For original cinema performance puppets, each puppet weighs an average of 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds), while their height could range, on average, from 74cm (2'5") to around 80cm (2'7"). Their height can go beyond 90cm (2'11").
Urobuchi revealed via Taiwan's gratitude event that since he finished the script and sealed the deal on the series' scenario way before the character designs and puppets were finalized, he kinda regretted killing off Lie Mei by the time he saw her finalized image since she came out extremely adorable.
One of the more notable events that helped push Urobuchi forward in collaborating with Pili International Multimedia to make Thunderbolt Fantasy was the sudden death of his favorite character in the Pili series he brought home with him on DVD. RIP Bǎi Lǐ Bīng Hóng, your name will be forever remembered. Even the Urobutcher himself couldn't believe that Anyone Can Die in Pili!
All There in the Manual: Due to the TV series being only 13 episodes, Urobuchi and Pili Co. answers most of their characters' backstories via interviews, behind the scenes commentaries, events, and art books. Bonus story plots containing the backstories of the events between Sha Wu Sheng and Lin Xue Ya, Shou Yun Xiao and Juan Can Yun, and the Dan Siblings that were cut from TV production has been included within the Thunderbolt Fantasy Dual-Language DVD Complete Box Set version note This is the Taiwanese manufactured version, not the Japanese manufactured version. The Taiwanese version has 2 release formats: one is weekly released DVDs containing single episodes in Min-Nan Chinese audio, with behind-the-scenes making and interviews, totaling 13 discs when finished collecting; the second would be the aforementioned dual-language complete box set containing Japanese/Min-Nan Chinese audio, Chinese and English subtitles, behind-the-scenes making/interviews, and character backstories. The Japanese version releases Blu-ray/DVD under 4 separate volumes containing only Japanese audio, Chinese subtitles, and Japanese cast commentary. released on December 2016. The catch is, each DVD set will embed random excerpts, which means, fans must come togetherto piece all stories together.
Backstory: During the Taiwanese gratitude event, fans asked "why can't armies of Xuan Gui Zong Mooks even kill 7 people?" Urobuchi responded the mooks are normally, personally trained by Mie Tian Hai. But the Tian Xing Jian event developed way too rapidly. Therefore, his mooks have no choice but to go out to the frontlines without being fully trained, hence the mass slaughter on the Xuan Gui Zong's part. With that in mind, Urobuchi also added via an interview within the gratitude event's booklet that Can Xiong, Lie Mei, and Diao Ming are his top students who mastered most of his arts. Therefore, unlike the rest of the Xuan Gui Zong army, who have to wear masks, they were permitted to unmask themselves to carry out missions.
Bishounen: Pili Co.'s previous generation puppets were crafted with a more squareish, chunky facial structure. In order to appeal towards the Japanese and anime fanbase, Good Smile Company is on board with this project solely for the purpose of advising the Taiwanese puppet craftsmen on what kinds of aesthetics the demographic would likely accept. Pili Co. confirmed their puppet facial aesthetics for Thunderbolt Fantasy is by far the most delicate they have ever crafted thanks to their various suggestions.
The facial aesthetics of Dan Fei marks the first for Pili Co. in giving girls a softer, rounded, Moe look.
Completely Different Title: Despite being translated as Thunderbolt Fantasy in English, the kanji or Chinese title 東離劍遊記 can be literally translated as "The Dong Li Sword Journey". It makes more sense considering the non-translated title implies that the group is on a quest to find the missing part of the Tian Xing Jian in a country called Dong Li (東離).
Apparently, 東離劍遊記 is translated to "Sword Seekers".
