Talking with Yoshitaka Amano about “FINAL FANTASY” and creative work.

Yoshitaka Amano has worked on artwork for the "FINAL FANTASY" series for many years. The "FINAL FANTASY" items in the latest collection feature designs from his amazing artwork. What does he think is the appeal and passion for his creative work?

Can you tell us how you became involved in "FINAL FANTASY", and why your art is so free and open?

I was drawing covers and illustrations for foreign fantasy novels, which led to an offer to do "FINAL FANTASY" artwork. I think a major factor was the talent and passion of everyone who worked on the games at SQUARE at that time, and I thought it would be fun to see what I could create. Fantasy is something that doesn't actually exist, so I have a lot of freedom to draw as I like, and that's the best part. Based on the descriptions in the text, I draw characters the way I think they should look. At that time, most game characters were designed to be cute, so I think the direction was to make it look realistic and scary. At first, I was told "that's not it" when I drew pixel art (laughs). As for the colors, I felt that they were determined from the beginning by the character's personality and role, so I tried to sense that and apply them. When I had a solo exhibition in Sao Paulo, there were "FINAL FANTASY" fans in the audience. I again realized just how influential it was that so many people from all over the world were playing the game.

What do you think about the collaboration T-shirts with UT depicting characters you drew?

I like the fact that the collaborative T-shirts allow people to enjoy both my drawings and the pixel art characters. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I think the rough sketch style is interesting, and it fits the T-shirts nicely. When I wear a T-shirt, I often choose something that is not too formal, such as a Basquiat painting, for example. This T-shirt featuring Terra from FINAL FANTASY VI is very mature. And yet, the front features pixel art which makes the t-shirt look different depending on how it’s viewed. The one with the black goblin on it has a nice layout, and looks good worn under a jacket. It’s interesting that the one with the moogle design has little pixel art pieces flying around my picture. It has a nice, mature pink tone. T-shirts aren’t just for warmer weather, but can be worn any time of the year under a jacket or pullover. If I see someone wearing it on the street, I’ll probably say "ooh."

Yoshitaka Amano's studio is where various works have been created. Colors decorate the floor, and the tables are crammed with pencils, crayons, paints, and other art supplies. "I buy supplies on my own. It's interesting how expressions change with crayons, watercolor, acrylic, and other materials.

Debuting in 1987, the "FINAL FANTASY" series has earned worldwide acclaim for its cutting-edge visuals, distinctive world-building, and captivating storytelling, This exclusive collection seamlessly melds the art of Yoshitaka Amanoーrenowned for helping bring to life the series’ unique worldviewーalongside the iconic pixel art from the first six titles. Also featured are designs from the series’ online RPG, FFXIV, as well as its latest mainline installment, FFXVI.

PROFILE

YOSHITAKA AMANO｜Artist. Joined Tatsunoko Production in 1967 and worked on character design for animated films such as "Time Bokan". He is also active in stage and costume design. In the "FINAL FANTASY” series, Amano oversees logo art and image illustrations.