A translation of an entry from Kaoru Mori's blog

[snarp]

(I'm working on a few posts from Kazuya Minekura's, as an apology to smillaraaq and chomiji for freaking them out the other day.)

Edit: Apparently direct-linking to the images is not allowed - you'll need to copy-and-paste the URLs.

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Sketch Dump (from November 11, 2009)

I've finally got some free time.

I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of the once-a-month pace, so here are some sketches.

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"Favorite Horse"



[Text from image:

Ak-Kula is spoiled rotten. (male)

Suriyik is a little stubborn but very serious. (female)]

These are two characters from my current project Otoyomegatari and their favorite horses.

In the Kyrgyzstani Epic of Manas, the title character's favorite horse is named Ak-Kula - that's where the name comes from. Suriyik is also from the Manas. It's Bagish's horse.

The phrase "They run so fast they barely seem to touch the ground" sounds so cool I've stolen it.

The Manas is really interesting for an epic poem, and it has a gorgeous woman warrior named Saikal who duels! It's very exciting and emotional, and I definitely recommend it.

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"Breasts"



I just wanted to draw some breasts like this.

I'm thinking maybe I'm a little too straightforward.

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"Mosquito"



From an old photo.
Maids' everyday lives.

"What are you doing?! We're trying to sleep!"
"It's just there's this mosquito - !"

In the photo, a mosquito was keeping someone awake buzzing around - as I looked at it all sorts of wild images came to mind.
When this sort of image fills my head like a balloon inflating, I feel I can soar to the sky! (Fwoosh)

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"Karuta"



Love blossoms in a Japanese-style room.
Flowers fall in a crushing defeat.

I played karuta in middle school.

"The dew \ Of the passing shower lingers \ In the flowers the mist rises up \ Autumn evening"
"In the glistening dew \ The wind blows \ Ceaselessly through \ The autumn fields \ The jewels fall"
"The bridge that \ The magpie flies over \ Has frost on it \ One sees its whiteness \ And knows evening is deepening"

I took it so seriously back then that even now, when I think about it unawares, it takes me by surprise.

Which is to say that I still like Chihayafuru.

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"Scout"



Much to my own surprise, I found myself thinking, "I want to draw a boyscout or girl scout!" (This is not actually a surprise.) And so, this picture happened!

Well, I probably only wanted to draw short pants again, and a scarf. Jamboree!

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"Girlfriend"



"Sorry I'm late!"

I know a couple of guys who worry that they're too tall and are always having to bend over. I get embarrassed calling out to them in public. [?]

Comments

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Awww, thanks!

BTW, it looks like her blog doesn't allow direct linking. (But the error page has cute duckies on it so it's worth clicking through once anyway. At least, if you like rubber ducks it is.)

[snarp]

Hm. Try copying-and-pasting the addresses? That should make it work.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

It does, I just thought you might want to edit the post to alert people before they waste their time trying to click through first.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks for the translation.

She makes that epic sound really cool. I want to go see if I can find it now.

But I still can't wrap my head around that post and the 'girlscout' being done by the same person.

[snarp]

There are some segments of it here.

I thought I might have trouble finding the English transliterations for those horses' names, but fortunately, this is clearly a story in which horses are very important. Also, party-planning.

[(Anonymous)]

By the by, have you seen the comic natalie vids of her drawing amira?
http://natalie.mu/comic/pp/otoyomegatari

Her level of confidence both with the inking and then later with the razor just puts me in awe.

[darkelf105]

I can be dense sometimes. For minute I thought you had drawn those sketches.

I want to read Otoyomegatari very badly. I might not be able to wait for Yen Press.

[wintersweet]

Aww, she's so cute. She played karuta, huh?

I <3 her!

[chomiji]

Thanks!