[Cover] CLAMP Pia

[nokiirat.livejournal.com]

The CLAMP Festival website has been updated with CLAMP's illustration for the upcoming CLAMP Pia mook. CLAMP has a short comment about the illustration at the link. The mook will be released September 22nd.

Comments

[clstmk.livejournal.com]

So nice~

[xxxholic-wing.livejournal.com]

Japan's favorite sports: soccer and baseball.

[cutesherry.livejournal.com]

Such a lovely cover :) And very unexpected too aha~ My only critics: for once, I would have like them to invert the SxS pairing: TRC|Sakura & CCS|Syaoran instead of the typical TRC|Syaoran & CCS|Sakura that have been repeated far too many times along the years (but that's only my biased complaining) but now, really, I believe another Clamp's character could have been used instead of Blood C' Saya, though I do understand that the content of the book and the blood c movie release this summer very likely made that choice unavoidable.

Thanks for sharing, so pretty! I already pre-ordered it last week hehe~

Oh, and I actually have a question: will the clear file be the same illustration as the cover? Back and front pictures are not 'linked', so I have a hard time imagining a clear file divided in 2 different artworks?

[nokiirat.livejournal.com]

Good question. I don't know.

You're definitely the #1 CLAMP fan in terms of supporting their new products and releases. Hope there is some good content in the book.

[cutesherry.livejournal.com]

Well, I have it 'easy' lately, since TRC/Holic ended in 2009/2010, I have been buying close to nothing (except calendars), so when once or twice a year Clamp actually release something I can purchase it without fearing to ruin myself :)

That clear file thing is bothering me a bit, since I am spending money anyway, should I cancel the amazon order and actually buy it from the piabook? I didn't do it because I thought that having the same picture as the cover on the clear file would be useless, but if it's another new artwork, that might change my view on the subject. If it was, though, they would have advertised it already?

[nokiirat.livejournal.com]

I don't think the clear file is a new image...probably the front cover or both illustrations on one file. :) if the pia website has any new product images, i'll post it.

[nokiirat.livejournal.com]

http://piabook.com/shop/g/gC9724835621371/
Pia website has an image of the clear file up...just the front cover (unless they decide to put the back cover on the back).

[cutesherry.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! :)

[jlarinda.livejournal.com]

RANDOM UNSOLICITED OPINION AHEAD, Maybe they don't invert them because Syaoran's the protagonist of TRC and Sakura's the protagonist of CCS, and clearly this is a "main characters" illustration. Hence why we also have a focus on all the recent and on-going projects' main characters - Saya (who is very much a CLAMP character and I don't get why the 'they could've used someone else' comment, tbh. But it makes me super happy seeing her in group pics of the CLAMPverse so maybe I'm biased), the LD/D&D boys, and Chika & Hana. You don't get the three MKR girls, or the three CCD boys, or Seishirou instead of Subaru, either, and it makes perfect sense to me. CCS Syao, in the end, is a secondary character to CCS Sakura, and that's inevitably going to result in him not being in most pics, I don't get why keep hoping he will somehow be included every time. Not that I don't get a Syao bias, mind you, it just seems like setting yourself up for disappointment. How many pics of, say, Hideki have we had in all these years? Or of Kotarou Kobayashi? Or of Fujimoto?

[cutesherry.livejournal.com]

I know far too well the reasons behind the choice of characters in their illustrations, this is why this is my biased complaining as I said, and why I precised that I hoped that 'for once' they would have inverted the roles... And I indeed got disappointed many times haha, but I suppose this wasn't 'true' disappointment since I already knew that my hopes would very unlikely ('very unlikely' as in '99% not happening') be realized. But we are free to hope right? Clamp only drew CCS|Syaoran 2 times (not counting chibis) in the span of ~12 years,THAT is 100% authentic disappointment ^^; On the other hand, I still can't help feeling very lucky because had it been another mangaka, we would not have seen any of him at all after the end of the series, and I have TRC|Syaoranx2 too to play with! XD

As for Saya, while it's true that Clamp is responsible of the character design and also a significant part of the story line/plot, the Blood franchise obviously not being their own, I thought about Blood C differently from their other series; Clamp never drew Lelouch together with, for example, Subaru and Chii, did they? I suppose I was unconsciously expecting the same level of 'separation' as Code Geass is from their own series maybe? That's pretty much it ^^ I can't wait to see the movie though :D but it will take a while before it's available I'm afraid >.

