[0831] - no fake smiles, "excuse me!!"

[Piro]

I have a few additional things to post with this one, but let me get it up and i'll post them in a bit.

--

Ok, as you might have guessed, i built a model of the Anna Milllers to help me pull this scene together using Sketchup. It went really quickly, actually - you can compare frame 2 to the sketchup view:

http://www.megatokyo.com/extra/AnnaMillers-Meguro-view03.jpg

here's a shot of the model from above:

http://www.megatokyo.com/extra/AnnaMillers...erhead_view.jpg

Oddly enough, the real problem for me in this comic was the last half of it. I had a concept for this that just did not pan out no matter how i drew it. What you see in the final comic works, but it's very dissapointing for me. I'm sorry i wasted the time to try to do it - sometimes you just can't draw whats in your head, and this was one of those times.

fredrin

PS: oh, the sketchup program itself: http://www.sketchup.com/

This post has been edited by Piro on Mar 10 2006, 12:30 PM

[Shiakou]

Things to add? Bonus?

. . . Uhmmm . . . Piro? Where's Piro? I think Kimiko's just about to lose it and start crying here. . .

And damn, the POV of the whole cafe staring at you just meakes it clear as to how creepy it is.

Yeah, and Megumi seems to have forgotten how to spell Kimiko's name.

This post has been edited by Shiakou on Mar 10 2006, 12:32 PM

[Rorshak]

*Edit*
Fuck beaten. Thought I got the first post.

Anyway. It's setting us up and once again keeping us in suspense. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next as usual.

This post has been edited by Rorshak on Mar 10 2006, 12:28 PM

[JohanT]

according to the status comments thingy, this'd be horrible.

I luv it!

[BetaCygnus]

I like Kimiko's expressions. Very well done, the emotion there.

Way to go, Piro. I think it's well done!

...And due to the distraction, Kimiko still doesn't know that Piro is actually there, I think...

Still facing them on her own... Brave Kimiko!

This post has been edited by BetaCygnus on Mar 10 2006, 12:43 PM

[JohanT]

Just noticed Fredrin's post up there.

Lol.

Additional things? Oro? Me likey.

[Shiakou]

Oh, and another thing. . .

"NANSAWA"?

Spelling mistakes FTW!!!

[gookbapp]

First and last panels capture certain emotions perfectly.

First panel: Totally petrified at the snot running down each and every fanboy in the room

Last panel: Still scared like hell.. but with slight forced determination

[The_Muffin]

I don't get how Fred grades his own work.
I'd like to see him on a really good day.

Edit: Btw, my favorite part of this is the "-Click-".

This post has been edited by The_Muffin on Mar 10 2006, 12:35 PM

[SunflowerSpike]

My god, it's full of fanboys. The bags under their eyes...their greasy hair...their pale skin, deprived of sunlight...the horror...the horror...damn Fred, that's the scariest picture of a bunch of seemingly ordinary human beings I've seen in a while...I think it came out pretty well, another "half" of panels would have only lowered the impact of that central sense of foreboding and doom.

Is the thermostat set to 20 Celsius? Someone wanna translate that? I'm too lazy to look it up, of course, because I might lose my coveted first page spot in the time lost ;P
...thank you O pink one. I leave it as an exercise to the reader to discover the answer (not that hard, it's further down the page).

Edit: Very foreboding use of architecture, like Hitchcock...just wondering though, what shape is the doorway Kimiko's standing in? At first I thought its crooked appearance was for suspense and composition and whatnot, but no, it seems to be warped in panel five too. Eh, maybe it is some sort of archway and I'm some sort of paranoid android. Those rafters though...can't be good for the feng shui.

And in every one of those faces I see the future of Yuki's little stalker boy...

That guy, dead center of the second panel, right under that chandilier thingy...the guy in the glasses with the small frown on his face...I really like his expression for some reason.

Anyway, yeah, I'm done being a babbling moran. (Yes, moran.) Resuming Lurker Drone activities!

This post has been edited by SunflowerSpike on Mar 10 2006, 12:40 PM

[twofotisx]

Seems to go along with what I had thought... I was wondering what kimiko's expression was going to be when she saw all of the otaku that were engulfing the store. Now we know. I expect the next comic will probably leave this hanging and will transfer to possibly Erika and Largo.

[shugo_kunisaki]

it was a good one... wonder why you said it was bad thought on the loading screen... anyways... it seriously says something forebodding on the background...

[metris]

I like kimikos dress She looks so cute and innocent. (+ she's appealing to all those innocent maid fetishes I struggle with )


~Metris

[brite_pink_happy]

20 degrees C. is about 70 Fahrenheit. I'd think it would be warmer with all those bodies in there.

Some of them are eating so Megumi has been doing her best.

Is she trying to tell Kimiko "Your friend is here" ?


