Ruin Explorer
Legend
Gothmog said:
I don't know if opinions that don't make a lot of sense should be respected, though, eh?
Remember, I dislike WAR's work, but suggesting it has a strong anime/manga-influence seems a little wide of the mark. The picture you present is interesting in that it doesn't possess all the features you quote:
1) Anatomy exaggerated - Well, every single D&D artist from Elmore to Diterlizzi to Lockwood could be accused of "exaggerating" anatomy. However, you mean in an anime manner, I presume, so we should be looking for overlarge head, unusually sized boobs, large hips, incredibly skinny legs, and a general "unnatural"-ness.
This work does not possess that. The anatomy is clearly not particularly exaggerated, even by D&D standards, let alone by anime standard.
So one mark against your theory.
2) Oversized armour and weapons - Uh, clearly the weapons here are reasonably sized, assuming she's about 5'8" (undersized if she's much shorter), and whilst she's wearing a very "sexy" outfit, that seems to be the "standard" for D&D casters. I mean for god's sake, were you here during 1E and 2E? Half the casters out there appeared to be nuking people or summoning demons and the undead in a flimsy negligee/nightdress of some kind.
That's two marks against, then.
3) Spikey hair - By anime standards? No. It's windblown, but spiked-up, it ain't. Nor does it have that ridiculous glossy sheen anime female hair usually has, nor does she have a bob that went out of fashion in 1987, again, which many anime females have. However, it's clearly not '80s fantasy hair. Still, would it have looked out of place in '90s TSR products? Not Dark Sun or Planescape, that's for sure.
No marks either way on that issue, so still two against.
4) Rodent-like faces - If she didn't have that paint or whatever it is she has on her nose, you wouldn't be trying to claim that. Remove the paint/darkness, and she doesn't have an "anime" female face at all, as her nose is *straight* and goes *down*, instead of being *curved* and pointing *up* or *out* as most anime female noses seem to. Ludicrous claim.
So a mark against. Three total.
5) Oversized eyes. - Yes, she does have oversized eyes. Now, I know you loathe anime so much you can't bear to look upon it, but these are not typical "anime eyes". Here are some examples:
http://www.unicorn-dream.co.uk/graphics/gallery/pictures/Eyes.jpg
Still, I'm feeling generous, and the eyes *are* oversized, so one mark for you. That's three against, one for, so far.
6) EXTREME action poses - She seems to be leaning into a wind, but it's hardly "EXTREME" action now, is it? Some of WAR's poses are, but you've failed to get one as an example.
So that's a mark against.
7) General style - Well, that's in the eye of the beholder, I suppose, but if you think this "looks like anime", well, I must strongly disagree with you. I dislike anime more than "the next guy", but unlike you, it seems, I'm actually familiar with it (particularly as I dailled with it as a youth). This doesn't look like "anime" to me. It's far far too detailed and precise. Just look at her knee-joint for god's sake. Anime artists, even the better manga artists, almost never produce something so wonderfully accurate and detailed. Similarly her gear is extremely detailed in a way rarely seen even in manga cover-art.
Still, no points either way, because that is the eye of the beholder, strictly.
That means four marks against, and one for, based on your own post, for WAR being "anime-influenced". Until I hear it from his own lips, I won't believe it, because his work looks like it has a lot more Elmore in it than anime, to me.
And I still hate it. Apart from that knee. Which makes me jealous. Anyway, if you're going to criticise his work and demand, as you do, that your opinion be respected, try to criticise it on more rational grounds that "It looks like anime and thus inherently sucks. Oh btw here's a distinctly non-anime picture as PROOF!".
