Character Making : Zaragalei

What is Zaragalei?

The First Sketch of the Zaragarei People

English name: Pelican Flounder

Scientific name: Chascanopsetta lugubris Alcock, 1894

Common name in Japanese: ザラガレイ (Zaragalei)

Classification:

Superclass Gnathostomata – Class Osteichthyes – Subclass Actinopterygii – Division Neopterygii – Superorder Acanthopterygii – Order Pleuronectiformes – Family Bothidae – Genus Chascanopsetta

A saltwater fish, typically found at depths of 300–500 meters.

In Japan, it has been observed from Onahama in Fukushima Prefecture down to Tosa Bay, as well as in the Okinawa Trough. It’s also found in southern Taiwan, the waters around Hainan Island (200–1100 m depth), and throughout the Indo-West Pacific.

It grows to about 35 cm in length and has a soft, fragile body.

Its mouth is large, with a prominent lower jaw.

As juveniles, they swim upright, perpendicular to the sea floor.

But as they mature, their eyes gradually migrate to the left side of their head, and they begin to swim horizontally…

https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Chascanopsetta-lugubris.html

We are not so different from the Pelican Flounder.

When we’re children, we can see things openly and honestly, from all angles.

But at some point, we start seeing only one side of things. That’s called bias.

Bias is the “common sense” we acquire by the age of 18.

The social media platforms most people use today accelerate that bias with ease, pushing us toward more polarized ways of thinking.

The result is a society marked by fragmentation and division.

We are becoming Pelican Flounders.

Chasing after light, our eyes drifting to one side—

Eventually, we just drift silently through the deep sea...

These are a few sketches I drew based on the images I had in mind.

And this is the very first rough model I created.

At this stage, the design still looked more like a costume—so I wanted it to feel more like a human gradually transforming or morphing. That’s why I updated the 3D design.

The visual intrigue and dimensionality of CG, combined with a color palette inspired by anatomical skeleton models.

From there, I toned down the horror elements a bit and arrived at this balance.

That said, I still want to push it just a touch more toward something poppier—with a hint of cuteness—so I’m thinking of adjusting things to match the feel of this sketch.

But for now, this version feels right!

I’m also sharing the current .blend file for viewing purposes—hopefully it can be of some use or inspiration!

Here are a few shots I created for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

(You can watch the footage here)

And sorry for the lack of updates recently—I’ll be uploading the next post very soon!

Thank you for reading to the end!!