This post has been edited by brite_pink_happy on Mar 10 2006, 12:41 PM

[q-pa]

So Kimiko sees the fanboys, but they haven't spotted her yet.
Their eyes are all looking upwards in the same direction. Even Anna Millers wouldn't show anime or Star Trek (or whatever the Japanese sci-fi equivalent is) on their TVs, assuming they have any.


I keep waiting for Kimiko & Piro's reuniting. God it's really going to be painful to wait until Monday now...


Edit: I do see that they're looking at her now (the background quotes confirm that). I guess I was just expecting some kind of massive squealfest like the boybands get.

Now things will get interesting. I predict ones the noise escellates Piro will hear it and come running. Again, makes waiting for Monday even worse.

Must forget about Megatokyo...
Must forget about Megatokyo...

This post has been edited by q-pa on Mar 10 2006, 12:53 PM

[jaderabbit]

I love Kimiko's "what did i get myself into" look. All the poor fanboys look embarrased to see her. I wonder why.

I hope Megumi kicks some fanboy butt for breaking the display case.

[Quickbeam]

You have captured the creepiness of so many fanboys very well. One is charming, too many sets off my Perversity Detector .
Kimiko's got courage, going into that - she knows it's going to be unpleasant, but she tries to be faithful to what she said.
Who knows what is going through her mind? Answers in a forum post.
P.S. Fred-san, don't push yourself so hard; it's only a comic *ducks rotten fruit and sharp objects thrown by forum posters*

[Yukiko-chan]

Poor Poor Kimiko..
my goodness, look at all those people! I'd have a nervous breakdown right then and there.. more so if all those people had just been there to see ME.
Hope Piro can come decently to the rescue soon..

"Nansawa!".. oppsie? ah well

and ohhhhhhhhhh bad bad fanboys! breakin the display case. It's gonna be a hectic day at AM's.

And Fredrin, I don't see whats so bad about it at all..but then again I also have NO idea what was your head when you had been working on it.. believe me I completely understand the "ugh this sucks.. it WASNT what i wanted!" feeling..

[mbs357]

I wonder what she was about to say before she was cut off?
Was she about to say, "Nanasawa, your boyfriend is here," or something? >_>

This post has been edited by mbs357 on Mar 10 2006, 12:49 PM

[Babylon5fan]

I like Kimiko's change from fear to resolve - and Megumi's reaction upon noticing Kimiko's lack of certain uniform accessories.
Hm, at first I thought Megumi's eyeline was to Kimiko's blouse, but it's probably a centered blank stare as she processes the ominous crack-smash. Maybe Kimiko had given up on the fluffy look previously.

This post has been edited by Babylon5fan on Mar 10 2006, 12:58 PM

[Radgore]

Great comic, as always. I think Megumi was going to tell Kimiko about piro but forgot due to the display case being broken. cant wait till piro and kimiko are reunited
Edit: I cant quite make out what the otaku is doing next to the high chair, it looks like he has a pad and pencil.

This post has been edited by Radgore on Mar 10 2006, 12:58 PM

[Kaiba]

When I look at the second panel, I feel an incredible urge to grab an M-16 and let loose on every one of those otaku losers in that room.
Poor Kimiko.

[nocturnal_angel]

Wow! I’m impressed with that sketchup program, I had taken two years of CAD and know how much of a pain CAD can be at times, and how it can take up a lot of time, but then again you’ve had quite a few more years on me so I’m sure its wasn’t that difficult to render the whole layout of the restaurant .its good to see you taking advantage of the program to help you get a great POV of the shear horror that awaits Kimiko. Great as always Fred i just hope none of the otaku ruin things for Kimiko

edit:
just a thought, but is the whole "Nansawa" thing a typo or is it just a way of showing that they are more than just co-workers..
and that's just what Megumi calls Kimiko by at work?

This post has been edited by nocturnal_angel on Mar 10 2006, 01:10 PM

[Nephil]

Darnit, darnit, DARNIT!! Monday cannot come fast enough!! However, take your time Fred! We want Monday's comic to be just the way you like it!
I really applaud your fantastic ability to draw such random people so well, and to make every one of them look like they have their own story. Like Mr. Big One in the front, with the silly happy grin on his face. Could he be happier than to have his dream fulfilled of getting to see his idol in person? Or the one sitting on the floor...he probably just barely made it in without violating the fire code! XD

Awesome job...I understand you're disappointed in not getting it the way you want, but it's still great!

[Initial B]

All those guys staring at her...

They're all probably thinking of the panty shot.

Pervs.

Still, that's only a hundred fanboys. Wait until she gets in front of a thousand. Actually that might be easier because the more faces there are in the crowd, the more they blur.

The final 4 panels don't really add to the plot and initially left me feeling a little flat. Putting panels 6 and 7 at the top of the strip followed by panel 2 would have been adequate to portray the image of Kimiko heading to the gallows, then the bottom half of the strip could advance the plot some more. But if Fred wanted to convey a halted, hesitating, awkward pace then he has succeeded.

However, I'll reserve final comment until Monday once I see how they bridge to the next strip.