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You'll have to recognize them all before you can catch 'em all. Which of these manga characters did you grow up with? Sotheby's auction and selling exhibition of Manga collectibles is to date the largest selling assemblage in Hong Kong.
M anga is having a moment, especially as many of us are finding comfort in revisiting some of our favorite animation from childhood – finding once again the enchantment of these fantasy worlds and the enduring charm of beloved characters. Gathered here are highlights of Manga, a selling exhibition with a unique collection of drawings and original Animation Celluloid Pictures. Sotheby’s specialists have chosen their favorite images which include scenes from Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Anpanman, and Doraemon, as well as features from Studio Ghibli and Toei Animation. Scroll ahead to discover all of their choices and compare them with your own favorites.
Florence Ho
“Studio Ghibli’s characters never cease to enchant me. Every single protagonist steps out of their comfort zone, often arriving at a new environment and coming face-to-face not only to differences they confront in others, but also to their own unexplored potential. Every scene is a marvelous revelation!”
Florence Ho, Junior Specialist
- KIKI & SENIOR WITCH
- TOTORO
- SHEETA
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KIKI & SENIOR WITCH“Kiki’s Delivery Service” by Studio Ghibli is the story of a young witch who leaves her traditional family home to find her own way in the big city. Between modern life in the city, work, and loneliness, Kiki struggled at first. She started off a bit shaky on her broom, but with determination and persistence managed to succeed and started her delivery service. Early in her training, Kiki meets the senior witch, an arrogant teen who is confident and slightly boastful of her own abilities.
KIKI AND SENIOR WITCH ANIMATION CEL | acrylic on cel | Executed in 1989 | Estimate: 40,000 - 60,000 HKD -
TOTORO“My Neighbor Totoro” carries with it Shinto notions of the natural world, where everything from the animate and seemingly inanimate possess a spirit of their own. Viewed from the perspective of a city dweller transplanted to a satoyama, a rural village by the mountain, the film by Studio Ghibli brings the fields and the woods to life — from dewy blade of grass to clusters of dust motes carried along the wind, or the totoro creatures earnestly going about their daily lives.
TOTORO ANIMATION CEL | acrylic on cel | Executed in 1988 | Estimate: 70,000 - 90,000 HKD -
SHEETA“Castle in the Sky” by Studio Ghibli is steampunk fantasy set in impoverished mining village, where the inhabitants toil and barely clinging on as they face of a future of rapidly depleted resources. In contrast, the mythical Laputa, the titular castle in the sky, was a technological advanced community that managed to coexist with nature until disaster devastated the city and forced inhabitants to flee their ecological utopia. An orphan nicknamed Sheeta possesses an amulet that is thought to hold the secrets to Laputa, and with her friend Pazu, they try to save the floating city from military exploitation, greedy pirates, and other widespread nefarious technological aims.
SHEETA SKETCH | colour pencil on paper | Executed in 1985-1986. | Estimate: 80,000 - 100,000 HKD
Heather Kim
“There will always be that one favorite character from childhood that shapes your world. Whether you admit it or not, it remains vivid and stays with you through adulthood.”
Heather Kim, Specialist
- DORAEMON AND FRIENDS
- KIKI & TOMBO
- ANPANMAN
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DORAEMON AND FRIENDSFor half a century, the blue cat Doraemon has been a beloved fixture of many a childhood. From the studios of Shin-Ei Animation, the series “Doraemon” was created during a time of rapid technological change in 1970s Japan as electronics and modern appliance were being mass marketed. Besides being a robot himself, Doraemon can produce from his pocket all manner of nifty gadgets to bail his unspectacularly average boy companion, Nobita, and friends out from tight spots. Many of these gadgets are highly impractical and prone to backfiring. But one of the more functional and most well-known of these was the take koputa, helicopter blades with suction cups that enable the wearer to fly.
DORAEMON AND FRIENDS ANIMATION CEL | acrylic on cel | Executed in 1997-2002 | Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000 HKD -
KIKI & TOMBO“Kiki’s Delivery Service” is a coming-of-age story by Studio Ghibli that chronicles the struggles of a young girl as she strikes out on her own. Initially Kiki is faced with alienation and indifference in the big city, but gradually she find companions that help her feel less alone. The bespectacled Tombo is a boy obsessed with aviation and thus fascinated by Kiki’s ability to fly. Because he is socially awkward and clearly smitten, Kiki is at first standoffish toward him. But eventually, they become good friends.
KIKI AND TOMBO ANIMATION CEL | acrylic on cel | Executed in 1988-1989 | Estimate: 40,000 - 60,000 HKD -
ANPANMANOne of the most enduring anime superheroes is Anpanman by Telecom Animation Film, a crimefighter with a red-bean-paste filled bun for a head. To help those in need, our hero literally sacrifices himself, allowing the hungry to eat chunks taken from his face. This selfless act weakens Anpanman, but his ally, the baker Uncle Jam, can help the headless hero regenerate by providing freshly made buns. If the premise seems outlandish at first, young fans are won over by Anpanman’s acts of generosity and kindness, and he ranks as one of the most popular superheroes of all time.
