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[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

This was an early draft of the fallen angel.

When you click "Show more", you'll get to read part of my vision for this illustration. I believe it's valuable for minters to have context about the depth of the artwork, because it sets a different scale of expectations compared to what they might be used to.

"In this scene I would like to show an angel that is in the process of falling from heaven (metaphorically and literally). The main notable details would be that the halo of the angel is shattered and turning from gold to black. And that the wings of the angel are falling apart. In the world of Majin, the demons on earth are former angels that fell from heaven. When an angel falls from heaven, it loses its wings and the halo shatters and turns black (they still wear them above their head, but it’s now black and not intact anymore with particles floating around the black broken halo). When fallen angels reach earth, they hit the ground with loud thunder and lightning-type impact and explosion.
This moment of the angel falling would also foreshadow the transformation of the angel into a demon. That being said, I would still very much like for this scene to have a heavenly feeling to it and overall be bright / colorful. Maybe at the bottom there could be an indication of darkness. I would also like that the scene feels weightless. Like in zero gravity. It can also show almost an endless space of infinity.
The point of the illustration would be to show how beautiful heaven is but at the same time convey that the angel slowly realizes desperation / sadness from losing their position and being exiled from heaven — something which is a very dramatic moment."

My full vision combined with the character sheet, scene references and talent of the artist then allows us eventually create the final masterpiece.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

In order for the collection and lore to be congruent it was important to build the world first and not just throw a bunch of PFPs onto the blockchain. I understand this is the way it has been done so far in the NFT space, but that creates a plethora of issues further down the road.
For example, right from the start you’re limited with the depth and authenticity of the lore. Because you have to come up with a story and meaning after the fact. That’s never going to be fully convincing and believable. And it’s one of the main weaknesses most on-chain IPs suffer from.
Another problem is that your future artwork, story, animations etc. is now dictated by randomly generated characters. None of them have an actual personality or justification for their existence. I believe most collectors and holders can feel that whenever a brand tries to go beyond being just a collection. Maybe it’s also the reason why even the biggest successes we have seen are primarily sold as gimmicks or toys, and not something that comes with the same charisma or weight as "real" IPs.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

We'll stream live tomorrow in the @vvvdotnet Discord server.

Tune in for new art, fresh alpha, EXP codes, and chips rewards!

5 pm CET / 8 am PT / 11 am ET

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

The private test run of our version of Squid Game is now live.

Once we verified everything works correctly and cheating is hard / impossible, you'll soon be able to participate to unlock server access, WL spots, and more.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

Looks like we got invaded by @BEANZOfficial over night. Show me your PFPs 👇👀

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

You voted, so we will make it happen.

Get ready for the first livestream outside of the private Majin server!

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

The lifespan of great IP in the NFT world is much longer than you'd expect.
@cryptopunks has been around for 9 years.
This means as a new creator today you need to have a long-term vision. Otherwise you won't achieve the steadfastness of OG bluechips.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

Another Sunday night, scheming and dreaming about world domination.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

One interesting observation I made is that trait rarity not always dictates price.

Meaning certain traits might be more rare on paper but less valued by collectors. And other traits might be slightly more common but highly sought after because of their aesthetics.

That further means, especially early on, be very careful what you buy/sell. Because the market will reprice traits according to taste, and not solely based on rarity numbers.

On the other hand, if you have a good feeling for what people might value visually, you could be able to make some great buys before the prices increase.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

One key aspect I pursue is variety and creative diversity amongst traits and items. I believe this is what makes collections interesting to holders and where you as the creator can showcase your passion for the project.
That's why I go out of my way to avoid conventional traits that have already been (over)done by other collections (for example laser eyes, pirate hat, zombie).

But the real challenge is that you can't get rid of "boring" traits per se. Because the less desirable traits are those which differentiate floor NFTs from more expensive ones. That means you kind of have to make some characters less cool or more plain. Otherwise you might dilute the value at the top.
Then, yet again, you do not want floor NFTs to look bad. Otherwise the collection is not attractive to new buyers or you potentially hurt the quality of the brand.

So I'm working very carefully on making floor NFTs look great, but grails phenomenal... while at the same time balancing a clear visual differentiation between rarities.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

This is one of the earliest concepts for the worldbuilding of Majin. The purpose of these illustrations is to visualize ideas for the brand. It’s also a way to test the color palette, get a better feeling for the “vibe”, place items or traits within the world of Majin, and to explore how we can communicate scale through art.
Again, this is just a concept so don’t get too attached to it. But a variation of the "black broken halo" will be one of the many traits in the collection.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

"Kill Bill" is actually based on a Japanese manga from 1972. The original title was called "Lady Snowblood" (later also released as a movie).

And because Tarantino is a fan of Ghost in the Shell, he hired the Japanese animation studio that produced the Ghost in the Shell movie from 1995. They then created the animated backstory of O-Ren Ishii which is literally an anime sequence within the "Kill Bill" movie.

Another influence for "Kill Bill" was the manga "Lone Wolf and Cub" from 1970.

And the iconic yellow tracksuit of the "Kill Bill" main character (Uma Thurman) was taken from the Hong Kong movie "Game of Death" with Bruce Lee.

Japan and the East have forever inspired and fascinated the West. Either directly or indirectly.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

Just like Naruto, Jujutsu Kaisen, and One Piece, we follow the tradition of chibi / SD (ちび・スーパーデフォルメ) content for bonus material, non-canon segments, and behind-the-scenes illustrations.
From a business perspective, this is commercially valuable because chibi / SD formats naturally translate into merchandise, social media content, short animated clips etc.
But it also gives Majin a clear separation between the main canon (serious, dark, beautiful, high-impact character art) vs. the chibi / SD style, which functions as a lighter, non-canon extension of the world.
This is a proven approach within anime / manga culture which allows a brand to keep its main story and visual identity while creating lighter, more accessible content that new fans can enjoy.
We want Majin to be authentic Japanese through and through. So we learn from the most successful franchises and empower our Japanese artists to uphold traditions and the highest standards.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

This is a quick insight into how DeGods created their character for the y00t collection.
The big takeaway is that a lot of experimenting is necessary and sufficient time needs to be spent in exploring the art direction. Because collectors and holders historically have shown to appreciate originality, attention to detail, and passion.
Which means: the more you put into getting the style and characters right, the greater the chances for the collection to moon.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

This early concept visualizes the relationship of a character with her companion.
These little friends are part of the collection and play a vital role in Majin. But be careful: they are not just rare and cute. They protect their owners and may at times display unexpected capabilities.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

Brands like Azuki or DeGods had massive traction because they did things differently. They gave the industry something entirely new.
And they both followed very specific steps to build their collections. It’s important for us to learn from them so that we can push the space further and make NFTs exciting again.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

We create the universe first, and then place our NFTs, traits, grails, etc. in it.
The old recipe of launching a 10k collection into a void, and then coming up with lore and meaning after the fact won't work anymore. It's not convincing enough to compete with bluechips.
That's why we have to take it further. Yes, the metaverse might not become a reality, but just like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars built their own worlds, we aim to do the same, because it's a proven way to make an IP mainstream compatible and attractive to an audience beyond web3.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

Watch 'till the end to for a peak at some of the characters and demons in MAJIN.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

In our pursuit of timeless aesthetics, we take inspiration from the Greek and Roman Empires.

[Majin 魔人 @majinbrand]

How detailed is your art?
Me: Yes.