Hey, Look!!

Look Magazine, 22 November, 1938: with Germany re-arming and war looming on the horizon, Claudette Colbert still managed to steal the cover spot :) The image seemed to be based on a publicity still from Zaza (odd, considering the film wasn't released until 1939; no doubt Paramount was eager to cash in on the spectacle of the talented Ms Colbert revealing her frilly underthings).

It's interesting to compare this cover shot with stills and posters from the same movie (both B&W and color). Unfortunately, the Hays Code didn't allow for garters and stocking tops back in the day...

Marujita Díaz

A leggy shot of Marujita Díaz from La Casta Susana (1963)...

 

 along with a more "wide-screen" version:

 

 

 

Tried to enlarge the images via AI;  will leave the final judgments up to the viewers:

 

2022 Winter Spectacular

Yes, the title says it all. Our good friend Tisa has produced yet another show-stopping extravaganza to ring in the new year, and we guarantee it'll rank high on everybody's Christmas list. Clocking in at a staggering thirty minutes, it is amongst the most innovative of Tom's animated films, featuring superb choreography, exceptional costume designs and impeccable camera work from start to finish. Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, TISAstudios presents the 2022 Winter Spectacular!!

https://www.youtube.com/

High-Res Screencaps

Gloire Soit!

Today, we have some old screencaps from the Glory Bee cartoons of the 1940s. According to Mark Donstein's Toonopedia, the animated shorts of the postwar period were collected and restored by Le Cine Achive De Paris and released in a DVD Boxed Set in 2006 (proving that French preservation societies treat animated material with far greater respect than the original American studios do themselves). However, as the Glory Bee Collection is only available in Europe, screencaps from the series are virtually unknown in America.

Title Card

2022 Halloween Show

OK, we're a few days late reposting this one, but Tisa's 2022 Halloween Show is an absolute blockbuster! Clocking in at a spectacular twenty-six minutes, it features (at least) seven classic dance numbers with some of the most innovative choreography and camerawork we've seen thus far. Be sure to watch to the very end; the final bows and encores are well worth the wait. Our heartfelt thanks to Tom for this superb animated extravaganza.

Youtube video

Hi-Res Photos

Tirol Chocolate: The Update

September 2022: the Tirol Chocolate Company has released the latest update of their Legendary Commercial, and following established tradition, they've approached the Tricolor Angels to star in the remake. On this occasion, Anna, Ava and Sarah are doing the honors, following the movements of the original as closely as possible:

Art and Animation by TISA. The video may be viewed at:

https://ecchi.iwara.tv/videos/okny7hab2oiboejz6 (NSFW).

Tisa Returns!

Just in time for our "bicentennial," Tisa makes his triumphant return with this undisputed masterpiece. Lasting more than six minutes, The August Show is a tour-de-force of lighting and special effects, featuring a wide array of flips, swats and the ever-popular Royal Flash!

 

 

 

 

Animation on Youtube.
High Resolution Screencaps.

Let's talk about cultural dissonance...

Back in the 1960s, the Chirrol Chocolate company produced an animated commercial meant to appeal to children. It featured three bishojo characters singing "ふりふりフレーク、チロルチョコ～," which (liberally translated) means something like "shakey-shakey-shakey, Chirrol Chocolate-ah!" The cartoon ended with the girls raising their skirts to reveal their underwear. Most people found it cute and funny; apparently, kids used to sing it on the way to school. Kawaii desu, no big deal.

Fast forward thirty year or so, and the company decides to remake the ad in 1994. Social values have changed, agendas are being pushed, and suddenly, we have thousands of moral guardians mounting a letter-writing campaign to the government, demanding that the "obscene commercial" be banned until the end of time. Apparently, the local P & T association had leapt onto the PC bandwagon that the West had been pushing for the past few decades.

You'd think that the average Japanese politician would have more important things to deal with than a harmless TV commercial, but naturally, the Puritan Brigade got their way as they always do. The advertisement was censored, all copies of the print destroyed, and a valuable piece of popular culture was lost to history. Apparently, nobody and nothing is safe from these self-righteous killjoys, regardless of where they happen to live.

Rediscovered!

Our special thanks to Gerry-AAB for providing this previously unseen MMD footage by Tisa. From what Gerry tells us, this piece was a private commission dating from February 2022:

As always, Tisa's animation is of the highest professional calibre, featuring exceptional choreography, camera angles and special effects. To quote Gerry himself, "He did such an amazing job on it, and I couldn't be any more proud!" We're in complete agreement there - the twirling sequences are a particularly impressive addition to the general repertoire, which we hope to see repeated in the near future.

Afternoon Delights?

More evidence that Japan is home to the most advanced civilization on the face of the planet: while Western kids were raised on a steady diet of Scooby Doo, Groovie Goolies and Everything's Archie, Japanese pre-teens were fed a healthy blend of panty shots and lingerie scenes via the popular media.

