Storm Over Aoi Nishimata’s Selection for Star Wars Book
- Categories: Games, News
- Date: Mar 26, 2009 21:15 JST
- Tags: Akira Toriyama, Aoi Nishimata, Dragonball, Eroge, Illustration, Shuffle, Star Wars
Artist Aoi Nishimata, renowned as the artist behind Shuffle and a variety of adult games and visual novels, has been at the centre of a storm of controversy as it became known that she was selected as a “representative” artist for Japan, to contribute an illustration to a Lucas endorsed commemorative art book. Non-fans fulminate that the opportunity should have gone to someone else…
For her part, she describes how excited she was to have no less than George Lucas himself look over her contribution, and apparently like it.
Along with one other Japanese artist (apparently working in conventional western style), she joins over a hundred illustrators contributing to the book, set to be released as an anniversary celebration for Star Wars. She will get an entire page to showcase her portfolio.
The release date for the book is not yet confirmed, but it should be due this year.
However, not all are happy for her triumph. Many voices have been raised around the Internet demanding to know why an illustrator of erotic games was selected as Japan’s representative in place of “worthier” and bigger name artists, some suggesting Dragonball creator and known Star Wars fan Akira Toriyama instead.
Complaints range from “What? A hentai representative?” and “This means a Star Wars eroge…” to “At least get a world-famous artist like Toriyama in” and “Can she even draw mecha?”
You can read Nishimata’s blog entry here. A sample of the criticism can be seen here.
Looking over the responses, it seems this generally comes down to a variety of fans upset that their favourite “major” is not the choice, and going on to make the rather exaggerated complaint that this will tarnish Japan’s image overseas.
Aoi Nishimata’s style may be idiosyncratic (you can see more on the Channel), but would a dated artist like Akira Toriyama really be a better choice?
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Just as long as there is no Jar Jar or Ewoks...
what??? star wars is considered mecha???? :O
i tought it was all about teh force
Eroge Wars - Revenge of the Moe?
or
Eroge Wars - Attack of the Moe?
or
Eroge Wars - THe Return of Moe?
May the Moe Be With You.
she must be super happy that she got that. i happy that she got it.
Well if we're going with stereotypes, Japan is to hentai/eroge as the Netherlands is to pot and the red-light.
Cool, good for her ^^
This begs the following question though: By any chance, is G. Lucas into Japanese Eroge? xD
What? Dragonball art is considered better than Shuffle? I mean okay, Shuffle is a great deal away from being the best in terms of Animation quality, but Dragonball is among the worst I've seen. Dragonball art is pure CRAP. Anyway, what would you expect from Dragonball fanboys/retards...
If I were to choose I would select Ishikei! Simply the best!
Good for her! I personally really like her art and find it really attractive. Though I have to admit it's not along the same lines as what one would expect from a Star Wars artbook, but it'll be interesting to see how it turns out. Either way, good art is always a plus.
Hell, If we're going to throw out other names, I like to see Mitarashi Kousei
Actually, Toriyama's not a bad choice. After all, Star Wars characters don't wear shoes, so he can definitely do it!
Nah, but seriously, Aoi is an interesting choice. Not the best choice, but I'd like to see what she'll give us.
Masamune Shirow or Katsuhiro Otomo could do(hey that rhymes!) since both of them had legions of American fans since 1980s.No offense to Nishimata-san.
And they are masters on the sci-fi genre, but let's give her a try and see what she can do with Star Wars.
But should you really let her "see what she can do" on a big project? Kind of making her dive into depths where she isn't used to here when there's others well qualified...
FUCK THE CRITICS, EROGAMES ARE REPRESENTATION OF THE TODAY JAPAN, FUCK YOU ALL IF YOU DONT LIKE IT
Well, as long as another artist gets a chance, it's fine by me.
I have a few choices, though:
- Takeshi Obata (as long as he has enough sense NOT to clone his DN character designs like he did with CastleNote/Deathvania)
- Ayami Kojima (Because I love her works in Castlevania, but I'm sure some of you will complain about an androgynous Luke Skywalker >_>)
- Tite Kubo (His drawings are great and detailed. I think he'd draw a badass Darth Vader)
- Oh Great! (If you want some eroge-like Princess Leia, this is the guy to pine for)
you cant really ruin star wars anyways...it was never that great to begin with...
Also..WHY THE HELL IS KAWORU WATASHIWA NOT CHOSEN FOR THIS!?
Japanese culture to the rest of the world = Hentai and otaku anime. Get used to it, Japan.
I was gunning for Yoshitoshi Abe, personally. Star Wars in Lain/Haibane Renmei style would be pretty interesting.
Lucas knows that there is a percentage of fans of stars wars that are Basement-dweller and for that reason he looks for an artist that will give them Fap material of quality...
If one artist who give you a fap that would be Adam Hughes.
