Unown J · Wizards Black Star Promos #38

3 comments

1. 

   Curtis

   (14 years ago)

   I had no idea this card was worth so much. I have quite a few copies of it.

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2. 

   Ambassador

   (4 years ago)

   Alongside the JP-only Unown R, this card is often noted as being notable for being one of only two Neo-era unown cards not illustrated by CR CG gangs, but circumstantial evidence suggests Hideki Kazama (who illustrated both J and R) could be Creatures staff, and therefore possibly also a member of CR CG gangs;
   · Hideki Kazama is credited on Recycle Energy. Except for Keiji Kinebuchi, other artists credited for Special Energy during this time include Takumi Akabane (R&D director at Creatures) and Milky Isobe (later credited as art director for Creatures’ e-Reader project, though it *is* unclear from context of those credits whether Isobe is/was CR staff or not).
   · Hideki Kazama is credited for the 3DCG artwork on ND Energy Stadium, as well as one of the many JP-only prints of Lucky Stadium. I’m iffy on what conclusion to make of the former, but more artists who worked on a print of Lucky Stadium than not are *definitely* CR staff, and the remainder *probably* are.
   · Hideki Kazama is the credited artist for 1999 Super Secret Battle prints of the No.1, No.2, and No.3 Trainer cards. All other artists credited for 3DCG work on these No.# cards are – or probably are – CR staff.

   Given the above already pointing to Kazama as CR staff, illustrating the two Unown cards not credited to CR CG gangs seems to be an *additional* point of evidence that Kazama is Creatures staff. Whether that makes him CR CG gangs by default is iffy to be honest. But my guess would be these illustrations were originally rough drafts of what CR CG gangs was meant to render, but when circumstances meant they couldn’t/wouldn’t be able to do it, Kazama’s drafts were polished into the art we know today.

   Unown R, btw: https://pokumon.com/card/unown-corocoro-2000-unnumbered/

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   • 

     AmbassadorAmbassador

     (4 years ago)

     While I’m here, aside from the added stipulations, the effect of JOIN is identical to Brock’s Training Method.

     (I can’t think of any way the original name of that card, タケシの育て方 [“Takeshi no Sodate-kata”], could be contorted to be related to the letter J. Nor can I think of any convincing way for Brock [“Takeshi”] or Onix [“Iwark”] in the artwork to be twisted into relating to the letter J. While some Neo-era Unown Powers are borrowing from things on other cards, I don’t think they followed any alphabet-like rule to do so the way Unown in EX Unseen Forces did.)

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