Ogipote – Aikyo Artbook (Kadokawa, 2021) – My Comment
The artbook has 144 pages in B5 format. The content is divided into 11 thematic chapters. At the very beginning, the author greets us with an explanation of the meaning of the publication’s title. Aikyo refers to a charming, enchanting nature or a nostalgic feeling. Enjoy the warm atmosphere of the artworks with unique, beautiful touches. Whatever the case may be, when browsing through the following pages and Ogipote’s works presented in the Aikyo artbook in question, these are exactly the feelings you experience. His works are distinguished by incredible attention to detail, color and light play. Great importance is given to the characters’ eyes and glass objects. Each illustration strongly appeals to the eye, and the aforementioned amount of detail makes it necessary to really look closely at the entire thing to see how much love and talent has been poured onto paper. Each work has a title and the year it was created.
The print quality is phenomenal. I can say with a clear conscience that everything that the creator meticulously worked on has been fully reflected on paper. The colors are vivid, giving the impression of pouring out of each page. Many drawings take up 2 full pages.
In addition to the original Ogipote heroines, Aikyo also features characters from the Touhou, Azur Lane, and Vocaloid universes. The illustrator also created a character for the Onsen Musume project. It is possible that I will write a separate entry on this subject at some point, as the topic is very interesting. I’ll just briefly explain here that as part of the revitalization of onsen, many places got their patroness in the form of a beautiful girl. Each heroine had her own unique character and promoted the place in a different way. Popular illustrators, voice actors were involved in the campaign, and Doga Kobo studio even created an animation in the form of a music video.
Ogipote – Aikyo deserves its place in the collection of any collector who appreciates attention to detail and beauty. It’s a true feast for the eyes, and the incredible quality of the printing makes the colors seem vivid, as if they jump right off the pages. This artbook is a gem that delights every time you open its pages.
Ogipote – Aikyo Artbook (Kadokawa, 2021) – Show Off
Before moving on to the gallery, where you will be able to see some photos of the contents of the artbook, it is appropriate to show how it looks from the outside.
This is how Ogipote – Aikyo looks in the wrapper:
Whereas this is what it looks like without: