#Studio 4C

[myanimediary]

MEMORIES

ENG Title: Memories 「 Magnetic Rose 」

JP Title: メモリーズ 「 彼女の想いで 」

Adventure・Comedy・Drama・Horror・Mystery・Psychological・Sci-Fi MOVIE・3 episodes (first episode) Year: Winter 1996 Studio: Studio 4°C Character: Eva Friedel ( エヴァ )

[demifiendrsa]

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition Christmas illustration

[mechawolfie]

PRINCESS ARETE OFFICIAL ENG SUB BACK ON YOUTUBE JAN 5 - FEB 5 LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[xarliclub]

#Poupelle of Chimney Town. Lubichi rescata a un monstruo de basura y da inicio una aventura por conocer las estrellas.

#xarliclub #movie #movies #film #films #peli #pelis #pelicula #peliculas #reseña #review #anime #animation #animacion @Poupelle_Intl

[4bsurdcreature]

Oh hey dude

[peterkothe]

Inktober 2023 Day 13-MAGNETIC ROSE 🌹🧑‍🚀💀

-

A crew of deep-space salvagers stumble upon a junk asteroid only to find inside it to be an abandoned, luxurious abode, once belonging to a beloved opera diva, who disappeared decades prior. However, as they search deeper into her sanctuary, they find themselves unraveling the chilling mystery of her disappearance, encounter many strange phenomena, and are haunted by the figurative and literal ghosts of her memories…and their own!!

Created by Katsuhiro Otomo, Koji Morimoto, Satoshi Kon and Studio 4C, for Otomo’s Memories anthology film , Magnetic Rose is a masterpiece of a short anime, and a classic gothic Poe-esq haunted house tale-IN SPACE!!

[creatingblackcharacters]

Hi! I just wanted to say thank you so much for your mini hair lesson using wyll's hairstyle. I have 4c hair and I usually put it in twist and various afro styles. I will honestly say that the textured hair styles in bg3 leave much to be desired and critiqued. From the limited textured styles available compared to the straight textured hair, to the lack of quality and creativity when it comes to the styles we do get. Opening up the bg3 character creator after seeing so many people say how great it is, was definitely a letdown. (honestly I'm surprised we didn't get the eric killmonger locs lol)

You're very welcome!

I completely agree. I remember feeling a bit... Ehh. Like it wasn't "bad"! I understood that it was still a range in comparison to what we usually have, but... But the actual delivery... Was mediocre. And everyone was so hype about it that I didn't speak on it, but it was something I noticed.

And every time I catch myself going "well at least it's there/there's options", I remember that that's not something anyone else has to experience. I shouldn't have to settle for the bare minimum; imagine if it were the reverse. If there were plenty of thicker hair textures and then the one thin texture was poor rendered, and you had to look at it every time they were on screen. It wouldn't go over well with audiences, would it? We're a part of the audience too. We're allowed to say "it's aight, but it could be better".

So yes, you are welcome, and I am glad you feel more valid about it. I might not be able to reach professional studios, but at least I can reach y'all here and hopefully prevent these things, or at least open people's eyes to them 🤣👍🏾

[kissmethroughthebone]

Questions to ask myself:

What do I want to have achieved by the end of the summer?

Let's see.... A lot of money invested into my filmmaking equipment to make several horror films and stories before the world ends; a lot of photoshoots, and I'm talking pin-up, 1950's inspired photoshoots, horror inspired shoots... Getting back into modeling entirely. Specifically with a great expensive photographer, ideally the one I worked with on that music cover album a while back.

Not to mention successfully making connections for a good online talk show, modeling, making short films with other actors and actresses, and overall going to galas and fun luxury events!

I want ideally 8 beautiful high quality portraits done of myself that are unique and awe-inspiring that I have to show off to my future generations to come, a few solid flings that set me up for life, and some amazing connections indeed!

And a lot of completed scripts that are in my hands AND grant me all the benefits I desire! And a few reels, acting AND producing and directing all under my belt!

What gifts do I want this summer?

Tennis necklace. Tennis bracelet. Sapphire earrings. Emerald ring and matching earrings. Frankly, a nice collection of any sort of expensive gemstones I like, any time, always.

