Winners of the GPM Anime Challenge
UPDATE 10/19/15: We have developed an educational comic using the winning characters from the GPM Anime Challenge! Click here to read "Raindrop Tales: GPM Meets Mizu-Chan"
(click a picture to view the full submission)
Grand Prize Winners(all ages) |
Adult Runner Ups(ages 19+) |
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|---|---|---|---|
 "GPM" by Yuki Kiriga |
 "Mizu-chan" by Sabrynne Buchholz |
 "GPM" by Shinoh Ashibez |
 "Aquiia" by Joe Holliman |
High School Runner Ups(ages 16-18) |
Middle School Runner Ups(ages 13-15) |
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 "Alize" by Nicol Lakomy |
 "Eli Hamma" by Wanderyen Erin |
 "Gerard Pullsby" by Kielamel Sibal |
 "Ms. Water Drop" by Nicole Bohlen |
She can evaporate water with her hair. He measures all the rainfall and snowfall on Earth. Selected as the winners of the Global Precipitation Measurement mission's Anime Challenge, these two characters will star in their own comic series to help teach the public about precipitation science and the Global Precipitation Measurement mission.
The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, a collaboration between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, challenged people from around the world to design an anime character to help demonstrate GPM educational science themes of the water cycle, weather and climate, and technology. Anime, short for animation, is a Japanese style of art that has filled shows and comics that are popular around the world.
After receiving over 40 submissions, a panel of NASA scientists and outreach specialists selected two grand prize winners and two runner-up winners from three different age categories.
The two grand prize winners are Sabrynne Buchholz from Hudson, Colo., and Yuki Kiriga from Tokyo, Japan.
Buchholz, 14, was the president of her school's art club this past year and hopes to pursue a career in animation. She enjoys watching anime and learning about Asian cultures. Her winning character for the contest is Mizu-chan (Mizu means water) who personifies water and precipitation. Mizu-chan’s blue dress and blue strands of hair signify water while the yellow strands of her hair represent the sun. Her dress is hemmed with clouds, which can produce rain or snow. When water drops from the clouds lining her dress, it evaporates with help from her yellow strands of hair and then, goes back through the water cycle where it condenses again as clouds at the bottom of her dress.
Kiriga is a comics writer and illustrator. She works for various Japanese publishing companies and enjoys drawing satellite illustrations. Her winning character is a personification of the Earth-observing satellite, GPM, for which the anime character is named. The GPM anime character rides on a platform of the GPM spacecraft instruments. He is the leader of the GPM Constellation and receives help from other satellites to make precipitation observations and measurements. He wears a kimono designed with a snow pattern on one half and a rain pattern on the other half, showing that he observes both snow and rain.
The runner-up winners in the other categories are as follows:
Middle School (Ages 13-15): Kielamel Sibal, 13, Winnipeg, Canada, and Nicole Bohlen, 15, Winter Park, Fla., USA
High School (Ages 16-18): Kauan de Oliveira Goncalves, 18, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Nicol Lakomy, 16, Garfield, NJ, USA
Adult (Ages 19+): Shinoh Ashibez, 42, Miyagi, Japan, and Joe Holliman, 40, Bowie, Md., USA.
The contest entries were largely judged on how well the character demonstrates the GPM mission and precipitation science themes. All winners will receive GPM stickers, pins, posters, lithographs and droplet handouts. Additionally, both of the grand prize winners will have their artwork featured in an educational comic series about GPM and precipitation science.
GPM is an international satellite mission that will help further understanding of Earth’s water and energy cycles, improve the forecasting of extreme events that cause natural disasters, and generate measurements of rain and snow worldwide every three hours.
Grand Prize Winner #1
'GPM' by Yuki Kiriga
About the Character
His name is GPM, and he is a satellite who observes the Earth.
He has blonde hair and wears a kimono, which expresses that he is half American and half Japanese. The snow and rain patterns drawn on his kimono show that he observes snow and rain.
He is the leader of the Global Precipitation Measurement Constellation, and many other satellites will help him, including the Japanese satellite GCOM-W1 (a.k.a. SHIZUKU).
About the Artist
Name: Yuki Kiriga
Location: Tokyo Japan
Bio: Yuki is a comic writer who also works as an illustrator. She usually does works for various Japanese publishing companies and other communities. She enjoys drawing satellite illustrations as a hobby aside from her work, and she loves scientific satellites.
Grand Prize Winner #2
'Mizu-chan' by Sabrynne Buchholz
About the Character
Mizu-Chan is the personification of water and precipitation. Her name is Mizu-chan because Mizu means water in Japanese. Her hair and dress use many different shades of blue to signify the water. Her dress is flowing, which also shows water. The hemline of her dress is surrounded by clouds, to show what the water forms into after it becomes water vapor and condenses into clouds, and these clouds can also precipitate depending on her mood.
