#nemissa
KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES XXV:THE HUMAN ELEMENT
Esoteric alchemical illustrations and ancient art aren’t the only inspiration for the ol’ creative spark here at KCC. Kaneko has been known to occasionally look to the wide world of contemporary pop-culture for inspiration, as is perhaps appropriate to the primarily modern setting of the series. With that in mind, it’s time to take account of some of the real (or nominally real) life figures that have left their mark on the vast design catalogue over the years.
- BUTCHER:The mononymous “Butcher” offers a fairly literal take on the moniker of one-time wrestling extraordinaire Abdullah the Butcher, depicted here as a sort of crazed Messian executioner, title belt prominently displayed.
- NEMISSA:Nemissa is nothing short of a dead-ringer for Marianne Faithfull as she appears in the 1968 cult classic The Girl on a Motorcylce,sporting the iconic leather jacket/jumpsuit combo. This one is almost especially egregious save for the inclusion of some nominally stylish bell-bottoms on part of the former.
- STEPHEN:Resident science symbol and long-time demon fenangler Stephen is, of course, a supremely unsubtle nod to the acclaimed theoretical physicist of the same name. While the concept art itself doesn’t make for the best likeness, his in-game sprite is a bit more forward.
- GOTOU:The head honcho of the early Gaean faction is a none-too thinly veiled stand-in for renowned author and nationalist icon Yukio Mishima, both pictured above with rippling bod™ and tasteful fundoshi in tow. Like Stephen, his role in the narrative is at least partially informed by the character of his real-life counterpart.
- ALP:This iconic spirit of German folklore is largely inspired by the mascot of a short-lived ad campaign for Calpis Water that premiered during the early 90′s, starring actress Goto Kumiko as some sort of thirsty devil hell-bent on burglarizing parched civilians in search of the lightly flavored beverage, only to be foiled at the last minute by the various and cruel machinations of both fate and primitive green-screen technology.
Big props once again to dijeh for the scoop on Alp’s inspiration via his translation series and to turnipfritters for the hot tip on Nemissa! (KCN never forgets)
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