Early-Bird Cameo: Shang Bu Huan and Lin Xue Ya made a few cameos within Pili Lang Yan: Battle for Supremacy Over the Ancient Plain series prior to the airing of Thunderbolt Fantasy. [2][3][4]
Good Old Ways: People who watch the Japanese version would notice a couple of lines remained in Taiwanese Hokkien. This is a form of traditional Chinese poetic soliloquy called Niàn Bái, which are present in all forms of traditional Chinese opera: when a character makes an official entrance within a story, that character will recite an intro poem indicating their characteristics, motifs, and or personal goals. Urobuchi makes it clear that he wants to retain this Chinese tradition to let the Japanese audience appreciate this art form by leaving those narrations undubbed and release the translations on their official website. Since the Japanese dub casts individual actors, they treated Niàn Bái more as a descriptive narration.
Taiwanese glove puppetry is traditionally enacted by one voice actor, usually the puppeteer himself behind stage; which is kind of a mix between Rakugo and Ventriloquism. Thunderbolt Fantasy preserved the solo actor tradition within the Hokkien version to voice act all male characters, but for the sake of preventing Japanese dubbing confusion, this is one of the first Taiwanese puppetry projects to ever cast voice actresses for female roles, save for the soliloquy.
To showcase the modernized form of Taiwanese open stage puppetry theater, here is a video clip featuring the patriarch of the Huang puppetry clan, Huang Jun-Xiong (father of Pili CEO Chris Huang, Vice CEO and voice actor Vincent Huang, and grandfather of TBF voice actor, Huang Huei-Fung) aged 82 at the time, positioned at the corner left side of the stage voice acting. [5]
International Coproduction: It's written and structured by Nitroplus (Japan), fully crafted and filmed by Pili International Multimedia (Taiwan), with the aesthetic advisory from Good Smile Company (Japan).
Promoted Fanboy: Puppeteer Jia-Shen Liao of Pili Co. is a die-hard Urobuchi fan and anime otaku. When the Thunderbolt Project hit the greenlight for their studio, he actively approached his boss, begging to join the Thunderbolt Fantasy team instead of the team for their other Pili series, which was under production at the same time. And he got the approval. His main roles are Dan Fei and Mie Tian Hai, while substituting other characters depending on the scene. Most of the "anime-ish" quirks each character has were interpreted, and enacted by him.
Prop Recycling: Word of God revealed Juan Can Yun bares the same face as the protagonist of Pili Co.'s 2015 feature film: The Arti: The Adventure Begins named Chang Mo◊.
Stunt Double: Make them "stunt multiples." Each "official" cinema-size puppet has at least an extra 3-10 stunt puppets to perform the dirty works and other variety of duties, such as being tumbled around, splattered with blood, and being blown to pieces. Some lucky stunt puppets who survived all the actions note Some may have their "injuries," as in "crafted injuries," not physically abused. gets to earn slots to be displayed in exhibitions in place of their "originals." note Of course, Pili Co. keeps the originals safe in their headquarters. Or if luckier, one or two of them might even have the chance to be sold to extremely wealthy fans. The chances of TBF cinema-version stunt puppets being sold is obviously slimmer, since Urobuchi and Good Smile Company already claimed the first few slots.
Executive Producer Liang-Xun Huang answered through an interview that they crafted a total of, including "official" and "stunts", roughly 40 puppets just for the main 13 characters of TBF alone. Though Huang didn't go in detail, he most likely did not count the Xuan Gui Zong mooks.
70 Replica editions note Meaning newly crafted and not used for set. of the cinema edition puppets featuring 6 characters in 1:1 scale are up for "lottery preorder" through portals set in Taiwan and Japan; with Lin Xue Ya, Sha Wu Sheng, and Mie Tian Hai being the most expensive, priced over $3140 USD each for the duration of December 2016. Good luck to those brave enough to compete.
Pili Co. and Good Smile Company are scheduled to produce eight TBF characters as either 12" or 15" miniature edition puppets, similar to those Pili has already produced for the main Pili series. Since they're crafted by Pili Co., they're also limited in stock.
Even the Urobutcher himself couldn't believe that Anyone Can Die in Pili!Urobuchi: "Dude? Wait!? Bǎi Lǐ Bīng Hóng (百里冰泓)......WHAAAAAAAAAAAT!?"[1]
