#GX with more episodes styled like this would've been gorgeous [and we do get scenes that come close with Gil-bo Noh's work] but these help

[kaiowut99]

Appreciation post for some of the quick, pretty (or quality [affectionate]) in-between frames in Teardrop V1, courtesy of Kenichi Hara and the other OP/END Creators: Junpei Ogawa, Futoshi Higashide, Sono Kato, Aoi Kisaragi, Takayuki Noguchi, and Masayuki Hiraoka. your work on all that cake is much appreciated

There are a bunch of nice shots in the scene as they're setting up to duel, but I love that closeup on Manjoume that lasts for 2-3 frames, and that one transition shot between Kenzan and Shou where Kenzan is confidently passing the baton to Shou (still enjoy how their friendship arc went in Season 2). Neos's cake aside, that other shot is just funny to me--"Neos offers you [your least-favorite thing], do you accept?" And then with a down Judai in this version, there are these frames with some melancholy to his face, ending with him seeming to force a smile and "act tough," as the lyrics describe. The lineart and use of thick lines here/there really helps too, and the song is just always fantastic. 10/10, someone hug Judai

Bonus: the V2 equivalents of those last six frames, as Judai finds his feet yet still steels himself for what's to come (as this version started being used as the duel with Professor Satou and the question of what he duels for come up):

BONUS Bonus: rejoice, the dub ate some cake too: