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An exceptional and complete set of original hand-painted production cels and animation drawings featuring Gourry Gabriev and Lina Inverse from the legendary Slayers VS Orphen crossover project. This collection not only showcases the craftsmanship of 1990s Japanese animation but also includes a beautifully preserved limited-edition manga and supplementary production materials, making it a truly rare collector's ensemble.

Slayers VS Orphen was a highly anticipated crossover event, uniting two of the most popular fantasy anime franchises of the 1990s: Slayers, based on Hajime Kanzaka's light novels, and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, from Yoshinobu Akita's series. Both titles were produced by J.C. Staff, a studio celebrated for its expressive character animation and vivid use of colour. The crossover not only captured fan excitement but also highlighted the visual and tonal contrast between Lina's comic ferocity and Gourry's cool composure.

Each production cel is hand-painted on acetate and paired with its corresponding pencil or colour-coded layout drawing. The notations, colour keys, and dynamic line work across the drawings offer a fascinating window into the animation process, where each red, yellow, and blue line served as precise instructions for shading, light, and character alignment. These layers, when photographed sequentially, created the smooth, expressive movement that defined the golden era of cel animation.

Included in this set are two key production cel and douga (drawing) pairings featuring Gourry and Lina in action, showcasing dynamic poses and expressive animation detail. Accompanying these are a range of supplementary reference materials, including printed colour sheets, promotional inserts, and bonus art elements that provide insight into the production process. The collection also includes the original Slayers VS Orphen manga volume, presented in its slipcase with cover art by the series' illustrators.

The production art reveals the meticulous layering and direction that defined high-quality anime of the 1990s, before the transition to digital compositing. The red annotations mark camera framing and lighting references, while the graphite outlines show early motion arcs. Together, these make for an invaluable study piece for fans and animators alike.

Now over two decades old, Slayers VS Orphen stands as a beloved artefact from a period when Japanese animation balanced technical mastery with bold visual storytelling. Dimensions (each cel): 23 cm x 26.75 cm (9" x 10.5"); (each drawing): 24.25 cm x 27 cm (9.5" x 10.5")

Sold without copyright; see copyright notice in the Terms and Conditions.

Estimate: £500 - 1,000 M

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