An expensive and exquisite car, specifically a low rider car, but that's if I am also taught to drive! Specifically one that looks like a sexier version of a 1950's convertible.

An entire film set and studio in my name, in the exact image and ideal way. Plenty of expensive film cameras, high end microphones, lighting and more, and money to invest in all the films I want to produce for myself and have my portfolio jumpstarted.

Not to mention any subscriptions to things like Costco, any high end vitamins and food programs, DoorDash, and a consistent natural hairstylist who knows how to handle african 4c hair. I want luscious hair regardless of the texture, long and healthy!

Well paid, fridge full, having a grand ol' time with each other. Even a personal credit card, to buy as many things for myself in life as I would desire!

I have a music video concept? Consider the photographers and videographers met with and the outfits bought. I have a song? Consider the producers and mixers met with and scheduled into my system. i want to learn to sing or play piano? Here's my instructor, world reknown, and autistic, so he will be patient with me.

I want to know how it feels to have an exquisite shopping experience with a glass of champagne for free, and a nice shiny ring on my hand that I bought at a store and can 1000% enjoy for life.

And if I really wanted to go insane if I had the money.... Rare items. Rare unique jewelry. Crossbred flowers and succulents, and crossbred fruit trees. Show me you love me, make an apple and mango crossbreed that I can have for years and enjoy sustenance off of.

Any social scenes I wish to join, and what for?

Filmmaking networking scenes. I am meeting celebrities and having a fun time as a socialite who is praised for her intellect and wisdom around the film industry. Who can mentor and teach me things. I collaborate with them, and have a fantastic time bonding with them and enhancing scripts even more.

Also collaborating with high profile musicians, who also help me and my friends produce music together and get more well connected in the industry. Event makers, to actually make my city a lot more together, and throw events that raise money for the local schools and the underground art scene to help people flourish. Also befriending other luxury young women with girlfriends could be very nice! The goal getters, the high achievers, the ones who strive for the most out of life, always!

Always!

How would I look with the dates I have?

Vivaciously sexy; either long beautiful braids, or a nice Pamela Anderson style wig. Think of Megan thee Stallion's current wig for her tour, for context. But if I wanna spice it up, a colored white or pink wig if I meet a man in the wild who wants to strike up conversation could be fun. There's always someone looking for a dream girl.

I would go for a siren look. Yet, clean girl. Clear beautiful healthy shiny skin, that's borderline reflective as a Hajime Sorayama painting, and full colorful yet natural glossy tinter lips, with eye catching eyes. An amazing pin-up figure that makes jaws drop, but enough to cover it and look effortlessly good. Loose enough to show I'm a lady, but tight enough to show I'm a woman.

Not trying to seem overly conservative or classy, but not trying to make people think I'm an escort. The perfect fashion balance of someone with money and confidence who walks into any room, in any outfit, and looks exquisite either way.

All of this is claimed to be mine this summer, and so it shall be.

It is all mine, always and forever, god bless and amen.

[demifiendrsa]

undefined

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition ED

[swampgallows]

You recently reblogged a post of the "waifu bait" twitter post, and mentioned not watching modern anime. I tried looking up anime on your blog and you said you liked Tokyo Godfathers, so I trust your taste lol. Can you recommend some other anime you liked? Preferably movies, but this doesn't really matter.

OMG thats very sweet of you haha. my anime tag is actually "animu" but a lot of it is just aesthetic posts/gifs. i find i still gravitate toward anime from the late 90s - early 00s but not for lack of trying. what i like most about anything animated is the animation itself so i place a higher premium on anime that isn't mostly static intricate paper dolls with mouth flaps or is at least nice to look at. i prefer slice of life over action or mecha/sci-fi in any kind of media, so while i've heard really great things about ghost in the shell, gundam, etc. i've never seen them.

i also have a very low tolerance for most shonen ("h-his power level... it's over 9000!" playground battle tactics) and most sexual tropes/fanservice ("onee-chan let's compare chest sizes!" type shit). it's probably more accurate to say i like some japanese animation rather than "anime", if that makes sense. essentially anything rating fairly low across the weeb-ass-shit scale.

recs under cut cause it got long!!

