» sho•ga•nai! »oc contest___•WINNERS! pg 171

Ohsnap, hay gais!

June - Cuteness that can kick your a**	18.9%	[ 33 ]
Katsu - HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO MEEEE~?	19.4%	[ 34 ]
Vinicio - I dig a talent with words	10.9%	[ 19 ]
Naoki - Geeks are great	24.6%	[ 43 ]
Mikhail - Power to the people	10.3%	[ 18 ]
Seraphina - ):	16.0%	[ 28 ]
Total Votes:			[ 175 ]

[AkamatsuToki]

AkamatsuToki

Announcement:
All entrants please read this, as it may be beneficial to you.

I am moving the ending date of this contest due to the fact that there is only one category with the required number of entries met. I'd hate to have to cancel those other categories, as there are so many great entries that deserve recognition.

The new Work In Progress date is now Friday, June 5th
(I'll still accept things after this date, of course, but I'd like to see who's definitely entering.)
The new Deadline is a week later, Saturday, June 13th
I will get prizes out and a small awards post typed up on Sunday, June 14th

This will give you ample time to get work submitted. Tell your friends! xd I'd hate to cancel categories!

Hello and welcome to Shoganai!
I am the host of this contest, AkamatsuToki.
My friend FuyuMitsukai will also be holding some authority in here, so you're answering to us if something gets out of hand.
But you're all lovely people so I'm sure that won't be a problem.

A bit about me: I'm Toki. Eighteen, a senior in highschool, and very passionate about art. (If you're interested, here's my Deviant Art). My online gallery doesn't much show it, but I'm in AP Studio Art in school. I chose the name 'Shoganai!' for this contest (and the universe in which my OCs live) because of its translation 'it can't be helped'. All of my characters' experiences are sort of fated (BY ME, BAWHAWHAW) and intertwined. What happens can't be helped. (:

Ultimately I hope that this contest serves as a way to not only see
wonderful art from awesome artists, but to form acquaintances. I hope that
if you choose to hang, bump, participate--whatever-- that you enjoy yourself.

Good luck!

__________________


Judging: AkamatsuToki and FuyuMitsukai


START: March 3 END: May 3 RUNTIME: Approx three months
*WIPs due April 30th -- I may do something special for the first few entrants, so it might be a good idea to submit early. (:
Acceptable forms of entry: Digital art, traditional art, fiction -- pretty much anything you're good at!
__________________

DIRECTORY:
01. Intro
02. Rules, Formalities, Entry Form
03. Characters (June and Katsu)
04. Characters (Vinicio and Naoki)
05. Characters (Mikhail and Seraphina)
06. Categories (Prize info)
07. Tips and Hints
08. Entries
09. Freebies
10. Affiliations/Link to Me
11. Reserved




*NOTE: This contest will run like a typical contest, but as I gain funds for the prizes, the values of them will go up. For example, a category with a prize of 200K could inflate to 400K by the end of the contest. I'm using everything I've got on you guys! (:

*All characters in this thread are (c) me, AkamatsuToki, except for June Terres who is (c) FuyuMitsukai.

*Graphics by the wonderful Fuzzoo at blueprint V2.0.

[AkamatsuToki]

Just some rules; it can't be helped.
01. Follow the TOS

02. Bumping is great, conversation is better

03. Do NOT steal art

04. Please make sure you read through everything.

I know it may seem cut-and-dry but it's just a good habit to get into. And really, it's not that much to read. (:

05. Be respectful to myself, my entrants, and everyone involved.

06. I reserve the right to extend the deadline and make changes that I deem necessary, provided that it is reasonable and fair to the entrants.




So you want know how to go about entering ...

01. Either submit all entries to AkamatsuToki with the subject line Shoganai Entry, or enter in this thread.

*Use the form posted below.

02. You may submit as many times as you like but I will typically only consider you for first prize once.

HOWEVER, there may be a possibility of winning in a second category, if your second entry is astounding. I'll be the judge of it.

03. If there are too little entries in a category, I reserve the right to cancel that category.

I'm not going to be a d**k about it, but you understand. If this happens, all of the entrants in that category will receive... something. I'm not sure what, but it'll be something. For right now I'm going to say that the minimum number of submission for a category is five (5).

04. Just as a note, the 'couple' category isn't limited to a romantic couple. (:

So don't be bummed if you were heartset on some good ol' fashioned bromance or sibling love--it's allowed!

