“花火” by Genyaky

In today’s piece we have a real treat for you. I received permission to review the works of an artist by the name of “Genyaky” whom you can learn more about by clicking the links in the caption above. This artist has a large portfolio of amazing works so if you enjoy this work I highly recommend checking them out.

The theme of our picture this time is fireworks and I’d certainly argue this work does them a great justice. Many of you who are familiar with the fate series will immediately recognize that this is indeed a fanart of which Genyaky does quite a bit, which definitely suits my fancy. The beautiful girl in front of us, wearing an almost equally alluring yukata fills the bulk of the content in this piece. Our character really does a good job at showing off Genyaky’s mastery of the fundamentals. From the dexterous line work, to the wonderful shading, and the subtle and well placed line suggestion, to everything else like the use of contrast and color, this artist really knows their stuff.

Starting with the yukata as a whole, the way that the cloth wraps around Medb’s body, and the representation of the folds is seriously on point. I love the design that was used on the fabric as well, and also that it’s simple but not low detail. The thing that really wows me and makes the yukata pop is the ribbon on the back. Genyaky really went in on the detail with this part of the outfit. From the design to the placement of shadow, to the line suggestion in the frills the ribbon really elevates the yukata to the next level for me.

While the focus of this image is celebration with fireworks, I find that the point of view and the gaze of our character makes this more a romantic gaze showcasing. Her slight smile and body language with the fan, and the flower in her hair give this a very authentic and immersive feel to it. As we’ve shown a number of times now on AnimeExplicated, the mark of a good work isn’t that you are merely pulled in by it, but that life has to come wake you up. Another finer detail that supports this to me is the way Genyaky draws the hands and feet of their characters. They strike a good balance between detailed, realistic, and stylized. Genyaky uses a kind of a simpler but angular style that provides a certain amount of elegance, but I find that this really brings me into the work. Without any special concentration, I find myself sitting and appreciating the fireworks with my companions.