is somewhat fitting as Agasa is the Watson to Conan's Holmes. And above all, Molly Zhang nails Conan Edogawa, able to vary her delivery to convey a clear difference between Conan's "I'm just a little kid" act and when he's in full deduction mode.

Finally, considering TMS is willing to make more of this dub if it does well, that means we could potentially see more returning cast members from the Case Closed dub in new roles, or even reprising! Imagine Jerry Jewell(Jimmy Kudo in the Funi dub) coming back to reprise as the Phantom Thief Kid, or even taking up the role of Shinichi's father, Yuusaku Kudo, or Kevin M Connolly(Harley Hartwell in the Funi dub) coming back to reprise as Heiji Hattori. I don't know about you, but I would love to see it. At the same time, maybe there could be reprisals from the Bang Zoom cast for the newer characters, like Kyle McCarley's Toru Amuro or Jenny Yokobori's Masumi Sera. Who knows, maybe they'll even dub Magic Kaito with this studio? One can hope🤞

Again, I really hope this dub does well, because right now, anything that can lessen the gap in episodes legally is a good thing. If you live in any English-speaking-majority country in the West(America, Canada, UK, Ireland) and look up the episodes for 'Case Closed(Detective Conan)' on Crunchyroll, you'll notice there is a 631-episode-long gap between episodes 123(where Funimation stopped) and 754(when Crunchyroll picked up the license).

Obviously, asking for dubs of every single missing episode would be too big an ask, but collections of select episodes based on important characters or arcs are significantly more doable.

So please, if you're a fan of this show and these characters, watch and rewatch the new dub on Crunchyroll and Netflix, check out the movie premieres if you can, and respectfully let TMS know that we want more Conan in the English West. Because if they know we want it, they'll keep making it.

As Conan always says, there is always only one truth. Or to put it another way...😏

Only one truth prevails!

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An illustration of Akira from Live-A-Live that I created for ThePurpleCheeseMan's Tradin' Faves podcast. You can check out the latest episode, focusing on Live-A-Live, down below:

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A little late, but I made a pic for TOME's 13th Anniversary

Decided to go more lowkey this time, just a selfie shot of our friendly 5-Man Band of heroes. Back to when it all began.

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X-Whips Battle Network AU OC - GAIA.exe

I originally drew this NetNavi alongside the others in the line-up picture, but I realised I never actually posted this one, so... remedying that today😅

This is GAIA.EXE, based on the Star Droid Terra from Rockman World V/Mega Man V for the Game Boy. To briefly explain her rough backstory idea, (SPOILERS FOR BATTLE NETWORK 6)she is an amalgamation of remaining data left from Colonel, Iris and the Cybeasts from their final battle at the end of the game. After the game's events, said data fragments combined into a new form and identity. I never settled on whether she'd be a friend or foe, but I did see her being similar to Bass at first, wandering the cyber world until she found herself in the hands of a new NetOperator. 

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X-Whip Comics Season 2 Ep.3 (2/??)

And so, the exhibition match gets underway as Alpha and Zetto demonstrate the new rules. But what surprises will the X-Whips find, as the duo reveal their super forms?

As a reminder, this is a story that takes place after the events of a What-If Season 3 story that I made before the A2Z movie trilogy was even conceived. So while some things from the trilogy may carry over, this is essentially a separate timeline.

Also, the new names in the tags are of characters that make an appearance in the crowd on page 4 of this part. We'll be seeing them later in the story.

Episode 1(Part 1 / Part 2)

Episode 2(Part 1/ Part 2/ Part 3/Part 4/Part 5)

Episode 3(Part 1/Part 2[HERE]/??)

—–

Welcome to X-Whip Comics, a series of comics featuring some characters from the TOME RPG and their random shenanigans.

These were initially comics I shared on a Discord server, but I was convinced to share them online, soooo.…. here we are! All characters presented belong to their respective owners.

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RIP Akira Toriyama (1955-2024)

What can I say that hasn't been said by millions of people across the world already? This man not only gave us manga and anime classics, like Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, but he also defined the look of an entire gaming franchise in Dragon Quest and classics like Chrono Trigger. Heck, his impact was so large, that we may not have had the "Big Three" of Shonen Jump(Naruto, BLEACH, One Piece) without his influence. 