05. Entries will be accepted until the end date listed in the first post.


*The Entry Form:

[size=20]Shoganai!! -- It can't be helped:[/size]
[b]Username »»[/b] [Full username, plz]
[b]Entry »»[/b] [Any link will work. I will save them to my own server. (See note on writing submissions)]
[b]Category »»[/b] [Katsu, Mikhail, couple... Who are you sending to me?]
[b]Thoughts »»[/b] [What's the medium? Is there anything that you want me to pay special attention to?]

Shoganai!! -- It can't be helped: Here's what the form looks like.
Username »» AkamatsuToki
Entry »» www.lolthisisn'tareallink.com
Category »» June
Thoughts »» Please pay attention to the detail I used on her clothes.

*Note: If you are submitting a piece of writing, I'll work with you to make it easy. I'll accept any sort of original fiction website link (fictionpress, etc), e-mail (please specify so we can exchange addresses), or if it's relatively short you can just slap it into the PM body.)

[AkamatsuToki]

(June and Katsu)

JUNE TERRES
Age:18+
Personality: June refuses to be pushed around and prefers to be left alone most of the time. She is violent when angry, and terrible with giving advice (especially relationship advice). She has a very strong sense of morals and is very protective of her brothers, Katsu and Keita.
Hair/Eyes: Dyed white with purple tips. Eyes are green.
Things to Note: She has a beauty mark under her left eye and most often wears her hair in a clip. She loves skating and often wears sunglasses.

-----
History: June was born into a middle-class family only minutes before her brother. Their younger brother was born two years later. Life ran normally for the family until the twins were in highschool. Katsu, June's brother, got caught up with a gang despite her protests. When an incident involving Kaibutsusei put them both in mortal danger, Katsu was blamed and their mother split up the family, forcing June to change her name to her mother's maiden name. Soon after, June left to live with her brothers instead. She is currently studying to major in fashion design, and has no job to speak of as of yet. She lives on her own.

Relationships:
01. Katsu - Her twin brother
02. Vinicio - Mutual friend


References: [fuyu's][fuyu's][x][x]

KATSU NAKAMURA
Age: 18-21
Personality: Katsu is cocky and confident. He's a bit reluctant to show affection, and is totally embarrassed and indignant when he's on the receiving end of it. That being said, he's fiercely protective of his sister June and younger brother Keita (not pictured).
Hair/Eyes: Dyed white with red tips. Eyes are brown.
Things to Note:He has a beauty mark under his left eye (I list this because it's easy to miss, but it's very important). He has nine piercings: three left (two lobe, one cartilage), four right (two lobe, two cartilage), and a tongue stud. Guess where the ninth is, not that you'd ever draw it. He wears a gold band on his ring finger. Other than that, feel free to throw any kind of funky accessories onto him (collar would be nice, but not necessary). You can do whatever you want clothing-wise, too! He plays guitar in his spare time--it helped him focus while he was getting his life back together-- but it remains a hobby.

-----
History: Katsu was born to a middle-class family with a brother and a sister. In high school, he gained something of a reputation due to the thugs and gang--'Kaibutsusei'--he often roamed the streets with. After an incident involving his sister in his junior year, Katsu gave up his gang life and calmed down significantly, trying hard to get his grades up so that he could attend college. He finally started to turn his life around, and even began working part-time for a bar called 'Libellula'. This is where he met the owner, a strange young foreigner named Vinicio. Until this point Katsu had been in a few relationships with girlfriends in which his participation could have been described as apathetic--at best. Upon realizing his attraction to Vinicio, Katsu spent a long time hating himself, but eventually came out to his sister and summoned up the courage for a long heart-to-heart talk with his boss. Katsu was "fired" from Libellula when he and Vinicio started dating.

Relationships:
01. June - His twin sister
02. Vinicio - His boyfriend
03. Naoki - His roommate

References: [mine][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x][x]
The amount of Katsu I have drawn (and commissioned) is obscene,
so for if some weird reason this isn't enough,
just ask and I can hook you up. xD

[AkamatsuToki]

(Vinicio and Naoki)

VINICIO-DOMENICO VERRATTI
Age: 26
Personality: Vinicio is charming, polite, and pretty much an all-around gentleman. He's normally pretty popular with the ladies. He has a quick mind (he works as a consulting editor), and doesn't mind being affectionate (hurr, how stereotypical, right? XD).
Hair/Eyes:Hair is black and straight, slightly curled at the ends. His eyes are goldish.
Things to Note: His glasses have recently changed from the half-moon style to the style in the first example/the main image. He smokes (which Katsu hates), and wears a gold band on his ring finger. Katsu sometimes calls him Vincenzo just to be impish.

