MKR DVD vs Bluray- Image heavy!

[VKiera]

I thought I'd share some photos of the U.S DVDs I have vs the new blurays I just got last month, just in time for the rewatch!

First image is of the three box sets, nice how now that bluray holds so much more data now both S1 and S2 fit on the same amount of disks as only one season of the DVDs. Slimmer casing too, omg season 2 of the DVDs box is such a hassle, season one of the DVDs box is very unwieldy. In trying to make the case smaller they overlaid the disks in the case, making them a hassle to pull in and out. Sorry about the blur, my hands were a bit shaky, oops.

Here we have all the disks out of the box, look they decided to number them like normal people this ago around!

A couple close ups of the bluray set, took the slip cover off the box too, wonder where the new artwork came from? Never seen it before. The disk artwork is a nice use of some of the older original anime art.

A close up of the disks.

[Revolutionaren]

I actually like the disc art on the blu-rays but the cover art is so ugly, jesus cristo

[Milieva]

It's like the artwork is getting worse and worse with every release.  The art on those disks is nice because it's the artwork from one of the season 2 endings.  But the cover....  dear lord.

I love how everyone has the condensed DVD release.  I have the first release that doesn't have the special feature disk.  It is two large boxes with five and seven DVD cases. They take up a lot of space, but I still have all the typos!

[VKiera]

Funny enough the artwork for the bluray in Japan looks kinda funny too, but it was done by an artist that had worked on the series or something? It's on my tumblr somewhere, but yea not original artwork from the series or artwork from Clamp.

[Milieva]

Worked on the series?

Were they one of the ones who constantly went off-model, I wonder....

[VKiera]

The Japanese blu ray artwork was done by...Ishida Atsuko? The post I made with the link to the source is here

http://vkiera.tumblr.com/post/102585204296/on-october-29th-magic-knight-rayearth-was-released

Though upon rereading it, doesn't say anything about if they worked on the original series...maybe I read it somewhere else? IDK.

[Somariel]

I think that Ishida Atsuko did a bunch of the promo art and posters for the anime. Basically, they didn't do any of the animation work, but did other art for the anime.

[Down]

Animation and character design,

According to anime news network:
Magic Knight Rayearth (TV) : Character Design, Animation Director (ep 1)
Magic Knight Rayearth 2 (TV 2) : Character Design, Animation Director (eps 30, 49), Animation (OP & ED), Key Animation (ep 35)

I think also an artbook that had Rayearth in?

[suzanami]

Ishida Atsuko is talented but she's lazy haha. 

she did a lot of s2 as well as is famous for Shamanic Princess.  if you look at the style of the latter, you'll recognize the style from the s2 anime!  I actually have a tumblr post drafted about this (since I have seen so many people complaining about the new artwork) but didn't know if anyone gave a crap so it's just been collecting dust.

(lots of images ahead, just DLing from Tumblr)







^ if you compare the tighter, more detailed images to the looser ones, you can kind of see how the current artwork is sort of in-between.

AFAIK all the current promo/box artwork is done by her and it's usually pretty loose like this.  she did the Crusade cards too.  I'm not sure what else she's up to, or if her work on other current projects is in this style.




just some quick links to a handful of well-known MKR illustrations she's done that I happen to have easily tagged:
http://fuckyeahrayearth.tumblr.com/post/160407132210
http://fuckyeahrayearth.tumblr.com/post/158039148307
http://fuckyeahrayearth.tumblr.com/post/156136262351
http://fuckyeahrayearth.tumblr.com/post/158025346386

I'm not sure if the VHS covers are her or not.  a lot of similar hallmarks but am not sure, so!

you can see how much her artwork varies.

(((correct me if I've mistakenly attributed an illustration to her! I tried to pay attention and use my google-fu to double-check!)))

[Ruben77]

The Discotek Media release features artwork by Mariel Cartwright & Brady Hartel

See Hartel's original announcement here:

https://twitter.com/ashuraou/status/779486599419666437?lang=en

This is the original promo pic:



Nothing to do with the original Japanese release.  But at least much closer to the original than the recent Atsuko Ishida artwork for the Japanese Bluray (even if Ishida herself was the original designer)



But this other image used in the cover is certainly an original Atsuko Ishida artwork used in an ad found in Newtype September 1997 announcing the LD box. 




Finally, and if I  remember correctly (I may be wrong here) besides being director in some episodes, Masami Obari also made some secondary artwork for promo posters and CD illustrations back in the time. He was key animator and responsible for some visual effects and special illustrations.   You can find Obari's artwork in the Anime Albums' fold-out posters like this famous one:

...
I'm not sure if the VHS covers are her or not.  a lot of similar hallmarks but am not sure, so!

Well, most of her artwork was recycled to make the trading cards, VHS and LD covers (Japanese releases), promo posters and and in magazines. 
The original USA VHS release also used her illustrations.  You can see some of them in her artworks.

[suzanami]

...
I'm not sure if the VHS covers are her or not.  a lot of similar hallmarks but am not sure, so!

Well, most of her artwork was recycled to make the trading cards, VHS and LD covers (Japanese releases), promo posters and and in magazines. 
The original USA VHS release also used her illustrations.  You can see some of them in her artworks.

thank you! I wondered about the US VHSes but wasn't sure! I think those are some of her best MKR illustrations!
and thanks for the info about the Discotek artwork, I had no idea who did that one.

[Ruben77]

thank you! I wondered about the US VHSes but wasn't sure! I think those are some of her best MKR illustrations!
and thanks for the info about the Discotek artwork, I had no idea who did that one.

Always glad to help

[Hilson]

That's such a great promo pic Ruben. Was it made just by Brady Hartel, or is it a collaboration with Mariel Cartwright?