SKETCHES The inevitable advance of the computer has revolutionized the animation process and effectively eliminated the use of cels. Indeed, no new cels have been produced since at least 2004, if not 2003. So what is a poor cel collector to do? Many shows still use sketches, known as douga or genga, in the early stages. Though these are harder to get a hold of, they are all the production art that we're going to get. Sad, but true. I've been tempted into sketch collecting by a few of the fantastic shows that have come out recently, though unlike with cel collecting, it now takes a lot more than a pretty boy's face to convince me to buy the art. Full Metal Alchemist Argh, this show is just completely, utterly incredible. Edward has quickly become one of my favorite characters of all time, and Al isn't too far behind. The sketches, sadly, are few and far between, making them rather expensive. I was lucky to get this one of Ed for a decent price, and the charming Evilminion threw in the sketch of Al's belly extra. I'd love to have more, but we'll just see what the future brings.   Fruits Basket Fruits Basket is an amazing little shoujo series. It manages to tread the line between sweet and syrupy, and steals hearts in the process. The fact that it has many very attractive, angsty boys certainly helps. What I have here were both gifts from my friend Rei, who owns a small part of my soul. I'm still looking for a nice shot of Yuki, as well as Ayame.   Rah Xephon Rah Xephon is one of those rare shows that had me as soon as the first episode started. It's a gripping, dark, mysterious story with brilliant characters and an unpredictable plot. While some people may claim that it rips straight off of Neon Genesis Evangelion, in my mind Rah Xephon is the far superior show. And of course, I adore the main character, Ayato Kamino.    Twelve Kingdoms This is a show that does the alternative world formula RIGHT. More than any other show I've ever seen, 12K has beautifully believable characters and a world twisted and different from our own. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough. The series is broken up into different story arcs, each focusing on a different character. My personal favorite is the first, and the main character Youko. Because, honestly, she is amazing.   Angelic Layer *sniff* CLAMP's first ever all-digital show. No cels! And it doesn't look like they're ever going back. This is a great loss to the cel collecting world. Despite that, though, it's still a fantastic show, CLAMP's first attempt at the shonen genre, and it worked out incredibly well. Saiyuki While I'm not a rabid Saiyuki fan, I do find the character designs attractive about 90% of the time and I have deep love for a few of the characters. And hey... paper is cheap! X As a CLAMP fan, it was almost inevitable that I end up owning art from their most ambitious show to date. X is beautiful and gorgeous, but the art is hard to find!