-----
History: Vinicio was born in a small town in the South of Italy. His mother, Seraphina Verratti, spitefully abandoned him as an infant on the steps of San Maria, the church in which the priest she'd had an affair with resided. Vinicio was taken in to San Maria's orphanage and was a constant source of guilt for Father Nicolo Mauro, Seraphina's former lover. Regardless, Father Mauro secretly intervened in any adoption attempts for Vinicio, and so San Maria was where he received most of his primary education. When he was eighteen, Vinicio left San Maria never knowing his parentage, and went to University in Florence. Bored with life and with brilliant credentials as a young entrepreneur, Vinicio decided to pack up and leave Italy. With the help of a ******** college friend, he opened a bar-lounge in downtown Tokyo--'Libellula', as well as simultaneously taking on the work of consultant editing. Katsu eventually came into his employment. Considering his upbringing, Vinicio had only ever been in a few (male) relationships, but consented to pursuing a relationship with Katsu at his request.

Relationships:
01. June - His friend
02. Katsu - His boyfriend
03. Mikhail - A client
04. Seraphina - His mother

References: [mine][x][x][x][x]

NAOKI MIYABITA
Age: 18-21
Personality: Naoki is a bit eccentric, and loses patience easily when his message is not properly conveyed. Besides that he's very friendly and outgoing when it suits him. He has a hard-on for technology and loves video games. Just.. keep in mind that he's eccentric. xD
Hair/Eyes: Dyed blond. Eyes are blue.
Things to Note: Nothing much to say here except for me apologizing for only having a few references. I'll post more as soon as I can.

-----
History: Naoki came from a rich family, but found that he didn't care for all of the pomp that goes into being a wealthy son. He would much rather lock himself in his room with the curtains drawn and tinker with his electronics. He chose electrical engineering as his major in college, where he became good friends with his roommate, Katsu. He makes fun of Katsu for not coming home sometimes, but assumes that he's got a girl and always covers for him when Katsu is missing a 'staying-out' slip. He and Katsu got off to a questionable start, but have come to consider each other as surrogate brothers.

Relationships:
01. June - Is interested in pursuing her
02. Katsu - Roommate

References: [doodles by me][chibi art by me]
I know there isn't much here, but I hope it's enough.

[AkamatsuToki]

(Mikhail and Seraphina)

MIKHAIL BERLIX
Age: 25
Personality: Mikhail isn't afraid to take a stand for what he believes in, wants others to do the same, and, while he means well, is very blunt. He finds human interaction fascinating, craving it himself. He loves stimulating conversation and could be considered a rabble-rouser.
Hair/Eyes: Mitya is a redhead. His eyes are OMFG-BLUE.
Things to Note: Mikhail is very nearly severely anaemic. He tires and gets cold easily, so drawing him without something to keep him warm is probably a no-no unless you like to see people freeze. If you draw him with a scarf, I'd really like it to be Burberry; this isn't necessary, of course, but it would be nice.

-----
History: Mikhail was born just north of Moscow into a lower-middle-class Jewish family of four. His father left when he was five (his younger sister two), and so he grew up very close to his mother. He is very devoted to his family, so it was a tough decision to move into the city for University. During his stay in the city, he met up with Maxim Yakovlev during a rally protesting the developing Russian-Chinese war, and the two became fast friends through their shared interest in almost every subject. Because Max's sister (who is an author herself) refused to do it for them, Mikhail and Maxim are writing a book together on their views. Max's sister did, however, offer them help in referring them to her editor, Vinicio. Through this experience, Vinicio became a good friend of Mikhail's.

Relationships:
01. Vinicio - Editor/friend/penpal
02. Katsu - Mutual friend through Vinicio

References: [hair][mine][x]

SERAPHINA VERRATTI
Age: Late thirties
Personality: Seraphina was once very kind, but became jaded and bitter after becoming a young mother and being abandoned by the father. She is normally depicted as sombre, though if you want to be nostalgic she can be happy too.
Hair/Eyes: Black, slightly curled. Eyes are gold.
Things to Note: Calla lilies are a motif, but not required. Feel free to dress her however you want to; colours of mourning seem to be standard.

-----
History: Seraphina was a devout woman who caught the eye of Father Mauro, priest of San Maria. They had an affair, and when Seraphina found herself pregnant at the age of twenty, Father Mauro denied responsibility. Ashamed at not having a father to her child, Seraphina split town, but not before leaving her child to be found by the clergy. It was her intent that looking at what only he would know to be his own, Father Mauro would feel the grief she felt every time he saw Vinicio. Seraphina has not been heard from since.
Relationships:
01. Vinicio - Her son

References:[mine][mine][x][x]

[AkamatsuToki]

As of RIGHT NOW, the prize total is 2,200,000
It can only get bigger! (:
I will try my hardest to get some good second-place prizes in here too.

