CASSHAN AND FRIENDER

This project is a fan art dedicated to the duo Kyashan and Flender (Casshan and Friender in the English version, Neo-Human Casshern 新造人間キャシャーン or Shinzō Ningen Kyashān in Japanese). Casshan was one of my favorite cartoons as a child in the early 1970s. The themes were intense and dramatic: Tetsuya, transformed into an android to defend humanity, knew he was destined to be rejected and persecuted by the very people he sought to protect. What struck me deeply was also the bond with Friender, his dog, who was also transformed into a robot yet remained always faithful by his side.

Design interpretation

There are already many versions of Casshan and Friender on the market, some more faithful to the original than others. I wasn’t interested in reproducing an identical model, but rather in proposing a postmodern variant with cyberpunk influences. Even though it is a fan art (and also an act of love), I kept some iconic features: the helmet, the two pistols, and the chest symbol for Casshan; the recognizable muzzle shape for Friender. The pose recalls that of the classic cover, with Kyashan pointing the way and Flender ready at his side.

Modeling process

Friender was designed entirely with Plasticity, while Casshan was sculpted from scratch in Nomad Sculpt. The Casshan model exceeded 25 million vertices (over 1.5 GB of file size on iPad), yet Nomad handled both the modeling and the final rendering without difficulty.

Printing and production

The models were split and prepared for printing with Lychee Slicer, then printed on an Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra. The display bases were produced in ABS using a Bambulab X1C. The result is a diorama that blends nostalgia, stylistic reinterpretation, and the joy of modeling, designed to enhance both painting and display.