She wears boots so she doesn’t end up walking through the runoff water and getting her feet wet. When she is angry, the longer strands of hair on her head can look like lightning bolts, and her colors dim a bit to seem more grey. When sad, she will take the umbrella that is strapped to her back and sulk beneath it while clouds form above her and release a downpour. Her hair also gets rather tousled whenever there is a lot of wind. The yellow in her hair plays the part of the sun, and allows for the water dropped from the clouds at the hemline of dress to go back through the water cycle and condense at her hemline. In the winter, her colors get a little lighter and her dress and boots sport quite a bit of frost. Her dress will also then snow instead of rain.
The Global Precipitation Measurement mission satellites are keyed into her personality and emotions.
About the Artist
Name: Sabrynne Buchholz
Age: 14
Location: Hudson, Colorado, USA
School: Eagle Ridge Acadamy
Bio: Sabrynne is a student who excels in academics and was president of her school art club for the last academic year. In addition to being a talented artist, she is an award winning writer. Sabrynne also finds time to devote to music, studying violin and piano and playing in a Denver area youth symphony. Reading (especially manga), watching anime and learning about Asian culture are also very important! Sabrynne is looking forward to pursuing a career in animation, while creating her own manga. She would love to animate her own anime movie or television show!
Adult (ages 19+) Runner Up #1
'GPM' by Shinoh Ashibez
About the Character
When a powerful solar flare occurred and reached the Earth, GPM woke up.
In order to see terrestrial water better, it came down to the surface of the Earth.
It was easy to get down to the surface - since GPM was able to change its weight, it was able to float through the air.
It was able to move freely, and pursue the origin of the water cycle.
- Height: ~150 cm
- Mass: ~3850 kg
- GPM can see the motion of water.
- It can move through the air at a speed of about 50 km/h.
- Although the weight of GPM is variable, if it faints it will change to 3850 kg., which is dangerous.
- It can float in the air while sleeping, but will fall when it faints due to a thunderbolt or an electric wire.
- It is weak to an electroshock.
- Bullets are ineffective against it.
- I does not know good from evil.
- Meal's are unnecessary for GPM, although it can eat food and analyze it.
- GPM is not a knowledgeable critic, it has a childlike way of talking.
GPM is not a mascot, it repreents the Core Observatory itself. When it gets down to surface of the Earth and explores, its view becomes narrow.
About the Artist
Name: Shinoh Ashibez
Age: 42
Location: Shibata-gun, Miyagi, Japan
Bio: "Woah! The GPM Core Observatory Satellite! Silver and uniquely shaped, it reminds me of an old steam locamotive. When I continue to look at it, the ancient monsters known as "elder things" come to mind.
Although my day-to-day work is drawing background animations, it was really pleasant to have drawn illustrations of a human this time for GPM! I look forward to the next opportunity."
Adult (ages 19+) Runner Up #2
"Aquiia" by Joe Holliman
About the Artist
Name: Joe Holliman
Age: 40
Location: Bowie, Maryland, USA
Bio: Joe comes to the Graphic Design and Animation field from a business development and leadership management background, with over 10 years experience in sales and marketing. With his considerable illustration, animation and drawing talents, he has provided a visual dynamic to a broad spectrum clientele.
Comic Text
A.D. 2164.
The Global Climate Events have forced mankind to shift global priorities. Billions displaced. Entire cities moved inland. Island countries have disappeared altogether.
The altered weather patterns have produced a bipolar global climate. Extreme droughts are punctuated by regional monsoons that erode arid landscapes and destroy and displace more lives.
Desalination plants are at capacity, but do not offset the stress in areas far from the coast or at high elevation- the areas that need water the most.
Enter AQUIIA!
AQIIA is the third-generation GPM Autonomous Satellite System. In her programming lies the keys to managing the water cycle, and her anthropomorphic form enables her to directly engage with world leaders to help avert further disasters.
But her Artificial intelligence programming has made her sentient. Fully conscious, she is troubled by the plight of mankind, and her burden of responsibility.
Plagued with visions she does not understand, she questions her place in a world that only sees value in her ability to solve its problems.
In the midst of her turmoil, the Spirit of Mother Earth herself comes to AQUIIA. Together, they observe mankind, conflicted by our arrogance, yet inspired by our desire to be better.
Can AQUIIA help mankind prove to an angry Mother Nature that we are not beyond redemption?
High School (ages 16-18) Runner Up #1
"Eli Hamma" by Wanderyen Erin
About the Character
"Hi! My name is Ell Hamma and I can hear the sky. I don't really remember where I was born, or who my parents were... well, some people call me "The Daughter of Earth". I have a big cloud tail too... I have never seen anyone else like me!
When I was younger, I met a man who worked in a huge laboratory. Dr. Werner was his name. He took care of me and helped me to understand my strong connection to the sky and nature. Together, we learned many things.
After he studied how I was able to understand the sky, he developed a new machine, which I use to explain to humans how the water and energy cycles work. Humans can't fell it naturally like me. I know when and where will rain, because well... this planet can talk to me!"
About the Artist
Name: Kauan de Oliveira Gonçalves a.k.a. "Wanderyen Erin"
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Age: 18
Bio: Studies Game Development at Technical College (ETEC). Hobbyist illustrator, character designer, 3D Artist and animator. Spends his time creating Action Fantasy Characters and game development related works.