Best June - 100,000
This category will largely be judged by FuyuMitsukai, but the winner of it will receive at least 100K.
Best Katsu - 100,000
The winner of this category will receive at least 100K. I will be looking for a number of things in this section, accuracy of characterization being one of them.
Best Mikhail - 100,000
The winner of this category will receive at least 100K. I am mainly looking for accuracy in character design in this one.
Best Naoki - 100,000
The winner of this category will receive at least 100K. I am mainly looking for accuracy in character design in this one.
Best Vinicio - 100,000
The winner of this category will receive at least 100K. A lot of information was given for Vinicio, so I am looking for a spot-on portrayal here (it's not hard to do).
Best Seraphina - 100,000
The winner of this category will receive at least 100K. I will be very lenient in this category as it's not your fault that I have little information on her. xD Consider this a 'safe' category; her guidelines are very, very standard.

Best Couple:
Like I said, 'couple' does not have to be limited to a romantic couple. All of the characters in this contest are related in some way or another, so any image with two of them will be considered as a couple image.
1st Place - 400,000
2nd Place - 250,000

Best Writing - 100,000
I am adding this in on a whim to see how interested people are. I'm not really sure what to expect, to be honest, so I guess I'll just say that if you submit a work of writing I'll be most looking for accuracy of characters. Scenario and length is up to you.


Other Funds - Here are some of the items that I have at my disposal for other prizes.
June 2007 Letter x2
July 2007 Letter
September 2007 Letter x2
November 2007 x3
May 2008 Letter
August 2008 Letter

[AkamatsuToki]

Listed below are some things that I like in art.
Whether or not you include them is up to you, and they certainly aren't
dependent on your winning a category!

Colour- Burgundy is my favourite colour, but I also like high saturation as well as black and white.
Songs in Art- Meaning lyrics. I love meaningful lyrics used in art. Here are some of my favourite bands: The Beatles, Peter Gabriel, L'arc-En-Ciel, Dir En Grey and Miyavi (specifically for Katsu art *hint hint*), John Lennon, Wham!, The Gazette, Marillion .. And anything that you see works! Words are powerful.
Scenarios- Every day scenes, like Vinicio pulling an all-nighter for a deadline, or Naoki with some sort of new gadget. (I realise that this one may be a bit more complicated if you don't know the characters in-depth. I tried to provide enough information to make this a bit more possible)
Language- I'm a sucker for foreign languages. (:
Humour- Dialogue isn't necessary, of course, but if you can make me laugh I have a great respect for you.

[AkamatsuToki]

June: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x]

Katsu: [x] [x] [x] [x]

Vinicio: [x] [x] [x]

Naoki: [x] [x] [x] [x]

Mikhail: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x]

Seraphina: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x]

Couple: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x]

Writing: [x]

[AkamatsuToki]

Here are ways that you can earn freebies:

Affiliation. It seems like I don't have the time to affiliate as of right now, so I'll do this: The first person to affiliate me with five different threads will receive a bust-shot of their avatar. Post the other threads here and I'll put them on my list.

Frequent chatters: Not going to say specifics, but really, I'd like some company here.

First entry: Mylicious (Pending)

First post every fifteen pages - Headshot
Page 15 - Cinvi
Page 30 - MeiXian
Page 45 - FuyuMitsukai
Page 60- MeiXian/Shmooki
Page 75- fox shaped sticky notes


Pickup:
[Cinvi][MeiXian][FuyuMitsukai]
[Shmooki][fox shaped sticky notes]

[AkamatsuToki]

[url=http://tinyurl.com/b4bra3][img]http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt301/ShoganaiContest/Setup/ShoBlinkie.gif[/img][/url]

[url=http://tinyurl.com/b4bra3][IMG]http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt301/ShoganaiContest/Setup/ShoBannerSig.jpg[/IMG][/url]

[url=http://tinyurl.com/b4bra3][IMG]http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt301/ShoganaiContest/Setup/ShoBanner.jpg[/IMG][/url]

If you would like to affiliate, please post your code in this thread.

[AkamatsuToki]

Reserved.

[AkamatsuToki]

[Shmooki]

heart

Toki said I could have this spot, and I'll be damned if I won't use it occasionally.

Much Love for Toki.

ACCEPT MY TRADE ALREADY, GODDAMN. gonk

[AkamatsuToki]

Ohsnap.

[AkamatsuToki]

I should start affiliating...


...Tomorrow. XD