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What if anime and manga characters were real people? It's a simple thought, but it's one that the group of creators at Animareal are pursuing very seriously.
Anime and manga are often made into live-action films and drama series, but these adaptations are not necessarily realistic. There are technological problems, along with commercial and political reasons, that often prevent the characters from being represented accurately. Now, some truly dedicated fans are using photography and graphic design technology to try and faithfully recreate these characters in still images. In a relentless pursuit of the "real deal," their desire is to create something that has never been seen before.
The subject of their most recent project is Tetsuo Hara's Ikusa no Ko. Hara is famous for the manga series Fist of the North Star. His latest work follows part of the life of one of Japan's greatest warlords, Oda Nobunaga. In the past, during the 15th and 16th centuries in Japan, many heroic and influential people were in a continual power struggle to become rulers. Oda Nobunaga is remembered for his contribution to putting an end to this long war-torn era of history. He is an extremely popular historical figure in Japan. The name, Nobunaga, is familiar to all Japanese, and he has been the subject of many stories. Ikusa no Ko emphasizes Nobunaga's manliness and focuses on the turbulent half of his life with a powerful illustrative style.
So how did the creators at Animareal recreate this Nobunaga character? First, they have a model dress up as the character, with makeup, hairstyling, and appropriate dress, and then take the base photographs. At this point it's comparable to cosplay, but the level of accuracy is quite high. Next, they combine the photographs with a fully computer-generated background. After that, they process the photos, enhance the facial features, and balance out the body to better match the look of the character. Finally, with a bit of rendering and added effects, the real Nobunaga is born.
The high degree of accuracy that Animareal achieves in its work has really impressed those in the anime and manga industry. News of Animareal's demonstrations within Japan soon spread to anime fans abroad, and now they are set to appear at Japan Expo, a Japanese culture fair to be held in France on July 2. They plan to display their past works and also show the process of creating a real anime character in a special exhibition booth. Beginning with a large 60-square-meter space, Animareal hopes to establish a new scene in the city of art, Paris, France.
They will exhibit the special makeup techniques they use and the entire process of making imaginary anime and manga characters real. There will also be a talk show in which a representative will discuss the goals of the Animareal project. Goods will be available for purchase as well, so you can get your hands on the actual "realized" versions of various manga and anime characters. If you can make it there, you're sure to experience a new and unique art form, unlike any other.
Animareal is now preparing their latest work to show at Japan Expo. Here's our exclusive look at their photo shoot. We plan to feature the finished product once again on Tokyo Otaku Mode as well once Japan Expo comes to an end, so be please be patient and check back here for more!
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