= movies, in chronological order: obligatory ghibli favorites: my neighbor totoro (1988), kiki's delivery service (1989), only yesterday (1991). only yesterday is a little more obscure than the other two but ghibli films have pretty much a universal seal of approval so i doubt a pitch is necessary. onward!

little nemo: adventures in slumberland (1989): hey does this count as anime? i hope so. one of the pivotal founts of nightmare fuel from my youth (beaten only by brave little toaster, perhaps) this film has eluded seemingly everyone i know in my age group and i'm not sure why. while it's not nearly as inappropriate as its early 20th century source material it may have fallen to scarcity due to its "pg" content, like tobacco use and several frightening scenes, a la the failure of disney's the black cauldron. regardless, the animation is fluid, the songs are cute, the backgrounds are beautifully painted, and there at least a handful of shots that will flash in your mind before bed.

princess arete (2001): hits a lil close to home since it's about a girl named arete trapped in her room and yearning for autonomy, to create things with her hands, and to participate in the outside world. a bit slow paced and quiet but i think it adds to the atmosphere and immersive isolation, and it does pick up near the end a bit.

interstella 5555 (2003): obligatory. more of a feature-length music video than a film but still has a cohesive narrative. hope you like french house!

MIND GAME (2004): my feelings about mind game are fairly similar to my feelings about burning man: grateful i had the experience, but once is enough. i personally don't care for "trippy" stuff, but the animation itself does have some great visuals, switching up different styles and even incorporating live action footage and rotoscoping for an experimental "patchwork" feel. nishi, a down-on-his-luck loser, grapples with purpose and the meaning of life after a handful of near-death experiences, including being swallowed by a whale; anything "biblical" after that is all knowledge-wise. like princess arete, this one's also by studio 4C but is intended for mature audiences (lots of sex. and a rape, as a warning). if you liked tekkonkinkreet (another 4C production) or paprika (satoshi kon), mind game is worth a shot.

---

= series, in chronological order:

oishinbo (1988-92): almost like a shonen, but with gourmet cooking. as part of their cultural division, a japanese newspaper tasks two journalists, yamaoka and kurita, with creating "the ultimate menu" to broaden japanese culinary horizons. yamaoka is the estranged son of a highly venerated food critic and engages in a persistent rivalry with his father to both prove his expertise and to challenge the rigid traditions. kurita is an average working girl of the 80s providing the audience perspective as we learn the elaborate methods of the gourmet cooking world alongside her. nostalgic for its music, setting, and style, this was a big comfort anime for me, though despite its several seasons it never wraps up the story of the manga. also kurita has a unique outfit almost every episode, which is a nice detail. i only found out about it because of @/80sanime!

tenchi muyo + tenchi universe (1992-95): harem anime crossed with a feudal japanese space opera of sorts. i first saw the show on toonami as a kid, and what hooked me instantly were all the different personalities of the girls. if you're familiar with the cartoon the owl house, it's said that eda is HEAVILY inspired in personality, character design, and even voice by one of the main characters, ryoko hakubi, a space pirate hiding out on earth from the galaxy police. mostly comedy with obligatory hot springs and beach episodes, but has spaceship battles and magical sword fights too.

neon genesis evangelion (1995-6) + the end of evangelion (1997): i should not have watched this as a 12 year old. although i think anyone of any age who watches end of evangelion walks away permanently changed. (due to the nature of the series, it is unclear whether the "rebuild of evangelion" films are remakes or sequels, but i personally don't recommend them either way.) if you are somehow not familiar with evangelion: teens pilot giant robots against extraterrestrial threats called "angels". things become... much less about giant robots.

azumanga daioh (2002): this was one of the first series i had ever seen (western or japanese) about girls being friends that wasnt preoccupied with getting boyfriends or being "girly". still has the occasional fanservice tropes, but mostly comedic or quickly over with. since it was adapted from the 4 panel comic strips, it retains a lot of the short-form humor as quick vignettes or gags. not as exaggerated and boisterous as nichijou but similar, and way less insipid than k-on but still has sentimental and cute moments between the girls.

