Fate Zero Tribute Regular Edition

I, like many other collectors, react to terms like “LE” or “限定” or “First Press” etc., you get the idea. Unlike many other collectors, though, I’m rather lazy when it comes to the need to pursuit the limited edition. Do I prefer it? Yes. Do I value it over, say, sanity and a rational cost analysis? Only now and then.

So to my surprise when I realize one of the illustrators that I’ve taken to recently, Shigeki Maeshima, was a contributor to the Fate/Zero Tribute artbook. Among many others. And unsurprisingly I noticed there was a collector’s edition of it back in Comiket 75, or winter of ’09. I think at this point, given the ass-tastic dollar-to-yen exchange rate, a regular edition pre-owned copy would do just fine. Toranoana had, apparently, truckloads of this this particular varity, and given how Type-Moon is over its peak popularity already, you can probably score a new copy without too much hassle if that’s your thing.

Kransom has already written it up very well in his C75 report, including all the links I’ve linked to so far and what composes the LE copy of the same artbook, so I won’t bother repeating it any further (besides to comment on a towel). I’ll share a couple images from the book, simply because I’m testing out a new camera. I mean, if you want scans, you can just google it; it’s a 4-year-old artbook after all. If anything I wish there were more artwork from Maeshima out there. Especially if it is him drawing Maiya Hisau. I am too lazy to link the originals, but they’re available if people really want lousy photographs.

Loli Rin. That was some filler episode wasn’t it?

You know it’s fan drawing fanart when they pick scenes like this. Except it’s some fan who turned pro. And thankfully it’s the kind of spoiler that you won’t get unless you actually know what’s going on already.

And of course, Maiya. The way I stumbled on the image was when I was looking for some Fate/Zero pictures for putting on the blog. As you may have noticed I’ve been writing a lot about it (and Aniplex just doesn’t let up on giving me more reasons to do so) and when I saw that image I was like, “HEY I KNOW WHO DREW THIS,” thus leading to the discovery of said artbook, and then the importation thereof.

So don’t ever let people tell you artbook image sharing doesn’t generate additional sales. (Except in the case where the guy who downloaded the picture bought it pre-owned. Damn you Mandarake.) And, oh, since this artbook is like one of those half-doujinshi, half-pro, 100% Toranoana exclusive things, you can’t really expect to purchase it without some third party help. Not to say you can’t, it is just much easier if you do. And I half-expect nobody would know a thing about this artbook except how some people are all hyped up on industry booths on Day 1 comiket, or are really, really into Nasuverse. Perhaps fortunately, somehow I get the feeling that neither type of people is particularly hard to find on the internet.

That Einzbern doll, so white. And one more Maiya for good measure.