Nakano Takeko, Aizu, 1868

I posted a number of different characters/figures in my Yae mega-thread, including this one depicting Nakano Takeko, but it was unclear to me whether anyone saw them or noticed as they were buried in the thread and received almost no comment except from a stalwart, loyal few ("we few, we happy few"  ; you know who you are--thank you!). The five of you who actually commented on it, please don't feel obligated to comment again.

I'll skip all the history, and the details of what comes from where; it seems many aren't really interested anyway. You can always look in the thread here if you want to know more. I will say that she is by far the most famous female warrior from Aizu (far more than Yae, at least before that TV show aired in 2013), and indeed from the last several hundred years of Japanese history (post Sengoku period). Her story is heroic and tragic, poignant yet stirring.



Want to know what that writing tied to her naginata says? Check out the Yae thread! It's the actual "death poem" she wrote the night before she led a heroic charge that resulted in her death.

Disappointing when you don`t get many comments , especially when you see the detail that has gone into your figure , it`s the way things are these days , people constantly seem to be chasing their tales for time . The determined look suits her story perfectly . Is she dressed off the shelf so to speak , or is is scratch / custom work ?

Well you did great reposting this because I missed some updates from your original Yae thread!

Sorry to read about the lack of feedback, I just hope it doesn't get to you as something personal cause it's definitely not that, I can assure you. Not a lot of people take the time to write a few words and share their opinion or reaction sadly, but it's most of the time unintended, checking the forum from work, or from a phone, or even just being a bit too shy... The personal tastes are various as well, but it doesn't take away a gram of all the tremendous work and time you spent on your creation!

I personally love reading the background, concept, story, history, that lies behind a figure, for me it's the best part of the journey, the figure being a final result that doesn't always show all the details and attention put into each of them (and god I know the best details and the ones you put the most efforts into are often unseen or barely noticed... but that's still a very enjoyable personal achievement)

Anyway the forum is yours, ours, so feel free to post as much as you wish, I know getting an echo is motivating, but it should never stop you from posting the way you want. You did well reposting these images, and thanks for linking back to your original thread, I had the occasion to discover many updates that I had missed, and wow that was worth it (even if my preference stays on your first Yae, as I told you already the work from ressearch to crafting and photographying is absolutely insane)

I, too, appreciated seeing this excellent, tough female warrior again, and enjoying the way she came off so well put together -- all the way to the tiny death poem. I would say she needs to smile more, but that would be missing the point. And far less effective in protecting the daimyo's panoply.

blackpool wrote:Well you did great reposting this because I missed some updates from your original Yae thread!

Sorry to read about the lack of feedback, I just hope it doesn't get to you as something personal cause it's definitely not that, I can assure you. Not a lot of people take the time to write a few words and share their opinion or reaction sadly, but it's most of the time unintended, checking the forum from work, or from a phone, or even just being a bit too shy... The personal tastes are various as well, but it doesn't take away a gram of all the tremendous work and time you spent on your creation!

I personally love reading the background, concept, story, history, that lies behind a figure, for me it's the best part of the journey, the figure being a final result that doesn't always show all the details and attention put into each of them (and god I know the best details and the ones you put the most efforts into are often unseen or barely noticed... but that's still a very enjoyable personal achievement)

Anyway the forum is yours, ours, so feel free to post as much as you wish, I know getting an echo is motivating, but it should never stop you from posting the way you want. You did well reposting these images, and thanks for linking back to your original thread, I had the occasion to discover many updates that I had missed, and wow that was worth it (even if my preference stays on your first Yae, as I told you already the work from ressearch to crafting and photographying is absolutely insane)

This. All of this. I’ve loved this journey p, and the extensive history and background detail of all the work that went into this scholarly project.

Chip wrote:Disappointing when you don`t get many comments , especially when you see the detail that has gone into your figure , it`s the way things are these days , people constantly seem to be chasing their tales for time . The determined look suits her story perfectly . Is she dressed off the shelf so to speak , or is is scratch / custom work ?

Thanks for commenting Chip! She is almost entirely taken from the Butterfly Helmet Warrior boxed set, except for head and weapons, and the headband and of course the customized poem. Have you had a chance to look at my Yae thread? That figure is almost entirely custom, with tons of scratchbuilt items. Feel free to comment and let me know what you think, don't be shy! There's even a video!   

I know, shameless self promotion, but you know, it's just like how all those youtubers say at the end of their videos, "if you liked this video, hit the like button; if you really liked it, hit subscribe, and let me know what you think in the comments below." It's a social media age, and if I want eyeballs, I'm going to have to go after them and not be shy about it myself!

blackpool wrote:Well you did great reposting this because I missed some updates from your original Yae thread!

Sorry to read about the lack of feedback, I just hope it doesn't get to you as something personal cause it's definitely not that, I can assure you. Not a lot of people take the time to write a few words and share their opinion or reaction sadly, but it's most of the time unintended, checking the forum from work, or from a phone, or even just being a bit too shy... The personal tastes are various as well, but it doesn't take away a gram of all the tremendous work and time you spent on your creation!