ANPANMAN ANIMATION CEL | acrylic on cel | Executed in 1988-1990 | Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000 HKD
Debby Yip
“These works evoke feelings of joy and nostalgia, unlocking childhood memories that you thought had been forgotten.”
Debby Yip, Graduate Trainee
- TOTORO
- DORAEMON & FRIENDS
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TOTORO"My Neighbor Totoro" doesn’t have heroes or villains. Studio Ghibli's film takes place in the countryside near a forest where fluffy woodland spirits dwell, and these totoro collect acorns, take naps under the canopy of giant trees and occasionally place leaves on their heads to protect themselves from rain. Their encounters with the human characters in the film present a charming vision of harmonious coexistence with nature.
TOTORO ANIMATION CEL | acrylic on cel | Executed in 1988 | Estimate: 70,000 - 90,000 HKD -
DORAEMON & FRIENDSThe backstory of Doraemon is that he was a robot cat sent from the future to help the 10-year-old Nobita, an ordinary child from a middle-class family who struggled in school, and as it turns out, never distinguished himself. Doraemon’s task was to help nudge the hapless tween along and improve his prospects. The everyday setting and the characters made the series by Shin-Ei Animation highly relatable and thus popular, while the fantastical futuristic elements augmented that realism with a small measure of wish fulfillment.
DORAEMON AND FRIENDS ANIMATION CEL | acrylic on cel | Executed in 1997-2002 | Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000 HKD
Michele Chan
"After my first day of elementary school, I went home to ask my mother what 'Sailor Moon' was, because it was all the craze in the classroom. Later on I remember eagerly looking forward to my daily after-school dose of Pokemon on TV. It is a joy to see these iconic characters light up our galleries!"
Michele Chan, Head of Research
- SAILOR MOON & GUARDIANS
- PIKACHU
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SAILOR MOON & GUARDIANS"Sailor Moon" by Toei Animation was a series from the 1990s that offered powerful insights on feminism and empowerment of young women. The series featured heroines who were Sailor Senshi (“Sailor Warriors”) that appeared to be average teenage girls but can transform into powerful guardians against villains from space. The concept proved to have widespread appeal and it redefined a whole genre of manga that featured groups of strong female protagonists.
SAILOR MOON AND GUARDIANS ANIMATION CEL | acrylic on cel | Executed in 1992-1993 | Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000 HKD -
PIKACHUEven after two decades, Pokemon endures as a pop culture phenomenon. Appearing in the mid-90s, the manga was based on the original game for Nintendo Gameboy, where players catch these “pocket monsters” and train them battle, focusing on different strengths and innate characteristics of these creatures. Key to the appeal were the pokemon's cuteness and the many variations, including of course the famous rodent with electricity-storing capability Pikachu. Plus the notion and catch phrase “Gotta Catch ’Em All” certainly plays to a collector’s completist sensibility.
PIKACHU ANIMATION CEL | acrylic on cel | Executed in 1998-1999| Estimate: 40,000 - 60,000 HKD
Shea Lam
“Sailor Moon was my world through ages 6 to 9. The Mickey Mouse sketch is a classic and quite rare to come across. It would look very chic at a waiting room or bathroom!
Shea Lam, Specialist
- SAILOR MOON
- MICKEY MOUSE
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SAILOR MOONFor many girls during the 1990s, the series “Sailor Moon” by Toei Animation offered at the time rare examples of positive female role models. Among them is Usagi, who gives her alter ego name to the series. She isn’t set up as a model of perfection and is in many ways quite ordinary. Despite her cute appearance, the character has relatable flaws, can be klutzy, lazy, and a little too boy-crazy. This was groundbreaking at the time as it asserts the idea that one needn’t be of noble birth, a saint, a demi-god, superhuman or otherwise infallible in order to save the world.
SAILOR MOON ANIMATION CEL | acrylic on cel | Executed in 1994-1995 | Estimate: 40,000 - 60,000 HKD -
MICKEY MOUSEAlthough Japanese animation found its beginnings in the early twentieth century, it was during the mid-century that the art form began to flourish. In the 1940s animation genius Osamu Tezuka created works that would earn him the name “god of manga” or the “Walt Disney of Japan.” A towering figure in the field, Tezuka said that the cinematic works of Walt Disney, which had been developing concurrently in the U.S., had been a significant influence on his own art.
MICKEY MOUSE SKETCH FOR WALT DISNEY NEWSPAPER COMIC ART | paper collage and pen on paper | Executed circa 1960s | Estimate: 40,000 - 60,000 HKD