ashita no nadja (2003-4): nadja, an orphaned dancer in london, is on a quest to find her mother. she travels across (mostly) europe with the dandelion troupe, a group of entertainers with their own fraught backstories. she is intent on helping everyone she meets, sometimes to her own detriment, and learns lessons along the way about who she can trust, how a person's past can change them, and that not everything can be fixed with a smile and a song. meanwhile there's a kind of tuxedo mask thing going on between a pair of twin brothers, and nadja struggles with romantic feelings for both of them. overall very much a feelgood "girl cartoon", but i liked the dance sequences, the animation quality, and the evolution of nadja's character. i got to vicariously travel and dance alongside her, and i liked cheering on someone with a good heart working hard to make her dreams come true.

paradise kiss (2005): MAN i should watch this again. reserved overachiever high school student Caroline stumbles into the world of underground fashion and street culture as a model, blowing open the confines of her previously sheltered life. while she finds a home in ParaKiss she also has to confront the dark sides of fame, the fashion industry, and the strain it puts on their relationships. as a fairly introverted raver with model friends i related to a lot of it. also for queer points, george is bisexual and isabella has been praised as positive representation by trans women, especially for a series from the aughts. also WHATTT THE FUCK PATRICK SEITZ VOICES GEORGE IN THE DUB??? OHHH MY GOD okay anyway

the ancient magus bride (mahou tsukai no yome) (2017-2023): stunning animation, and a series i've yet to catch up with purely because i end up crying virtually every episode. it's a bit of a wish fulfillment thing (teenage girl discovers she has special powers and is whisked away from her abusive home life to a medieval fantasy world where she is betrothed to a tender monster-man) but has a lot of great worldbuilding and poignant storylines. it's ghibli-esque in a way but with more of an overarching melancholy and sense of foreboding compared to the average ghibli film. and just to get it out of the way for some inexplicable reason a few of the side characters have HUMONGOUS hungolomghnonoloughongous

---

ive seen quite a bit of anime in my day but these are the ones i actually remember watching and enjoying. like i recently watched all of slayers and most of slayers next, and while it was satisfying in a 90s nostalgia way i wouldnt necessarily recommend it. also there are some very highly acclaimed films and series that i haven't gotten around to yet (full metal alchemist brotherhood, cowboy bebop [I KNOW IM SORRY], the animatrix, etc.) hopefully this is enough to go off of for now!

[canmom]

Animation Night 178: Alberto Vázquez

Hiii everyone! Animation night is back. And I've a treat for you tonight...

So. One of the best things about running Animation Night is that doing this (almost) every week gives me a motivation to go roving out looking for stuff I'd probably never watch otherwise. And sometimes the stuff you discover ends up being just insanely good.

This was the case way back on Animation Night 25, the very first Halloween Animation Night. On that night, we took a chance on a film by Spanish director Alberto Vasquez called Psiconautas, los niños olvidados - known in English as Birdboy: The Forgotten Children. I'll tell you a little about that movie in a minute, but it completely blew us all away: emotionally overwhelming, deft in its handling of the heavy shit, and gorgeously animated. (4C were involved).

So. Psiconautas is set on an island inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. It is a land in a state of general decline - its industry collapsed, the land choked with gigantic rubbish dumps, and the people in spirals of futility. Birdboy is a kind of spirit of the land; his father, Birdman, was shot down by police on suspicion of drug trafficking and he now struggles to keep a monster contained inside him and protect the one tiny shred of nature and life. His friends, who steal the pills he needs to keep it in check, are dealing variously with intrusive violent thoughts, uncaring fundamentalist parents, and a parent's addiction manifesting physically in the form of a huge spider. They want out of this hellish island - and they have a plan: with a bit of money, they might be able to buy passage to the city.

But it isn't that easy. Their money goes only so far as a tiny inflatable raft. And in the vast rubbish dump they encounter the Forgotten Children, abandoned by this society and left feral. Birdboy is forced to let his rage manifest. I won't spoil how it ends but - it's not an easy one.

Born 1980, Vázquez got his start in book and magazine illustration, with a style of distorted proportions and watercolours, or murky black, textured shapes as in these illustrations of Lovecraft. He turned to comics in the mid 2000s - which is where Psiconautas was born, along with other works like El evangelio de Judas (Judas the Catholic Squirrel) (2007) and Alter Ego (2008). In comics his style is very heavy, with big blocks of dark hatching. Within a few years he got the animation bug, working together with Pedro Rivero.

At the time, my knowledge of Vázquez's style was limited to short films such as Decorado, which should give you a pretty strong sense of his style.

