Woah awesome. I still need to see this movie so bad!

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prints @meredithdillman.com

Beautiful work. I love the colors and textures. For a critique, I'd say the interior design is a little off. Tatami mats have the rows going down the length, not the width, and they are only lined down the length as well, not on all sides like a square. The silk on the tatami also usually is designed as well, so in the future, that could be room for added texture and complexity as well . Oiran of Kiyoha's time, for instance, were particularly fond of lining their tatami in red crepe and black velvet.

The design for the Tokonoma, the alcove, is also off, in that it should be the highest point in a room, and thus raised above everything else. It should also be a fair deal wider, as traditionally this would be the only place artwork would be displayed in a room. Granted, Oiran are always excempt from that artwork rule, but they would still have large tokonoma in their rooms.

The structural design of the kimono and the idea of a kamuro doing an Oiran's hair is also off, but all in all, I feel these issues are minor. I think this piece is really beautiful. In the future, if you ever do another Traditional Japan piece (which I really hope you do ), adding a tabakobon (tobacco box) would be a good touch, as no one would be inclined to smoke without one and it adds room for more design and texture.

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Ichigo Ichie
One time, one meeting

Eh, I forgot to add this, but I'm pretty sure Sakuran was completed in 2003. It was always meant to be a one-volume manga with an ambiguous ending.

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Ichigo Ichie
One time, one meeting

YESSSSSSSSS

I love the color and textures. ^^ I wish I could paint in watercolor like that

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CLASS OF 2010!!!

FLOWER ALCHEMY
Don't meddle in the affairs of an otaku, for you are easily PWNed and might loose a limb. o-O

I read some chapters of Sakuran a while ago, it was a awesome. I wished Moyoco's work was more accesible here.
And dammit I have to download the movie... I tried a while ago but my computer died on me after that

Great fanart as always!

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<<< selling out is what jealous people call success. >>>

Thanks for the great critique! I'm really happy that you took the time to write it. I'll definetly keep those pointers in mind the next time I paint something Japan-related.

Shigeji combing Kiyoha's hair was intentional, actually. Kiyoha's the kind of Oiran who, in my mind, would use tasks like that as punishment/torture towards Shigeji, who used to be a huge brat towards her.

About the manga itself: I read on the Japanese wikipedia entry for Sakuran that the movie is meant as a Part 2. However, according to what I read, Anno Moyoko has the manga Part 2 in the works.

Speaking of the manga, the part that always strangled my brainstem was the scene where Kiyoha sees Soujirou and realizes it's impossible to be with him. I never really understood what the "Oni" bit meant. If you read the manga, what did you garner from that?

Thanks!

THANKSSSSSSSSSS. XD

I have the movie in avi format. If I somehow figure out to use one of those upload sites, I could upload it for you if you'd like.