High School (ages 16-18) Runner Up #2
"Walter Mar and Alize Morgan" by Nicol Lakomy
About the Character
"Do you ever ponder the possibilities when the weather changes violently? I never thought about it until a hurricane swept me away from my home by the New Jersey shore. It was as normal a day as anyone could imagine; a blue sky that looked completely undisturbed. As I was coming home from school it started to rain violently and I began to run as fast as a leaf caught in a breeze. I had heard that bad weather was approaching, not just from the locals, but all over the news; everyone was warned to evacuate. School was canceled the following day and all my neighbors had already hit the road, except me.
You see, my parents are very busy people who travel a lot, and there I was the quiet young man, that nobody noticed much. I thought I could tough it out by myself but I was fatally wrong. I was stocked with supplies and ready with extra batteries, but by the next day the wind had shot into the windows, knocking me out in the middle of the night. When I regained conciousness I was surrounded by rubble in a place I could not recognize. Frightened, I cried for help and my call was eventually answered by a girl my age. I asked her what happened to me and where was I, and she answered.
'Your spirit was separated from your body during the tempest, but don't worry. I am from NASA’s newest program called "Global Predictor Mediums". We are a group of people who were changed by natural disasters the way you were. Our job is to use the Global Precipitation Measurement mission to predict were the next disaster is going to happen and to try to prevent as many casualties as possible. Sometimes those in GPM who have been through what you have help try to return lost souls to the unconscious bodies before its too late. Trust me, I will do all I can to help you.'
Confused, I responded by saying 'Can you repeat that again?' ”
About the Artist
Name: Nicol Lakomy
Location: Garfield, New Jersey, USA
Age: 16
School: Bergen Technical High School
Bio: "It is my deepest honor to be chosen as a runner up for the GPM challenge. This has been the first time one of my stories has been recognized in such a way, let alone been seen by the public. I would like to thank my physics teacher Mrs. Henriquez who continuously helps get her students involved in NASA projects. I am truly grateful for this opportunity."
Middle School (ages 13-15) Runner Up #1
"Gerard Pullsby" by Kielamel Sibal
About the Character
20 year old Gerard Pullsby is a fun-spirited genius living in his father's shadow. Gerard looked up to his father, a well-known researcher at NASA who studies in the climate field and began acquiring knowledge on his own by reading, experimenting and making theories. He is very close with his farming neighbors, whom he considers closer to family than his own father. He helps them harvest successfully each year.
Currently Gerard is a student intern, trying to reach in and help NASA in more ways than one. He decides to make a precipitation and climate information system far superior to his father's projects. He wants to make his father and the world to be proud of him. Gerard works independently in his own personal lab to make a system that is installed on him, by enhancing his own DNA and making functional 'armour' only compatible with his own enhanced body.
In the end, Gerard's efforts don't go to waste; he had successfully developed a program allowing himself to measure the weather and climate. He pieces together each pattern measured from his program in the atmosphere and predicts climate changes accurately. His enhanced body is more sensitive to wind movement, allowing him to feel the movement of air and water vapor. Gerard's DNA experiments with himself made his brown eyes turn to yellow because of his constantly moving around outside in the sun.
Although not very impressed with what his son had done to himself, Mr. Pullsby is proud of his son. Gerard had presented his program to NASA and is currently a student researcher and the guy known as 'GPM'.
Gerard Pullsby's Measurement 'Program': Gerard has an agile and athletic physique that he gets from running around a lot. He has a good sense of the wind around him. His enhanced body has made Gerard more sensitive to movement and with his measurement 'armour' he created a formula to help him predict future atmosphere conditions.
Headgear: Gerard's 'headphones' collect and transmit the atmospheric information he finds. Gerard has to say the information in special keywords in order for the headphones to work.
Arm Calculator: Gerard's headphones automatically transmit the information into his functional gloves. There is a screen on the gloves to read out the calculated information. These gloves are pre-programmed to calculate the formulas that Gerard uses to make predictions.
Body Suit: Made of a special material, it helps Gerard feel the atmosphere around him better.
Cargo Bottoms: Unique pants that Gerard has bought from a discount store.
About the Artist
Name: Kielamel Sibal
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Age: 13
School: Salisbury Morse Place School
Bio: "I have an affinity for unicorns and Australia. I really like food and writing stories! I love my family!
Middle School (ages 13-15) Runner Up #2
"Ms. Water Drop" by Nicole Bohlen
About the Character
"I picked Ms. Water Drop because she is what I imagine a water spirit would be. Her coat has clouds and snowfall in it. She is made of water. She has a very bouncy and heartwarming voice.
Ms. Water Drop talks to water animals such as fish and dolphins. She also helps the fish hatchlings go to where they need to go. She also helps the rain fall and the clouds form by lifting water molecules up into the air to other sun spirits. Ms. Water Drop is loved by all.
P.S. Her favorite food is morning dew that forms on grass in the mornings. "
About the Artist
Name: Nicole Bohlen
Location: Winter Park, Florida, USA
Age: 15
School: Glenridge Middle School