At first it seems like a series of brief joke vignettes - but soon of course the threads start weaving together, characters from one skit come back in another, the threads of causality start to break down as the main character goes to pieces. It's clever and striking, but of course the deliberate artificiality which is the point means it is all wrapped in a layer of irony, which blunts the impact a bit.

The short films were made with a tiny team, with Vázquez hmself filling in just about every role from writing through layout to cleanup, with only a few other people on board. His later works became much larger projects, pulling in artists from as far afield as the great Studio 4°C in Japan, though I believe the bulk of the animation is still done in Spain.

The result is something great. Psiconautas has its share of black humour, but it's more willing to go for real drama, taking the vibe from 'unsettling' to full on 'fooooof'. I'm so excited to see it again.

But the main reason to return to Vázquez tonight is... he's gone and made another movie!

Just as with Birdboy, Unicorn Wars takes a short film and expands it. This is actually one of Vázquez's earliest animated works, Unicorn Blood (2013) - a work with a rougher cutout animation style, depicting teddy bears who hunt unicorns to try to fuel their cuteness. In the short we see a condescending teddy bear Moffy lecturing and fatshaming his brother Gregorio, as they hunt a unicorn, with abruptly segues into montages of violent religious imagery as a voice sermonises on the necessity of slaughtering the unicorns. They encounter a unicorn, but Gregorio can't shoot before the unicorn throws itself off a cliff - and as Moffy rounds on him, he gets motivation to, well, do a murder. It's a highly stylish work as with anything Vázquez touches, with gorgeous music textures and great use of watercolour.

Unicorn Wars returns to these themes about a decade later. Now the teddy bears are fully in a Vietnam-style war against the unicorns. A troop of teddy bairs are recruited to the war, and we are introduced to the conflicts between brothers Gordi and Azulín and top recruit Coco. Naturally the deployment goes south fast, and these three bears are the only ones left alive. Things get very violent and occult very quickly. There's more than a little cannibalism.

I've been excited to watch this movie for like three years now. It dropped last year, and became available on BD this year, so I've finally been able to get my hands on a copy. Together with that, we'll revisit some of Vázquez's older works. I'm really excited, I've been wanting to run this one for aaaaaages. Now's our chance!

Now, I need to get some food before the shops shut, so the plan is to start in about an hour, at 10pm UK time - in the usual place, https://twitch.tv/canmom. Hope to see you there!

[barrewithme]

barre with me🩰✨💕

January 17, 2024

I can still remember the day I walked into my first ballet class. 

I remember being the first one there. I remember walking into the studio and feeling awestruck. It was just like the ones on TV, all mirrors and wooden floors, and ballet barres wrapped around the whole room.

I remember running over to the barre and staring at myself in the mirror. Black leotard, pink tights, pink skirt, pink shoes, 4C hair pulled into a puffy bun because Mommy refused to use gel. 

I remember Mommy and Professora talking in the corner. Professora was shocked at how early we were and Mommy explained that I didn’t like to be late. I don’t remember what they talked about after that, I was busy at the barre, holding my balance in what I would soon come to know as relevé but at the time was just my tippy-toes. 

I remember them calling me over. Mommy and I followed Professora into a tiny storage room. Its walls were lined with shelves, the upper ones filled with boxes upon boxes of ballet shoes. The lower ones were for students to leave their bags. 

I remember there being a swing set, playhouse, and a picnic bench outside. I remember sharing snacks and playing outside with the other girls. 

The building is there, although it’s not a ballet studio anymore. 

The playhouse is still there too. 

[goodgatsu]

The new Bonfire of Dreams scene in the Memorial Edition has a new Susumu Hirasawa song and I’m hoping to find a release of it somewhere so I can listen to it in full.

Very happy that Hirasawa is still making Berserk music. I hope he and Studio 4c continues the anime, they’re doing a great job with the Memorial Edition.

