From: rmc@wang.com (rmc)
Subject: Kyuuketsuhime Miyu Cel Book Review
Organization: Wang Laboratories, Inc.
Distribution: rec
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 21:34:10 GMT

Warning:  The following posting contains an excess of enthusiasm and
qute.  You have been warned.  Oh yea, and it's long...

I phoned in an order to Nikaku Animart at 3PM 31 December, and i got
my Nikaku order in Tuesday 05 Jan.  OK, i did pay 7% in shipping fees
instead of 3%, but an order in 2 1/2 business days?  West Coast to
East Coast?  *Sheesh*!

The important part of the order was the two cel books, titled "The
Princess of the Vampire Miyu Film Collection".  Now, i have some
really pretty books in my collection, including things like the plates
from Juvaini's "History of the World Conqueror" and Helen
Frankenthaler's commentary on her own water colors.  I suppose the
quality of this book could have been better.  I mean, they didn't
print the plates on separate removable slips of paper.  The plates
aren't microfilmed for display in a classroom situation.
  {My, getting picky now, aren't we?}
  <The Juvaini book has microfilmed plates.  Good art books use a 
   different printing process for the color plates.>
Other than that, the physical quality is really excellent.  The paper
feels good.  It doesn't glare much.  The outside slip cover is matte
not shiny.
  {I like shiny.  It attracts attention.}

The organization of the two books is similar.  Each cover has a new
water color of Miyu dancing, similar to the opening credits scene from
the OAVs.  The intro page has a fun translation of the opening
definition of "Shinma".  AnimEigo's is of course more understandable.
Next you get a dreamy double page water color montage of the major
characters for those two episodes.
  (But they re-use the water colors on the back flaps of the book 
   jackets.  They could have done MORE new watercolors.)
All the cover art etc. is of course by Kakinouchi Narumi.  

Then four full size pages of cel art, but i think mostly not used in
the OAVs.  For example, pg 7 of volume I has a picture of Miyu taking
the ribbon out of her hair, and i am *sure* i would remember it if it
happened anywhere in the OAVs.
  {He's on that page again.  What are you thinking?}
  (Hentai!  Your nose is bleeding!)
  <I like long hair.  This is excellently drawn.>
  (Hah!)
  <No, really.  Anyway, your's is nicer.>
  (Flatterer.  I'll forgive you if you loan me Y5000 until next pay
   day.)
  <You still haven't paid me back from last pay day.>
  (Bleah!)
  {Volume 1 page 3 was used on the cover of the soundtrack CD.}

Next you get eight pages of normal-ish character sketches.
  (Hirano-san's are better.  They put the characters in "real" 
   situations.)
  <But what you want are the notes to the other animators.>
  {Why do you want notes to the animators?  You can't read them!}
  (Kiss me and i'll be able to read them.)
  {Kisses are sweet...}

Finally, into the story itself.  The "title page" of each chapter is
the cover for the Japanese release of the OAV.  Sadly, i must say i
think AnimEigo made a mistake here.  The best of the four is the
"Freezing Moment" title page, which they did use for tape 2 and the
LD.  But "Suspicious Metropolis", which they used for the first tape,
is easily the weakest of the four.  They should have used "Managing
Feast", which has Miyu dancing again.
  {You just like scenes with dancing!}
  <I like dance, sure, but i like your sword play better.  At least in 
   animation.>
  (AnimEigo translates those titles differently.  They use, i think, 
   "Frozen Time", "Unearthly Metropolis", and "Banquet of
   Marionnettes".)
  <Thank you.  But i'm looking at the books now, not the OAV.>

And the colors of the cels!  These are not the colors of the tapes,
but the laser disk.  No Polish Crimson or British Scarlet need apply.
The reds full bodied, mouth-filling reds which coat the tongue with
spice.  They are the warm rust-red of Cockburne '55 and the rich
red-blue of Silverado '83 cabernet.
  (Mark!  This is r.a.a, not wine tasters anonymous!)
  <Well, sure, but there are 2000 readers out there, surely at least
   one of them knows what i'm talking about.>

