This is probably the best thing I have been pleasantly surprised by this year. I like her, though in part because of curiosity about her specific character (how she became META).
I'm...... not sure I like this......it feels like it could have easily been a halloween skin and doesn't really fit "meta" at all to me..... and it being basically a copy of something he already had drawn years ago based on the above post is definitely also not helping (I want to say lazy but maybe this is too harsh). I don't think its drawn bad but it doesn't fit into any concept I head of Taihou meta as a Taihou fan since her introduction....
Sadako Taihou is literally the best halloween skin idea ever and they just make this a META skin? Would they close down the Azur Lane server before October 2025? Because they should put this skin back into the oven for the next year.
I'm...... not sure I like this......it feels like it could have easily been a halloween skin and doesn't really fit "meta" at all to me..... and it being basically a copy of something he already had drawn years ago based on the above post is definitely also not helping (I want to say lazy but maybe this is too harsh). I don't think its drawn bad but it doesn't fit into any concept I head of Taihou meta as a Taihou fan since her introduction....
It feels like it because it very much is. As it is literally a copy-paste of an artwork from over 4 years ago that pre-dates the introduction of Meta acquisition system by a few months. This couldn't have been reasonably conceived as a Meta-style design, because it was drawn before every single one of them except for Enterprise and Takao (which it clearly shares no vibes with), so it had to be conceived as just a spooky/Halloween artwork. Calling it lazy is not harsh - that is exactly what it is. They could have taken the old concept and update it into something more fitting, but they specifically did not do that. All of us have access to Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V on our keyboards.
i do have mixed feelings about this. on itself this is impeccable art, but as a taihou lover this does seem to lean more on her being a sexy seductress than nuanced expressions showing her more complex personality (hiding insecurity behind yandere act, loving and caring on the inside etc). but even that characterization is developed through 6 years of successive skins and official manga depictions. this design feels more befitting for the OG taihou than her current incarnation.
dish's design and art style has been hit or miss for me, but thats just my personal preference. felt nothing about Kronstadt but absolutely loved Musashi's kimono maid skin, that was beautiful. and not to mention Owari becoming a breakout character and artist's favorite despite not even being the main girl of her batch and not even having a full l2d. (that was Unzen, but Owari still got 4x the fanarts here than her.)
its definitely not that dish is a bad artist. it has to be Manjuu's communications with artist getting sloppy bc this isn't even the first or second gaffe this year. (Anson got taken out back, Nagato META's face changed for no reason). after all if its Manjuu commissioning an artist, then its fully on them to explain the specific characterization needs and supervise results. and they've had ample time to consult and demand changes. maybe resources are spread too thin between Promilia and the new 3d dorms and the need to compete with the newer gfl2 and wuwa and stuff, but this doesn't have to mean slipping up on their core business model which is selling character designs.
and dish is not even the most problematic artist manjuu ever hired, we've had US big seven's old artist (bad art, plagiarism) and shouhou and old nagato's artist (openly antagonizing the company and other artists). or artists who got headhunted to other companies and abandoned their designs (realmbw, Eugen & Northamptons artist). for all his faults, if there is any, none of which is worth sending personal threats and doxxes for. a lot of the things ppl accuse him for (not having l2d or bad l2d quality) isn't even in his control. and past interviews do indicate Manjuu having strict vetting process and make very specific demands on artistic direction or details for its commissioned designs. it really looks like some of the community's worst people lashing out their toxicity for the flimsiest excuse.
Personally, I don't really like the art, I don't really like Dishwasher's own drawing style and I don't think this design should've been made as a "Meta". Came a few weeks too late or nearly a year too early.
i do have mixed feelings about this. on itself this is impeccable art, but as a taihou lover this does seem to lean more on her being a sexy seductress than nuanced expressions showing her more complex personality (hiding insecurity behind yandere act, loving and caring on the inside etc). but even that characterization is developed through 6 years of successive skins and official manga depictions. this design feels more befitting for the OG taihou than her current incarnation.
dish's design and art style has been hit or miss for me, but thats just my personal preference. felt nothing about Kronstadt but absolutely loved Musashi's kimono maid skin, that was beautiful. and not to mention Owari becoming a breakout character and artist's favorite despite not even being the main girl of her batch and not even having a full l2d. (that was Unzen, but Owari still got 4x the fanarts here than her.)
its definitely not that dish is a bad artist. it has to be Manjuu's communications with artist getting sloppy bc this isn't even the first or second gaffe this year. (Anson got taken out back, Nagato META's face changed for no reason). after all if its Manjuu commissioning an artist, then its fully on them to explain the specific characterization needs and supervise results. and they've had ample time to consult and demand changes. maybe resources are spread too thin between Promilia and the new 3d dorms and the need to compete with the newer gfl2 and wuwa and stuff, but this doesn't have to mean slipping up on their core business model which is selling character designs.
and dish is not even the most problematic artist manjuu ever hired, we've had US big seven's old artist (bad art, plagiarism) and shouhou and old nagato's artist (openly antagonizing the company and other artists). or artists who got headhunted to other companies and abandoned their designs (realmbw, Eugen & Northamptons artist). for all his faults, if there is any, none of which is worth sending personal threats and doxxes for. a lot of the things ppl accuse him for (not having l2d or bad l2d quality) isn't even in his control. and past interviews do indicate Manjuu having strict vetting process and make very specific demands on artistic direction or details for its commissioned designs. it really looks like some of the community's worst people lashing out their toxicity for the flimsiest excuse.
and we ain't going to see his art for the near future since he's quitted
