Warning! This art book contains questionable adult content (or message)!
Warning! This art book contains questionable adult content (or message)!
Takamichi is the cover artist for Comic LO (成年コミックエルオー, Seinen Komikku Eru Ō), a Japanese erotic manga magazine featuring prepubescent, early pubescent and highly juvenile-looking girls. It's published by Akaneshinsha. LO画集 TAKAMICHI LOVE WORKS is the collection of cover art from issue 1 to 50. Each is published full page on low gloss paper, with the opposite page showing the small magazine cover.
Well, the art is amazing, the technical part. Takamichi uses outline only for the characters, the background is painting without outline. Together with the pastel colours, it gives a soft feeling to the piece of illustration. It's digital painting most of the part.
For the sake of writing this review, I browsed through an online copy of the magazine — so you don't have to. The magazine is really hardcore to the max. The covers are extremely mild by comparison. Basically, the cover art says nothing about the content, which perhaps is good in a way. It's like great photography that doesn't convey anything sexual. There are six illustrations with nudity and they are not engaging in any activity besides posing cutely.
The book ends with a novel which I have no idea on the content since it's all in Japanese. There's also a section on how the 50 covers are created, provided with photo references used, layouts and (Japanese) commentary.
When I showed this book to my friends, one was going "There's something wrong with this book" and the other "This is some dark stuff. I don't know, man..." Anyway, I'm reviewing the book for the art, not the girls. I bought the book without any prior knowledge of the content, artist or publisher. I was just curious why it was rated highly on Amazon Japan – must be those pedophiles(!), and the cover art look like it's from those chibi anime.
Recommendation? Only if you can look pass the pedophilia message.
If you're buying, do find out about your country's restriction, if any, on importing this category of books..
This book is available at:
Amazon Japan | YesAsia US | CDJapan.co.jp
If you buy from the link, I get a little commission that helps me get more books to feature.
Here's Amazon Japan shipping rates for your reference.
13 Comments
"Anyway, I'm reviewing the
Submitted by Anonymous on
"Anyway, I'm reviewing the book for the art, not the girls."
I don't think that's true at all. By reviewing this book, you are promoting it and it's sales. That means you're supporting the message of those producing the book/magazine. The message is pedophilia. That's disgusting. I don't see how you can flippantly ignore this, especially after your friends voiced concerns.
I love this blog and it helps me find new art books to buy. However, this one makes my skin crawl. The art in this book might be mostly benign illustration in comparison to the content of the magazine, but it means money to an artist who supports a pedophilia magazine. WHO on your blog list would be interested in that??
I wouldn't read a blog that "highly recommended" something that makes me want to hurl. I didn't expect to find that on this blog, and I'm a really open-minded person. I showed this entry to other friends and they were just as horrified so it's not just me OR your friends. Please reconsider this promotion or any promotion of art books like it.
Another similar reaction.
Submitted by parka on
Another similar reaction. Looks like I've have to move this review to somewhere obscure and hard to find.
It is true that I'm reviewing it for the art, and art only. I've no idea what the content was before buying it. I just bought it because the cover look nice, and because I was curious why it was rated highly on Amazon Japan — must be those pedophiles(!).
If the book is really bad, at least people can stay away now after reading the review, and not repeat the "mistake" I've made.
I've updated my recommendation.
@ Anonymous (not verified) I
Submitted by Mo on
@ Anonymous (not verified)
I don't see the problem with it. I draw yaoi (gay guys doin' it with each other) and I draw it knowing exactly what what the response will be.
Sure, it may be a bit out there, and maybe even a tad perverse. But if I draw it well, I like drawing it, and my fans enjoy my work, then there's no issue.
Japanese are not bred like Americans. They're not raised with those stupid shows asking you where the paw print is. "Can YOU see Blue?" They are not raised to be naive.
They're a lot more mature and their work portrays that! I respect them for their no-limits look on art and erotica.
Things that would be outrageous and disgusting for us, are beautiful and fascinating.
They are more open about sexuality and erotica.
I think Parka's review was great, (nice pics, btw) and I think for the purpose of viewing the incredible art, I will be buying this book. Because if I had NO idea about the artist being pedo, I wouldn't have thought the art was for anything related to pedophilia.
Not to turn a blind eye to it, but how an artist chooses to maintain a living is of little concern to me.
There are PLENTY of artist whom drew pornographic (and YES, pedophilia) work as a career before achieving fame in another style.
This book is a work of love.
Submitted by eneBred on
This book is a work of love. I am very glad to own it.
Aren't you overreacting just
Submitted by Anonymous3 on
Aren't you overreacting just a little bit? The review was frank, honest and well thought out. The content was not up to the reviewer as was stated many times. Judging from the artwork and risque type themes, this was well played by the reviewer. In my opinion, the japanese culture is much more liberal than the American culture. This does not mean they promote pedophilia, just that they are more liberal with sexuality. I don't promote pedophilia, but there is a difference in the act and violation of a child's body and simply portraying artwork based on children. Would it make it more comfortable to say that many japanese female artists also draw loli girls?
Its the human body. Most of us have the parts and bits that were given to us by nature. It should not be a shameful thing to display it, so long as it is within common and rational sense. How we use our body, depends on who is responsible for it. Judging by the artwork, the style and coloring is absolutely top notch. They did the children justice. What more can you ask for?
I own the book and i like it.
Submitted by Anonymous on
I own the book and i like it. I don't care if the pictures are coming from the cover of a bad magazine, they are great. I am not here to judge the autor's life, but only his art.
Sorry for my english, i'm french.
Good art like this should be
Submitted by Magoichi Saika on
Good art like this should be both published AND promoted!
Don't buy it then...... Very
Submitted by Anonymous on
Don't buy it then......
Very good review, please don't remove it.
I don't see what the problem
Submitted by Anonymous on
I don't see what the problem is and why some people are overreacting.
I enjoyed the review, and if weren't for it I would have never found out about this treasure.
All I can say is don't assume the artist is a pedo because of what they draw it's just silly really.
also like they say "Don't mix the 2D world with the 3D world" really!
protip: the magazine itself
Submitted by Anonymous on
protip: the magazine itself is full of warnings about not trying anything funny in real life
there's no difference with something like extreme gore art... other than those involve killing, this involves loving
the art being good is all that matters, there's nothing real about it, it's not even a 3d render
a review is there to let ppl
Submitted by Andreas on
a review is there to let ppl know about stuff. imagine if you dont read this review and buy that book without this review?
great review, and it looks like you understand Takamichi's trait in art. please dont remove this review so that many ppl can know the content and become aware before buying it
ppl say they are open minded
Submitted by Andreas on
ppl say they are open minded but usually not thinking far enough. you dont need to hide or make it hard to find, just put a warn on header title
I think a lot of people are
Submitted by Bones on
I think a lot of people are overreacting about this pedo thing. When you first go to art class you draw NAKED people all day long. The front, the back, the side and in between it has nothing to do with being sexual at all. It's about honoring the human body and art. The problem lies is how people use what you draw. If the people buying your art work are using it of devious purposes than that's the customers fault. I thought the book was cute.
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