[jlarinda.livejournal.com]

That's the thing though, I don't get why they wouldn't only draw him once or twice in very rare occasions. He got a CLAMP in 3-D land figurine, and different random little pics, it's so much for a character who ultimately isn't the main one. And CCS always had Sakura and Kero as the covers, so...

You have no idea how bad I want that movie, god. Been wanting it SO BAD since the anime's end and it's been foreveeeer come on DVD version hurry up. A- and ehnn I don't think it's the same at all? The Blood franchise isn't CLAMP's, sure, but Blood-C's universe does connect to their stuff. Even Watanuki shows up (in both the anime and movie), they've actually worked in the plot and are involved in the story and characters, unlike things like CG where they only did the character design. Saya - this Saya - is as much their character as anyone else.

[cutesherry.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm afraid I am a bit stuck if I'm asked why I am still hoping for something I'm not really supposed to either ask or hope for considering, as you said, that Clamp has no reason to actually draw any more of him, ever. I've been an anime/manga fan since I was ~4 years old (in which time I discovered Candy Candy, Harlock, UFO Robo Grendizer and AnpanMan XD), and since then I do not remember truthfully wishing to see more of any character after a series ever ended because, well, it 'ended already'? ^^; But Clamp, who often makes crossovers and bring back their old characters over and over again, actually make me hope for it, even against reason?

In general, movies take around 6 months to go from the big screen to DVD in Japan (this is what I observed until now), though there are cases in which it takes more time for specific reasons (like the movie of Macross Frontier, we had to wait a whole year, but that was because, if I remember correctly, it was still being aired some places or another around Japan @_@ by the end of that one year I was half crazy in frustration). Hopefully we will get Blood C soon (december/january?) I've also been wanting to see it for a while, and even more after watching the trailer!!

[lkk.livejournal.com]

I confess. I can't identify the dark haired boy in the soccer shirt that Hana is hanging on. Who is he?

[cutesherry.livejournal.com]

That is Rikuo Himura, from the ongoing manga Lawful Drug/Drug&Drop

[lkk.livejournal.com]

THAT's Rikuo?! Never would have guessed that was him. Seriously. I'm ashamed for not recognizing him, but I really don't think he looks like himself, not even his newer Drug & Drop design. Thanks for letting me know though. :D

[cutesherry.livejournal.com]

I understand what you mean, Kazahaya is still pretty recognisable since he was introduced as a bishounen from the start, but Rikuo feels...younger and 'prettier', if that makes any sens, his old design was 'manlier' and older, more edgy, this is the feeling I had. But I suppose he is more like a 17 years old now? Before we could have pretty much given him 25 years and we wouldn't have made the difference aha~ I'm still trying to get used to it though...

[lkk.livejournal.com]

I agree. Rikuo looks younger and more bishounen especially in that picture but even in Drug & Drop as well. I don't dislike the look, but it does take a little getting used to.

Side note: Your icon is adorable. <3

[cutesherry.livejournal.com]

This is fanart by a japanese artist from pixiv! :D She draws such adorable CCS little things >///< The full picture is the banner of my LJ page, feel free to look~

[jlarinda.livejournal.com]

LOVE THIS SO MUCH I CAN'T EVEN.

Everyone looks so ADORABLE and oh my god Rikuou smiling and being cute is both adorable as hell and totally weird ♥ And look at Chika's precious smile ahjfsaksad; and all the chibis are SO CUTE AND TINY AHHH LOOK AT AKIRA'S TEENY MASK. And Saya being there - hell, it even seems like post-series/movie!Saya, since no glasses - makes me so happy ♥