20th Anniversary Artbook Spam

[mark_asphodel]

OK!

So, my latest acquisition arrived in the mail today.  First impressions:

Dude, Magvel got shafted.  Its section just feels less substantial than anything other than Valencia (surprise, surprise), likely because there wasn't as much canonical material to harvest.

Presenting each section as integrated "continent sagas" instead of discrete games was a nice choice.  Archanea is high on the compare/contrast visuals from different hardware eras, which can be jarring.  Elibe is very appealingly presented, with all the generational links underscored nicely.  Jugdral doesn't feel as inviting, perhaps because I really, really don't like the way a lot of the characters are drawn (the weird angular faces and bizarro hair).  The Tellius section is also very inviting visually.

The little bonus sections (a page on red/green cavs, a page on Triangle Attackers, a page on SSB) are also nice-- but it looks like Kein and Alva from FE5 are officially not a red/green duo in light of this artbook.  Neither are Rody and Luke, or Cecil and Rody, or any combination of the FE3/12 cavs.

I didn't see a tribute to crutch characters, but there should've been!

***
Second impressions:

Mall Rat Elice.  A pale blue miniskirt and a ruffled pink blouse... with a red bib?  Poofy hair and lipstick?  Saucy hand gestures?  There's a big sister to give you a complex, oh yes.  White-robed Saint Elice didn't come along until FE3.

Dude, was Darros originally supposed to be black?  A lot of the FE1 characters have dark skin compared to their later evolutions, but his facial characteristics also seem reminiscent of certain FE9/10 characters.  And he sure doesn't look that way now...

I notice a lot of FE1 characters had blue eyes that later mutated into more exotic hues (Est, Maria, etc.).  But what's with all the blue-eyed white horses?  Pegasi, maybe, but regular landbound horses?

Speaking of dark characters, I'm glad the modern-day depiction of Gharnef erased the ethnic iffiness of previous generations by making him an inhuman zombie gray instead of any shade of brown.

I keep forgetting Minerva's dragon is supposed to be green.  That feels wrong, somehow.

I also forgot about Tiki's white-feathered wings, as she hasn't any wings in the FE11 art.  Neither does Nagi.

All female characters posing with birds are officially ripping off Caeda.  I forgot she also had a pet cockatoo in the card game art.

I do love that card game art style...

Hair color is so iffy in Valencia.  Definitely lends credence to the hypothesis that nobody really has green hair or pink hair.  Either that or they're all Metamorphmagi.

Earth dragons circa FE3 really are creepy-looking critters.

They made sure to include all the gut-punch CGs from FE7, didn't they?

Roy just looks so bland compared with Eliwood.  Sigh.

Have I mentioned lately that even Magvel's geography is half-assed and suck compared with the other continents?

Comments

[amielleon]

For what it's worth, Tellius's geography is only minorly consistent with climate patterns.

I like the 20th Anniversary Book but I was a bit disappointed by the lack of exclusives. I was hoping for more concept art and director babbling. (Even if it is in Japanese!) It is a pretty little thing though, and I like having it.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Well, Elibe's is all jacked up, too, if you think about it. And I spend a lot of time wondering how Altea has a northern range of snow-capped mountains when across the channel to the north is a blazing hot desert.

[kyusil.livejournal.com]

I've got the Elibe character artbook, and it kind of seems like the FE6 art in general is very stiff and undynamic next to FE7's art. I think I like the Tellius artist the best, though.

So, overall, is the book worth getting?

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

The FE6 facial expressions all look wooden to me. I find the Magvel lot very appealing, personally-- Tellius is half gorgeous, half grotesque (Begnion nobles, ick).

So, overall, is the book worth getting?

Depends on what you want it for, really. I can't read Japanese, so to me the value is all in the art and presentation thereof. It was a forty-nine dollar expense, once shipping is added in, and to me at that rate[*] it was a worthwhile purchase. I also admit to being an Archanea junkie who finds archival value in the fugly FE1 art! But if you're into Elibe... I really thought that section was beautifully done.

* This would equate to half of my weekly tab for specialty groceries.

