VanessaSan
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Blog Post : August 2025
🕑 Added 2025-08-29 17:16:51 +0000 UTCI have worked on so many projects in the worst month of the year (weather-wise), and they're not even finished yet! Let's start with the Astarion commission, which I completed. The story went out on IG yesterday that my work will be included in the free goodies with the purchase of the limited-edition figurine from Bottega Alvina, the ones who made the Mary figure!
Then... I participated in a documentary that will be released on September 10th, and I'll send you the link to watch it. It's the most random thing I've ever done, so I'll try to explain.
In May, I was invited to see the official Italian musical by Ai Shite Naito, aka Love Me Knight, a shōjo manga written and illustrated by Kaoru Tada! In Italy, the anime came out in the '80s BEFORE the manga and was left unfinished because the series was discontinued in Japan (but not the manga). So in Italy, they decided to shoot a live-action version to give us kids the ending we never got to see. So Ai shite Naito is the first manga/anime in the world to have a live action Made in Italy! Its popularity was such that the live action extended into the 90s and became a cult phenomenon in Italy. Those child spectators grew up and decided to go to Japan, get the rights and make THE THEATRE MUSICAL. I, one of those children, meanwhile became a "fairly well-known" cartoonist in Italy, but only because Italy is small... I couldn't explain it otherwise... They called me and invited me, all paid for, train and hotel plus food and a front-row seat, to Milan last May. After the show I met the director and lead actor Thomas Centaro, who told me he follows me on Instagram and that he really likes me and wants me in the DOCUMENTARY of Ai shite Naito! Official documentary with permissions and rights from Japan. In this documentary, I play the expert in manga, anime, brands, and... 80s memorabilia. Because even the most random people in Italy know I'm a junk collector, but they don't know that now I'm selling almost everything on Vinted (a European eBay) because I need money and space, haha. So when Thomas (what a great name, I want to use it for a new character) asks me to spruce up my studio with my 80s collections like a childish set... I do what I can with the little I have. All references to the 80s when I was a child. Now, in this documentary, I'm not very serious, I make jokes and use funny expressions, it's my character. But here I was pretty desperate because the heat was killing me and I was trying to put on a poker face. Since this blog is getting too long, I'll make a list of what I set up and see you next time!
80s SET PROPS LIST:
1 and 2 are my official character designs I made for the puppets "FIVE" the little dragon and "UAN" the pink dog, two characters from 80s children's shows. They were animated and voiced puppets like those from The Muppet Show.
3 and 4 are my Popples
5 is my PENNY record player (there's a vintage sticker with a V, but the record player is upside down)
6 and 7 are my Poochie inkpad stamps
8 and 9 are Sbirulino, our first TV clown, and Zorro...why are they together? Because in real life they were a husband and wife, comedians Sandra Mondaini and Raimondo Vianello. The album is for this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhpN7_ggz5Y&list=RDFhpN7_ggz5Y&start_radio=1 The wife is in the video and sings the song with Sbirulino's voice. Yes, I used to listen to this record as a child in 1981, it's mine.
10 the family home phone I inherited from my grandmother.
11 and 12 my mini ponies
13 the official Italian Poochie comic magazine, you don't have it.
14 there's a Smurf and two EXOGINI, you've never had them, they were little Italian collectible aliens... "official" RIPOFF from the Japanese Kinnikuman.
15 The RICCHI E POVERI album of the song "sarà perché ti amo" (It will be because I love you) link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9ozyZkI064&list=RDh9ozyZkI064&start_radio=1&ab_channel=MysticPlugRecordsII
16 and 17 you can see the SNORKS (they can be seen better in the other shots) they are these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRJHu66k3a8&list=RDjRJHu66k3a8&start_radio=1&ab_channel=Childofthe80s
18 The only anime poster I had at home: Lum from Urusei Yatsura, because Rumiko Takahashi is my all-time favorite author.
19 The ticket from the musical signed by the actors and the director.
20 Vintage cartoonist
V.
Comments
Kanbe Namura
I'm happy to hear that you were productive and pushed on through making these amazing projects (both the personal ones and the projects you helped out with), Vanessa! :D Also thank you for the awesome help numbering all the amazing items you had in your room. ^o^
Vanessa San
I shared a preview clip in the chat 👋
Erold
Woo! Good job, Vanessa! Yep, people can never get enough Astarion, so including him is probably a good business decision. XD Wow. Yeah, that is pretty random... And really cool! This is the first time where I've heard about something like this happening. I mean, an anime got really popular in Italy, got canceled, and then an live action adaptation was made IN ITALY for the rest of the manga? Just ... wow. It is always a wonderful thing I think when child actors grow up and still have a great fondness of their old roles. The best example I can think of is Karate Kid. To think, the child actors grew up, and then happily starred in the Kobra Kai show. It was amazing. :) "Because Italy is small." Pff! Compared to what? That's still millions of people! I'm sure it was your great skill and talent that drew them to you. :P Look at you being popular with the right people! :D And what a collection! You didn't have to be mean and point out that I don't have any of those things though. :') That "Vintage cartoonist" is a particularly rare one to have too. :P