Star Wars doesn't fit with/deserve Nishimata's art, or anything moe.
should try to redraw 33 faces of luke skywalker
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2008/12/06/tsukasa-33-the-33-faces-of-tsukasa/
and put it in one of the artbook page o.O, well see
sayonara zetsubo jedi, skywalker!&, jedichu, star wars frontier
Hahaha. That'd be interesting to see, actually!
Nishimata is waaayyyy better than Toriyama.
Is Nishimata even a fan of Star Wars? I don't object to the idea of giving her the spot, per say, but I can't help but think it seems a little strange to give it to someone who isn't really into it...?
I'd have gone for Range Murata, but she draws ok, too. (a little "typical". can't really explain it, but yeah...)
Honestly, I thought the "world famous artist" they'd suggest would be someone like Miyazaki Hayao, rather Toriyama, who isn't so much famous himself, as much as his work is. Most people I know would sooner recognize his art as "Dragonball" than "Toriyama".
*Personally* though, considering the quality of the recent Kannagi illustration he did, I'm personally curious as to what Azuma Kiyohiko would be able to pull off.
On the other hand, more "art-y" and classically trained people like Murata Range or Masamune Shirow would probably be a more logical choice. Yoshitoshi ABe would be great too, considering he should be familiar enough with illustrating robotics.
Still, I'm curious as to what Nishimata can do.
George should have gone for the jugular and ask Shirow to do it.
Sadamoto Yoshiyuki would be my choice.
http://chan.sankakucomplex.com/post/show/195430
i think she is 100% representative, nothing idiosyncratic,
you easily get the feeling of "ah japanese manga/anime/gal",that sort of thing, with only a glimpse of her work
ps:i got the error message of"you posted too quickly" too often
seems like her art is showing up everywhere for some reason. first bags of rice, then sake now a official star wars book.
while it's probably fully justifiable by fans that a more suitable artist like Yoshitaka Amano, Akira Toriyama, Masamune Shirow and maybe even Yoji Shinkawa get the pick i kinda see why those choose her.
Aoi Nishimata is a women and her style is pretty much what people would expect from a Japanese artist; you know, loli moe bishoujo style. i'm sure the editors of the book wanted to try and make it clear that star wars was not just a western thing...
I want Noizi Itou. Yes with every lolis.
If it's a male genderbend it and lolify it.
Amen, my friend. Itou-sama should be in the picture too..
WHAT THE FUCK. WHY NOT PICK SOMEONE WORTHWHILE HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLY SHIT.
YEAH LIKE FUCKIN PICK LIKE MOTHER FUCKIN AMANO YOSHITAKA.
Well, if the aim is to have an art representing current Japanese anime/manga/game culture, then she is quite a suitable choice.
toriyama??? r u kidding me?? there's been too much toriyama's style already...DQ series, blue dragon, dragon ball...DRAGON BALL...DRAGON fukkin BALL!!!! enuf is enuf...eroge ftw!!!!
"but would a dated artist like Akira Toriyama really be a better choice?"
lol.
HELL NO !
Not a fan of star wars anyway, I find it over rated (yes I've seen all the movies). At this point it just seems like Lucas is milking it for all it's worth and it's just become a disgusting franchise to make him as much money as possible (take the last 3 films for example, highly criticized by die hard fans).
News flash: George Lucas made his fortune commercializing the original 3 Star Wars film, where he got almost none of the cut of the pie for the actual revenue for the movies, but reserved all the rights to merchandising.
heck, if lucas himself is looking over production it means he's seen some of her work which mean lucas is a hentai XD
Aoi Nishimata is the artist for Shuffle! series, not Clannad, and yes, i agree Toriyama is a very respectable person, but i also believe that everyone should be given fair chances, not limited to only the best and probably better artist
Moe will ALWAYS triumph over muscle...unless muscle punches moe in the face causing it to not be moe anymore... :P
EVERYONE WE MUST SHIELD THE MOENESS WITH OUR BODIES!!
No need, the fist will stop 4 cm away from the face. Why? Because the fans will be beating the living shit out of whoever is hurting moé!
There's nothing wrong with Nishimata Aoi doing a piece for such a book. I'm not a Star Wars fan, but I have to say, I'll be interested to see what she does for such a book.
I wonder what Danny Choo has to say about this since he's a noted Eroge and Star Wars fan . . . .
If an artist can be blamed for making erotic images then we live in a sad world and if the alternative is Toriyama.....for the god sake....i like dragonball but why using a well know mangaka that was better in the early years than a modern one that can offer surely a different point of view?
I DONT want a "starwars dragonball"....is true that all characters of Toriyama are identical.....surely Aoi is better...
And if an alternative is needed...then Yoshitaka Amano is a good choice too....
but Toriyama...no please.....
TBH.. All Aoi's characters have the same face as well ^¬^
True, and this may apply for most artists as well anyways. It has to do with the style you can recognize the most right? So by default they just usually look the same
Wait a sec. Nishimata Aoi never drew representative works for CLANNAD. You meant SHUFFLE! right?
Oh George Lucas ,you horny old man.