Chargeman Ken

 

Yes, it's all completely true: back in the late sixties, Japanese audiences were treated to scenes like this literally every day after school. Japanese Animation (anime, for the uninitiated) had a long history of fan service, particularly where young female characters were concerned. As the years wore on, the cartoons became increasingly more risque, leading to impromptu stripteases in shows like Cutie Honey (1973) and Majokko Megu Chan (1974). 

Majokko Megu-Chan

Sure beats the heck out of Sabrina the Teenaged Witch, doesn't it? All kidding aside however, it's worth noting that live action panchira was extremely popular on Japanese TV, so the transition to anime was probably inevitable. Despite periodic outcries from P&T groups and child welfare advocates, the trend caught on and soon became a staple of the cartoon industry. In the space of thirty years, fan service went from this in 1970:

Mahou No Mako-Chan

 

...to this in 2000.

Gakko No Kaidan

Viewed as cute and harmless (if a little risque), shows like Gakko No Kaidan and Read Or Die were aimed at a young demographic, mainly adolescents and middle-schoolers. Most of the humor was family friendly; kids could laugh at the jokes while their parents smiled at the frequent innuendos.

 

Read Or Die

La Flash Royalê

The Royal Flash is a dance step predominantly featured in the French Cancan, in which the dancer bends over from the hip and throws her skirts over her head, revealing her pantied bottom to the audience. Originally conceived as a way of mocking bourgeois social values, it is now often employed as the climax to the dance.

Lily demonstrates a classic Royal Flash.

In recent years, a similar form of social mockery has emerged in the guise of Twerking. Gaining popularity in night clubs and street festivals, twerking consists of thrusting the hips and shaking the bottom in time to a baseline rhythm. While the routine may be performed in jeans or shorts, many women opt to fold back their hemlines (levanta falda in Spanish) to exhibit their g-strings or tangas.

Ava reveals her best side to the audience.

 

 From:The Two Faces of Doctor Jekyll (1963)

 Download video from https://www.patreon.com

The Christmas Pageant

With Christmas swiftly approaching, Reverend Chapel is keen to raise money for Miyamae General Hospital. Knowing that two of his parishioners are members of The Fabulous Five, the good minister asks Sarah and Anna if they can throw a charity performance on December 24. Both girls agree that the event is worth staging and promise to discuss the idea with their dance company.

Following a prolonged discussion, Karen suggests that they dress up in nurses' uniforms to surprise the elderly patients. More debate follows, but eventually, all of them assent to wearing candy-striper outfits with white panties and black stockings underneath. Taking their cue from a famous British comedy series, they will "shock" the audience with an impromptu cancan (ala The Benny Hill Show). 

 

A few days later, Karen and Sarah go to visit local celebrity Mia Szorkova, asking her to put in an appearance. This naturally requires a considerable degree of persuasion, as Mia is lead singer of rival pop band MIASMA. Under normal circumstances, the two groups would never work together, but given the charitable nature of the enterprise, Mia agrees that she and The MIASMAS will contribute their skills, albeit wearing different costumes.

Meanwhile, Lily and Ava contact Leona Alvarez (chief choreographer for GirlFest) to ask if she can help out with the Pageant. Upon hearing their plans, Leona suggests that she and her troupe could dress in French Maid uniforms, serving food and drinks before launching into a third rendition of the cancan (ala The Two Ronnies Christmas Special). This is exceptionally good news: now there will be three dance groups performing at the Show. Together, they'll raise a small fortune and give the old folk a Christmas present they'll never forget...

 

Love those frilly panties!

Artwork by Tisa. Click these links for the animated videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-pKWp9vB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g78FKi_PEL4

Tricolor Angels: The Three Graces

In ancient Greek mythology, The Three Graces were the daughters of Zeus - Joy, Splendor and Ecstasy. In Tricolor Angels, they are the cousins of Jessica, the Muse of Dance. When Lily and Ava descend to Hades in search of their lost friends, Jessica summons the three Graces to help them find their way. In common with Jessica, the Graces are expert dancers, inspiring happiness in even the lowest pits of hell. They eventually join Ava and Lily, dancing before Pluto during the Final Contest.

古代ギリシャ神話では、三美神はゼウスの娘-喜び、素晴らしさ、エクスタシーでした。トリコロールエンジェルでは、彼らはジェシカのいとこです。リリーとアヴァが失われた友人を探してハーデスに降りるとき、ジェシカは3人のグレイスを召喚して彼らが道を見つけるのを助けます。ジェシカと同じように、グレイセスは熟練したダンサーであり、地獄の最も低いピットでさえ幸せを刺激します。最終的に彼らはファイナルコンテスト中にプルートーの前で踊り、AvaとLilyに加わります。

https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm35520679

Screencap Gallery