[crimsonmorgan.livejournal.com]

Aw, no Magvel love? How disappointing.

Normally I'm really not in geography, but I'm curious? What is so bad about it?

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

It's just one super-continent with six nations. No islands, no semi-detached peninsulas, nothing compared with the detail lavished on Archanea, Judgral, or Elibe. Just a big sprawling continent with six ill-defined countries.

[crimsonmorgan.livejournal.com]

Frelia does have an island 8D And there's one south from Jehanna. They have no importance, but hey, there's something XD

[sailorvfan10.livejournal.com]

When I saw the FE1 artwork I just couldn't stop laughing because holy crap it's so different from FE3 (the artwork I'm used to). I mean I knew Marth had no pants (which is creepy in and of itself when you notice the length of his tunic...), but wtf is Elice wearing? And Abel's facial expressions! And where are my hot characters?!

I know you mentioned to me previously that you'd like to have the "If..." sections translated (those are the ones in the Elibe section, aren't they? Or at least I know there are some in the Elibe section...). Is there anything else you want to see~?

Oh and I promise on Wednesday I am sending the Akaneia Chronicle out. I would have sent it out today but oh the post office isn't open (and then I realised it's Sunday). And Wednesday is the day where there's actual parking maybe.

Magvel just got shafted in all sorts of different ways, which is a shame.

I really, really don't like the way a lot of the characters are drawn (the weird angular faces and bizarro hair).
So I'm not the only one who really doesn't like FE4's art style and poof weird hair? Because when people tell me OH FE4'S ART IS AMAZING I just go, um, if you like angular faces you could cut limestone with, then okay! I really, really, really like FE3's art style (and the TCG), Tellius's, and FE7's the most. And then FE11 and FE12's. And then Magvel's. FE6's is kind of blah--I like the in-game art better. And FE1's is just so derp and awful. Yeah.

All female characters posing with birds are officially ripping off Caeda. I forgot she also had a pet cockatoo in the card game art.
I do believe I posted an entry about this, but when I was playing FE10, in the opening cinematic, Micaiah is posing with Yune and I went OMG IT'S CAEDA WITH SILVER HAIR.

IS likes reusing poses and CGs, doesn't it?

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

The If... things are the main ones burning up my brain at the moment, but if there's anything about Marth or Caeda that I might not know, pass it along. :D

Wednesday? OK. I'll stop obsessively checking the mail, then.

I just go, um, if you like angular faces you could cut limestone with, then okay!

Yeah. The cheese-wedge jawlines and the widow's peak hairlines just don't work for me. Give me the TCG-era Archanea gang any day over that. The FE4/5 clothes are pretty, though.

[sailorvfan10.livejournal.com]

Okay! I will be sure to if something catches my eye--I am planning on (eventually) doing the Archanea section (especially that timeline!) so maybe there's something interesting there...

Yeah, originally I was supposed to do it sooner but RL came up and bit me in the arse, so I said I'd do it the next time I was off. Which I realised was a Sunday, when the post office isn't open. So Wednesday is the next time I'm off, so there you go. And then you can obsessively check your mail.

Yeah, the clothes are pretty but the faces just really irk me. (Said as someone who can't draw worth crap. XD)

[raphiael]

This makes me wonder if Elphin's attack bird qualifies, too.

Bites that Magvel got shafted, as personally I find the art style used for it gorgeous. Even if the designs were a bit. . . lazy. (You know you have a problem when 3 characters wear the exact same outfit, and 2 of them are playable.) I like Tellius' art a lot, too, and find the character designs more interesting, but the watercolor-ish style for FE8 is just perfect.

I went back and forth myself on whether I thought it was worth it for me, but I've tended to lean toward not because I heard there was so little in the way of new art and everything :(
And now I can't actually find it anywhere for under $70 total after shipping, and that's just crazy.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

I really do like the Magvel designs. Not as inspired, perhaps, but very pleasant.

I got mine for $49.00 (including shipping) from CD Japan.

[raphiael]

I love the designs for the main cast - even if I'll never stop making jokes about Ephraim's sacred hip protector.

Ooh, I use CDJapan all the time. I didn't even look there. Thanks!