I personally love reading the background, concept, story, history, that lies behind a figure, for me it's the best part of the journey, the figure being a final result that doesn't always show all the details and attention put into each of them (and god I know the best details and the ones you put the most efforts into are often unseen or barely noticed... but that's still a very enjoyable personal achievement)

Anyway the forum is yours, ours, so feel free to post as much as you wish, I know getting an echo is motivating, but it should never stop you from posting the way you want. You did well reposting these images, and thanks for linking back to your original thread, I had the occasion to discover many updates that I had missed, and wow that was worth it (even if my preference stays on your first Yae, as I told you already the work from ressearch to crafting and photographying is absolutely insane)

Thanks so much for your support blackpool! I know you've been away for awhile so totally understand your missing stuff. I am a little confused when you say my "first Yae," though. Are you referring to the first version, which has since been updated and improved? If so, I hope you'll reconsider, because my new "version 1.07" is far superior to the original version, in my not so humble opinion. I provided comparison pics of old and new and hopefully you'll see how the alterations improved it.

GubernatorFan wrote:I, too, appreciated seeing this excellent, tough female warrior again, and enjoying the way she came off so well put together -- all the way to the tiny death poem. I would say she needs to smile more, but that would be missing the point. And far less effective in protecting the daimyo's panoply.

Thanks Guv! You didn't have to chime in again, having done so the first time, but I really appreciate it. No way, smile? In the show she barely cracks a smirk, she's all about the serious business of fighting and killing.

Stryker2011 wrote:

blackpool wrote:Well you did great reposting this because I missed some updates from your original Yae thread!

Sorry to read about the lack of feedback, I just hope it doesn't get to you as something personal cause it's definitely not that, I can assure you. Not a lot of people take the time to write a few words and share their opinion or reaction sadly, but it's most of the time unintended, checking the forum from work, or from a phone, or even just being a bit too shy... The personal tastes are various as well, but it doesn't take away a gram of all the tremendous work and time you spent on your creation!

I personally love reading the background, concept, story, history, that lies behind a figure, for me it's the best part of the journey, the figure being a final result that doesn't always show all the details and attention put into each of them (and god I know the best details and the ones you put the most efforts into are often unseen or barely noticed... but that's still a very enjoyable personal achievement)

Anyway the forum is yours, ours, so feel free to post as much as you wish, I know getting an echo is motivating, but it should never stop you from posting the way you want. You did well reposting these images, and thanks for linking back to your original thread, I had the occasion to discover many updates that I had missed, and wow that was worth it (even if my preference stays on your first Yae, as I told you already the work from ressearch to crafting and photographying is absolutely insane)

This. All of this. I’ve loved this journey p, and the extensive history and background detail of all the work that went into this scholarly project.

Thanks again Stryker!

Haha yeah guys take your time and read it. Well I already voiced my opinion of how multiple posts can stall a reader and potential commentor for a time.
But I think this format of having one thread per figure works much better, most of us do it the same way already. WIPs and Collective group pics could still be posted in your other mega thread or something. I also struggle with how to present stuff, especially new unknown figures. Post only finished products like Spooky and Ephiane or an open WIP shared journey until the figure is finished, always a kind of a hard choice.

Up till now the Yae thread has been a great journey history and craft/hobbywise if you take the time and immerse yourself into it. It actually reawakend my interest in making Japan based fantasy warriors which already led to Watching docus, reading and trading 3d prints for Japanese armor.

Thanks for the support again Ovy, and for the subtle pitch to get people to look at my thread! 

I still like the big thread where all the info relates to each other and people can find the related figures easily. I guess I can always provide links to connect separate threads, but I don't know if people will actually take the time to click through to look. I can't even get them to click the YouTube videos, much less comment on them!

truly stunning work. An amazing figure

tankgirlfuzzy wrote:

blackpool wrote:Well you did great reposting this because I missed some updates from your original Yae thread!

Sorry to read about the lack of feedback, I just hope it doesn't get to you as something personal cause it's definitely not that, I can assure you. Not a lot of people take the time to write a few words and share their opinion or reaction sadly, but it's most of the time unintended, checking the forum from work, or from a phone, or even just being a bit too shy... The personal tastes are various as well, but it doesn't take away a gram of all the tremendous work and time you spent on your creation!

I personally love reading the background, concept, story, history, that lies behind a figure, for me it's the best part of the journey, the figure being a final result that doesn't always show all the details and attention put into each of them (and god I know the best details and the ones you put the most efforts into are often unseen or barely noticed... but that's still a very enjoyable personal achievement)

Anyway the forum is yours, ours, so feel free to post as much as you wish, I know getting an echo is motivating, but it should never stop you from posting the way you want. You did well reposting these images, and thanks for linking back to your original thread, I had the occasion to discover many updates that I had missed, and wow that was worth it (even if my preference stays on your first Yae, as I told you already the work from ressearch to crafting and photographying is absolutely insane)

Thanks so much for your support blackpool! I know you've been away for awhile so totally understand your missing stuff. I am a little confused when you say my "first Yae," though. Are you referring to the first version, which has since been updated and improved? If so, I hope you'll reconsider, because my new "version 1.07" is far superior to the original version, in my not so humble opinion. I provided comparison pics of old and new and hopefully you'll see how the alterations improved it.

