A few days ago, a tweet went rounds on Twitter asking about one's first, last (current), best, and worst anime. Of course, this made me think - what was my first anime?
Granted, I'd been watching anime since I was maybe three. My big sister @arrliinn, who also happened to be the first person to influence me with anime, managed to confirm that yes, I'd been exposed to the Japanese animations since I was a toddler. My very first memories of myself watching one, though, was with Akazukin Chacha and Rurouni Kenshin.
The Classics
If I were asked what anime constitutes "classic," hands-down Osamu Tezuka's works pop right into my head... almost instantly. Astro Boy? Kimba the White Lion? And one of my favorites, Black Jack? They are by the Osamu Tezuka, and I was fortunate to have indulged myself in some of his works when I was a young teen. Don't get me started with Voltes V or even Gatchaman.
Other classics from the '90s that I've grown to love when I rewatched them when I was older were Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rurouni Kenshin, HunterxHunter, and more! Gosh, I can go on, and on, and on, and I wouldn't get the least bit tired. In fact, at eighteen years old, I'd been able to list down more than 200 anime that I remember watching. I think I was that dedicated.
While I can't remember anything from the '90s as I was effectively a toddler during its latter half, I do remember growing up playing with Wedding Peach paper dolls (yes, they existed!) and some Yu Yu Hakusho "teks". And I remember fighting with my cousins over who would say
"Pag-ibig... katapangan... at pag-asa ang aking panawagan. Magical Princess, holy up!"
which was the Tagalog-dubbed version of Akazukin Chacha's spiel whenever she transforms into the titular Magical Princess. And, well, today, I completed a draw-it-in-your-style fan art of said Magical Princess. ;) Not the best, but I don't think it looks too shabby. (I used this poster as reference.)
The Little Red Riding Hood
I didn't remember Chacha until I was around 13 or 14, when a local cable anime channel re-aired it. I thought, "Why does this seem familiar?" I was at classmate's house, doing project, when her mom said, "You don't remember? That's a popular anime when you were little kids."
That felt like the trigger I needed, and an avalanche of scenes replayed in my head. Suddenly, I recalled the klutzy magical little red riding hood and her "master", Seravi, who happened to be my anime crush when I rewatched it as a teen. Then there were her two best friends, who crushed so badly for her, Riiya and Shiine.
The Story
Easily one of my favorites, Akazukin Chacha follows the adventures of a young witch, Chacha, who has been raised by the greatest wizard in the world, Seravi. Despite being under Seravi's tutelage, Chacha just couldn't get her magic right. There was a (very unforgettable) instance where she aims to summon clouds (雲, kumo) with her magic, but ended up with spiders (クモ, kumo) instead. The whole anime was pun-filled thanks to Chacha's mistakes and impressionable personality, which make the story-telling a hundred times more enjoyable.
A Quick Review
The characters were so unique from each other that they each left lasting impressions. For instance, Orin, a small ninja, has skills that were top-notch. Then there was Elizabeth, Seravi's most beloved doll, who talks and has a personality of her own (thanks to Seravi's ventriloquism). They were side characters, supporting at best, but they were unforgettable.
The character and story developments were definitely to look out for when watching this. Some episodes seemed random at first, but they were plot devices one way or another.
The Fan Art
The whole artwork took approximately 5.5 hours; I recorded the whole thing (as shown in the timelapse video below) just because I was feeling extra. :)
Just as I did in my last anime fan art (The Shadow Sovereign | Solo Leveling), I contemplated about using line art in this work. Truthfully, I was tempted. However, as I had been trying to do this my own style, I wound up doing it my usual way... just painting the colors. I felt expectedly rusty in anime style, but hooray to completing it at least!
To be fair, while I am no longer confident in my anime-drawing skills, it is through anime that I learned to draw. Anime-style was my first style, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
For this drawing, I have a confession to make. I literally forwent some of the awesome details that the Magical Princess' character design possesses. There were so many intricate designs my patience (or lack thereof) couldn't quite swallow, so I reinvented it. I hope it doesn't look to bad to you!
The Timelapse
I recorded how the drawing went and processed it into a timelapse video. It took me 5.5 hours on Medibang, and then another half hour on Photoshop, where I applied the finishing touches.
Notes
This is an entry to The Anime Realm's OCD-backed contest about showcasing classic anime from the '90s, and earlier. I think everyone has still got time to join. :) I truly enjoyed the experience, and it made me rethink engaging in anime fan art once again.
More than anything, though, I had so much fun going down memory lane while penning this article. The '90s had so much in store for everyone, and while I can't remember much except for the first few years of the new millennia, I do know I had fun because of these classic anime that have been inevitably part of our lives.
What was your '90s story?
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