[grad604-kannonhen]

mid sem objects 3

The two art books:

Tekkonkinkreet art book Shiro:

Tekkonkinkreet is an animation film by Studio 4C, original manga by Taiyo Matsumoto. I was gifted this book for my 18th birthday by my mother and younger sister. The Shiro (meaning white in Japanese, also being the name of one of the main characters) version showcases the background art used in the final movie. Background art of animation movies, particularly hand-drawn ones, has always been one of my core artistic inspirations starting from Studio Ghibli. It has always been a dream of mine to collect art books and this is the first ever one I owned which already makes it incredibly special for me. Tekkonkinkreet has won many awards, one of which is the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year; it incorporates hand-drawn illustrations combined with 3D technology which creates immersive camera movements while keeping the tactile quality of hand-drawn background. The artwork of Tekkonkinkreet stunned me and has affected my creative eye. The old nostalgic broken down cityscape and the density of the place are inspired by actual location in Japan and is depicted in the fictional reality, realistic fiction. It reminds me of the Tokyo Chaotic style named by Perimetron.

Tekkonkinkreet art book Kuro:

I was gifted the Kuro(meaning black in Japanese, the name of the other main character) version this year for my 20th birthday. The Kuro version showcases more of the behind-the-scenes works like the storyboarding process and initial sketches done by the art director of the film, Shinji Kimura. After having looked through the Shiro version first, looking at the sketches that came before all that deepens the world-building and makes it even more immersive. As a viewer we rarely ever get a chance to see the storyboarding process or initial sketches so it was a special experience for me.

Drawing tablets:

Wacom drawing tablet:

Wacom is a Japanese company famous for creating drawing tablets, founded in 1983 having its head office in Saitama prefecture Japan. This is the first ever drawing tablet I bought for myself. It's the smallest size sold from Wacom and honestly, it isn't the easiest thing to use, but it still is special for me because it is what enabled me to start digital drawing. Digital drawing as a medium was a complete change from the traditional paintings and analogue drawings that I did throughout my life up until then, and it has influenced my interest in Japanese internet culture. It led to me looking through many artists online with the same practice and learning from their beautiful works. It was also a tool that was essential for creating some university projects like the concertina or the awareness campaign. It is a beginning and an end to certain chapters of my creative journey and as crucial key object for the development of my illustration practice.

XP-Pen display drawing tablet:

The display drawing tablet was an upgrade from the small tablet. I only got this last year and it was a major turning point in my illustration process and workflow as well as my mindset as a creative. I used to not take illustration very seriously and was only little doodles on the side of school work I didn't want to do, thus why I spent a minimum amount of money for the smallest tablet available. However, as I drew more and more, like any other creative person, I started seeing my limits and lack of technique or skill. I abandoned drawing all the time, and I still do, but purchasing this large tablet marks a change in my efforts and the significance of illustration within myself that it's a good equipment that I own so I must use it up to its potential.

[fablecore]

nooo how many am i allowed to ask!! ;-; fairytale inbox game: 6, 8, 15?

thank u lem!! 🥀🥀🥀 <- a bouquet of withered roses for you

6. What stayed with you most from the fairytales you enjoyed as a child? Can be a quote, a detail, a character, a moral or a whole story ark.

i thought long and hard about this, and i kept coming back to princess arete which isn't a traditional fairytale. it's a studio 4C film about a young girl who dreams of traveling the world, but because she's a princess she must be married off. her suitor is a wicked old wizard who enchants her to look more 'princessy', and all the men of her court approve. but in actuality the wizard's real goal is to imprison arete forever in his castle because he heard a prophecy that she will one day take away his powers and immortal life. it's a slow and contemplative movie without much action, but it made a strong impression on me when i was young. arete belongs in the pantheon of "despite everything it's still you" anime heroines (chihiro, kiki, sailor moon, etc)

8. What poem would a kind-hearted mortal have to recite to entice you into revealing yourself to them?

i'm a huge fan of gabrielle calvocoressi these days. they wrote i was popular in certain circles after being rejected for a guggenheim fellowship. it's a truly angry poem. it reads very bitter to me, and somehow incredibly humorous (and endearing, and cathartic)

What pals I was with all the scavengers! And the dead things too. What pals. As for the living, the fox would not be outdone. We’d sit on the cliff’s edge and watch the river like a movie and I’d say, “I think last night…” and the fox would put his paw on top of mine and say, “Forget it. It’s done.” I mean, we had fun. You haven’t lived until a fox has whispered something the ferns told him in your one good ear. I mean truly. You have not lived.

recite this to me with all the pent-up frustration of your mortal coil and i'll be the fox who whispers something good in your ear 🫶