I meant my preference was on your first creation, so Yae, compared to the others, which are just as beautifully done, just my personal taste goes to Yae, both the ressearch work you have done on it, the look of the final figure, I was sold instantly lol. I especially love the leather sleeve and the cavalry style glove on her bare arm as well as the harness/belts work(and yep I did follow the upgrades on her, and you have no reason to be humble about them, the figure is absolutely stunning)

BTW... nobody noticed about the stopmotion...? that's super cool, I wish I was able to do that!

Agree about the stop-motion gif, blackpool, that is really clever and wonderfully executed! Would love to learn how to do something that like....

BAMComix wrote:truly stunning work. An amazing figure

Thank BamC!

blackpool wrote:

I meant my preference was on your first creation, so Yae, compared to the others, which are just as beautifully done, just my personal taste goes to Yae, both the ressearch work you have done on it, the look of the final figure, I was sold instantly lol. I especially love the leather sleeve and the cavalry style glove on her bare arm as well as the harness/belts work(and yep I did follow the upgrades on her, and you have no reason to be humble about them, the figure is absolutely stunning)

BTW... nobody noticed about the stopmotion...? that's super cool, I wish I was able to do that!

Thanks again blackpool, I'm glad you like the updates! Of course for me Yae will always be a passion project. The only other one that came close was Eowyn (which was more complicated and technically challenging), but I have a lot more emotion invested in this, so I definitely agree: she's my favorite!

Thanks for noticing the gif, I'm assuming that's what you meant, not the "freeze frame" motion from the videos. Gifs are super easy, you can do them on giphy.com (as long as you have the pics to do it), and also most photo editing apps should have a feature. Aren't you the photoshop guru? I would have thought they had a tool for that. Photodirector has one, which is how I created this one. But remember my Jyn swinging her club (it's still in the old thread)? That was done online.

skywalkersaga wrote:Agree about the stop-motion gif, blackpool, that is really clever and wonderfully executed! Would love to learn how to do something that like....

Thanks Sky! Anyone can do it, you just need about 3-6 shots per second of motion (way easier than true stop motion where it's 24 shots per second and you have to move things a millimeter at a time), and then load them on to giphy.com or any other site that does it. There are free apps that do it as well. Or, like I said above, most photoediting suites should have that feature.

I know you hate all non original SW, but I did a few gifs of Jyn Erso swinging her baton several years ago. I won't post it here, but it's on this old thread here.

Thanks for the tips regarding the gif-making, TGF! And don't worry, Rogue One is one of the few newer SW things I don't mind.

Thought I'd post some new pics of Takeko as well as a gif. If you're wondering why the pics look so stylized, yes, I am (gasp) about to publish a new video, and these are all featured in it. Stay tuned! 

The effect makes it look somehow even more believable. Well done.

I really like the gif. now I want to see her ramming that spear into somebody.

GubernatorFan wrote:The effect makes it look somehow even more believable. Well done.

Thanks Guv! 

Stryker2011 wrote:I really like the gif. now I want to see her ramming that spear into somebody.

Thanks Stryker! I guess I need to create some Sat-Cho soldiers for her to fight! 

Oh, that new gif is fantastic!!

Great moody 'fog of war' atmosphere!
But don't forget the beautiful lychen sprinkles on that stone wall.

I love it! The gif is awesome, the image grain, the speed of images, it reminds me of "band of brothers" or "saving private ryan" intro, it conveys the feel of the battle very well to my eyes.

Thanks for sharing

Thanks so much blackpool.

Band of Brothers was exactly the feel I was going for in my new video. I'm surprised no one's actually mentioned anything over on that thread, so I must have failed (in more ways than one; despite the viewcount on the board, few have clicked through to actually watch ). 

I didn't want to copy the "distressed photos that have been folded up in a wallet or old footlocker for 40 years" look of the images in the BoB opening. That would have been a bit too obvious and I think inappropriate. So I used these grunge effects to give a similar "old" "peering through time" feel. The closest I came to the BoB look was during the explosion sequence (also the soldiers running), and those mostly involved the actual footage, not the figures. But I also used variations of these effects in basically every shot involving the figures to match the footage.

For some reason I totally missed these replies. Sorry!

skywalkersaga wrote:Oh, that new gif is fantastic!!

Thanks sky! You know where it's from! 

Ovy wrote:Great moody 'fog of war' atmosphere!
But don't forget the beautiful lychen sprinkles on that stone wall.

Thanks Ovy! The "fog" totally helps blend the elements and ups the realism quotient, especially when you are layering figure elements into film footage. It also helps to hide/diminish things like the "beautiful" lychen on that wall which was just factory paint splattered on and looks kinda crappy. Or were you just being sardonic?   (finally getting that American style sarcasm? )

Check out the new video. (I know, third time's a charm; it's totally legit for me to post it in this thread because Takeko figures prominently in it!)


Please watch, it's only 3:45! Nice music! Comments welcome, here or any of those other threads!