And that says nothing about the artistic excellence of the layout.
  (Oh boy, he's going to start in on panel placement again!)
In most cel books, you get rectangular cel placement, and most if
not all the cels are the same size.  Here, cel placement and size are
used to help pace the story, not unlike Hirano-san's panels in "Silent
Mobius" or "Dark Angel"
  (Not really.  Hirano-san's panels aren't all rectangular, these
   are.)
  <But even though they are all rectangular, you get several pages
   built on diagonals, and that has the same effect for breaking up
   the rate of turning pages and fatigue in having your eyes moving
   the same way all the time.>
Commentary seems to be done in normal typeset Japanese characters, but
some of the block introductions at the beginning of scenes are closer
to the lovely running style calligraphy of "Kyuuketsuki" in the title
scene. 

Even the page backgrounds are used to help enhance the mood.
Narrative sections tend to have white pages.  Spirit plane encounters
are done on a dark rose quartz or rose marble effect.  Battles tend to
be on dark purple or violet.  Ran-ca, the marionnette shinma, gets
mottled forest green when she talks with Yuzuki Kei.
  {That's enough now Mark...  Talk about the story.}

Oh yes, the story actually becomes clearer in some places for having
the stop action that you can examine at lesiure.  For example,
remember the "whose blood was in the glass" controversy a couple
months ago?  I'm now convinced that it was her mother's blood.  The
shocked look of recognition intermixed in the flashback scene just
after Miyu takes her mother's blood is unmistakable.  And as you look
closer, you can tell she is re-tasting the blood on her lips, just to
be sure...
  (Also, Hitoshi Doi was right.  Miyu is *not* cute.  Look at the cold
   cunning in her eyes when she is talking to Kei or Ran-Ca.)
  {She is too cute.  Otherwise Mark wouldn't keep going back to page 7.}
  <Look, i already said it's because i like long hair.>
  (Hentai.)

I also really like the detail panels of Miyu breathing over her hand
to create the "flame balls".  The battle against Ra-En has always been my
favorite scene in the OAVs, and it fares quite well in the cel book
too.
  (But it emphasizes that Miyu doesn't think enough about her magic.
   It's more of a responsibility than she realizes;  she should be 
   less casual about using it to show scenes.)
  {And she never gets tired afterward.  I get tired after throwing
   spells.  It would be more believable if Miyu got tired too.}
  (At least she's not irresponsible like you are.  She doesn't use
   magic on people, not even people who are pretending to be Shinma.)
  {I only use magic for people.  Well, once maybe, but it was a very
   small spell that hurt no one and saved us from a worse situation.}
  (Humph, how about when...)
  <Hold it!  Miyu doesn't get tired because the magic is more a part
   of her.  And she does use magic on people, like when she steals
   their will to give them "eternal life".>
  {That didn't help, Baka!}

Finally, you get two pages each of interview with Hirano-san and 
Narumi-san (i think different interviews, with volume 2 on the later
part of their career) and movie credits.

All in all, a really excellent investment.  A steal at only $26 a
volume.  Especially given that the soft cover art books from Book
Nippan available at Million Year Picnic retail $40 a volume, these
books would be a reasonable buy at twice the price.
  (If you want to spend more money, you can spend it on me...)
  <I already did.  I paid for your new LD already, and it isn't 
   even scheduled to come out until the 23rd.>

These are clearly the best movie animation books i have seen.  The
layout and use of background color and texture are much better than
"The Art of Kiki" or "The Art of Nausicaa".  Our local Disney fanatic
claims there is nothing comparable for any Disney feature, and was so
impressed she claims she'll bring it up at the open questions session
next stockholders' meeting.
  (So what?  She clearly has no taste, she doesn't watch anime!)
  {But Disney is the best most people see around here.}

I can't wait for Bret to get my order in for the Miyu and Yui manga
compilations.  
  {Sure you can!  We're still here!}

R Mark Chilenskas
rmc@wang.com