And we still have anime works to look forward to which had his involvement, such as Sand Land and Dragon Ball Daima. The only real shame is that won't be around to share in our joy for the worlds he creates. All the same, while the world may seem a lesser place without him, the impact he has left on the world has inspired many a generation, and it will not be forgotten for a long time.

Rest in Peace, Toriyama-sensei, and thank you for all you've done.

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Random Thought: Why does all "90's Anime style" fanart just look like Sailor Moon?

Okay, obviously not all fanart looks like it. But if you were to type in "90s anime style" here on Tumblr or DeviantArt at the time of this post, it at least seems to be the majority stand-in for 90s anime aesthetic, right? Especially in the characters' eyes.

Don't me wrong, this is not a knock against Sailor Moon. It is a great anime, and the collective character designs by Kazuko Tadano, Ikuko Ito, and Mari Tominaga among other staff are iconic. So iconic that Tadano was brought back as the character designer for the latest Sailor Moon movies. That is quite the staying power.

But let's be fair, there are plenty of 90s anime out there that can also be used as inspiration. So, here are the names of 11 character designers alongside some gifs of shows/projects they worked on in that role. Some you may not know but you've seen their work, and others you probably know for their distinct art style or association with a franchise.

Things worth noting: First, the years listed here with some anime may reflect when the artists' work started airing, rather than when the anime itself actually started. Some folks listed here enter their projects mid-production in other roles, while others are in the role from the start. Second, each entry will list 1 or 2 projects aired/released during the 90s, but it will be noted if the artist's role continues beyond that with certain franchises. Lastly, these artists are listed in no particular order, so no "top 11" hierarchy. With that said, here's our examples:

Hisashi Eguchi (Roujin Z[1991], Sonic the Hedgehog CD [1993])

2. Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru(Dragon Ball franchise (Z [1993-96], GT [1996], Daima [2024]), Digimon franchise [1999-2002, 2019-2023])

3. Kumiko Takahashi (Cardcaptor Sakura [1998-2000], Birdy The Mighty[1996])

4. Takahiro Yoshimatsu (Trigun[1998], Slayers franchise[1995-97])

5. Atsuko Nakajima (Ranma 1/2[1989-1992], You're Under Arrest[1996])

6. Sayuri Ichiishi (Pokémon[Pokémon design: 1996-present, human character design: 1996-2017])

7. Atsuko Ishida (Magic Knight Rayearth[1994-1995])

8. Masaya Onishi (Yu Yu Hakusho[1993-1994])

9. Toshihiro Kawamoto(Cowboy Bebop[1998-1999], Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team[1996])

10. Hiroshi Osaka(Gundam franchise[Mobile Suit Victory Gundam: 1993-1994, Mobile Fighter G-Gundam:1994-1995])

11. Yoshiyuki Sadamoto(Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water[1990-1991], Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise[1995-1997, 2007-2021])

Might've leaned a bit more on the Shonen side of things than Shojo, but I hope you can see my point😅. There are tons of 90s anime out there with their own unique feel and aesthetic. These are only 11 names that I found.

For anyone drawing 90s anime style fanart, I hope this has given you some inspiration, and I encourage anyone reading this to look up your favourite anime on Anime News Network's encyclopedia and see who's responsible for helping bring your favorite characters to life on screen and what other shows they've worked on.

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Gift Art for SakuraNights

A bit of a spur-of-the-moment drawing, but I had to do it😅

To provide brief context, I heard my friend @sakuranights1 share a cover of "Part of Your World" on a mutual Discord server we're in, inspiration struck and the rest is history.

Her tail is based on an angelfish (blue angelfish to be exact) and she likes sea turtles so I gave her a sea turtle friend. The scales were tricky, but I'm overall happy with how it turned out😄👍

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Happy New Year, folks!

With 2024 on the horizon, it'll not only be the 22nd Anniversary year for Kingdom Hearts, but also the 20th Anniversary for the second-ever game in the franchise: Chain of Memories.

