Artist Highlight: 唠兽 (Xia Yu)
This was one of the first essences I starkly remember being smitten by when I first started playing the game.
I admittedly couldn't wait to do another one of these artist highlights because I found out who did the artwork for one of my favorite essence PVs. Season 25 Essence 2 introduced to us Night Watch aka Ithaqua who quickly became and remains a favorite amongst IDV players.
And I can't blame anyone for instantly falling in love with him after watching the video above. For me, it wasn't just the art style but his voice actor, Krishna Kumar (or Alexander), who really sold me when it came to Ithaqua. He definitely deserves a post of his own, similar to Miss Clarissa Jaye, Mime Artist and Toy Merchant's VA.
I still get chills seeing and listening to this shot along with the last one with Ithaqua and his brother. Morningstar still stands as one of, if not his best costume to date, in my opinion.
But the artist who helped developed the PV, Xia Yu, is another incredible talent who deserves to be highlighted in their own post. However, what else have they done? Well, you may have already guessed if you paid close attention to Ithaqua's PV.
Season 29 Essence 1 (November 2023)
Speaking of another player favorite, the essence that introduced "Fool's Gold," was also done by Xia Yu. The art style and even colors are so similar between the two trailers, it would be hard to mistake the artwork for someone else's.
The juxtaposition between both identities of Norton is always something I found so engaging to see from a lore standpoint at how Prospector reacts to the darker inner demon he carries within him. Credit: Xia Yu's Weibo. Check it out for more art boards of the PV.
Xia Yu did a really fantastic job of conveying the inner struggle of Prospector while showing "Fool's Gold" as the rather unhinged devil on his shoulder that wanted free reign to be let out to cause chaos.
To continue the pattern of community favorites, let's move on to another essence.
Season 24 Essence 1 (December 2022)
Our dear composer, Frederick Kreiburg, made his grand entrance with this rather stunning debut as a dragon hunter in a very intriguing storyline which deserves a post of its own.
While the colors are less vibrant compared to the other trailers, the splashes of color we see here and there help make the characters stand out more, especially Frederick.
Personally, I've always liked this costume of Frederick's mainly because I'm a sucker for fangs and his makes him look both very handsome and somehow cute at the same time.
The fangs are more visible here. Poster by CHA_CUBE, another incredible artist in the Identity V community who has contributed dozens upon dozens of pieces to the game.
As for Xia Yu's other works, I will list them down below:
Season 23 Essence 1 (September 2022)
An essence centered on Gardener aka Emma Woods. It looks quite different from the rest of the essence PVs listed here but even if the art style doesn't quite match up, this is still Xia Yu.
See here for more stills from Emma's essence.
I couldn't help but see the parallels between these two stills with both Emma and Ithaqua being framed with the ring around them resembling a dial of sorts decorated with spikes.
Mind you, this essence was the earliest of Xia Yu's works when it came to contributing their talent to Identity V, so perhaps that is why it's quite different.
Season 27 Essence 1 (June 2023)
This essence introduced us to Opera Singer or Sangria and is just as stunning as the rest of Xia Yu's works.
Admittedly, I don't see this costume much when I do get a Sangria in my lobbies which is a shame because it truly is a rather nice fit and is one of her best.
She looks so beautiful and yet this costume feels quite underappreciated. Credit: Xia Yu's ArtStation.
For those interested in seeing more of their works, Xia Yu is on several socials which I'll list below. Please continue to show lots of interest and love for artists like Xia Yu who have contributed so much to making the game feel so alive and loved through their artwork!
Weibo (may need a log in to view content)