This game essentially kicked off what would be the beginning of the Dark Seeker Saga, introducing us to the long-running villain group, Organization XIII. So, to celebrate, I decided to recreate and color one of @amanoshiroh141127 -sensei's illustrations from the CoM manga in the style of a what-if anime promo image.

At the time of this writing, there is currently no announcement of a Kingdom Hearts anime or animated series. But we'll see how things pan out in the future.

Until then, once again, have a Happy New Year! Let's hope 2024 is good one🤞

EDIT: Also, here's a close-up of Sora's 3 cards. 2 friends and 1 enemy card.

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One random day, on a bridge in Mac Anu, a popular meme was re-enacted.

For Those of you unaware, the original .hack//(pronounced "dot hack") games by CyberConnect2, starred the character Kite, a new player to the in-universe MMORPG "The World". There have been many iterations of The World in the .hack// franchise, and also as many character expies of Kite. So much so they made their own visual guide to tell you who's who.

So, I decided to take 5 'Kites' from the franchise and recreate the Spider-Man pointing meme.

From top left to bottom middle, we have:

Kite, protagonist of the original .hack// games(Infection, Mutation, Outbreak and Quarantine, "IMOQ" for short)

Shugo, the protagonist of the anime and manga .hack//Legend of the Twilight

Sakuya, the lead character in the anime OVA .hack//Quantum

Sora/Kite, aka Sora Yuuki, the protagonist of the Feature film .hack//The Movie: Beyond the World, and guest character in the PSP game .hack//Link.

"Tri-Edge"/Azure Kite, the initial antagonist of .hack//G.U.

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X-Whip Comics Season 2 Ep.3 (1/??)

And so we begin the next chapter in the Guilder's Crown arc: the Exhibition Match! This chapter, we'll get an idea of how the new rules regarding super forms come into play. And who better to show it than two of the most famous players in TOME!

As a reminder, this is a story that takes place after the events of a What-If Season 3 story that I made before the A2Z movie trilogy was even conceived. So while some things from the trilogy may carry over, this is essentially a separate timeline.

Episode 1(Part 1 / Part 2)

Episode 2(Part 1/ Part 2/ Part 3/Part 4/Part 5)

Episode 3(Part 1[HERE]/Part 2/??)

—–

Welcome to X-Whip Comics, a series of comics featuring some characters from the TOME RPG and their random shenanigans.

These were initially comics I shared on a Discord server, but I was convinced to share them online, soooo.…. here we are! All characters presented belong to their respective owners.

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Yu-Gi-Oh! GX-Whips

A new story starring the X-Whips! This time set within a Yu-Gi-Oh! AU

These images above are potential scenarios to expect, while the story itself is being written by @jackskelowine

Once the first couple of chapters are out soon, they will be linked here.

Please look forward to it.

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Reblogging here for those who haven't seen it yet

Here we are, our first video update since the project's announcement.

While not where I hoped we would be, I think the project is coming along nicely. We have a small video reel of both rough work and finished work to share from some animators who gave their approval.

Be sure to check out the folks featured in this video, as well as the project's social media pages. Links are listed below:

Animators

Guest - Twitter - Patreon

@anasten27 - Twitter - YouTube

Arcanira/Bhav - Twitter - YouTube - Website

GirlyWolfPup - Twitter - YouTube

Kelly Productions - Youtube

Slane Films - YouTube

MojoNoah - DeviantArt

Project's Discord Server: https://discord.gg/dRrgfGJsND

Project Social Media pages: Tumblr Twitter

Featured Music: Wonderland's Surprises - Piano Collections KINGDOM HEARTS - Field and Battle

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An animatic created using storyboards created for an online storyboarding course with Triggerfish Academy.

The assignment, as the video title suggests, was to create a storyboard sequence based on a personal memory. For me, this was loosely based on what happened during a trip to a concert with friends in London.

Exaggerated for comedic purposes, of course 😂

Storyboard panels were drawn in Clip Studio Paint, and compositing and editing were done in DaVinci Resolve.

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Here's the photo redraw by itself, based on the original by Seth Kearsley.

A sneak peak of one of our completed cuts, featuring the famous photo.

Animation by @kudotsurugi

Interested in joining the project? Check out our pinned post to find out how!