After going through the internet in recent weeks and getting stressed over some details of Final Fantasy XV and it's reception, I set out to write a Defense of Nomura post. TWICE.
However, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to say that hasn't already been said by others, nor how to say it without being the ultimate fanboy. Furthermore, I started to question myself. As an aspiring character designer, why do I even like the art of Tetsuya Nomura? What about it makes it so, "interesting." In truth, I'm just going to wing it while listening to Jpop.
Hello. If you've been to this blog before, I take it you've seen my last post was Christmas 2016. Truth is, my computer died and the replacement is also nonoperational until I get a replacement HDD. So, I've busted out my beloved HP Chromebook 14 and instead of watching anime or YouTube videos, I've decided to do something a bit more constructive.
Tetsuya Nomura is well known as the creator of Cloud Strife, Lightning Farron, and Sora among many others from the RPG games published by Square-Enix. Well, at least he designed them. You see, one of the things that Mr Nomura gets slammed for all the time is ruining the Final Fantasy franchise with his pop style characters. Another is for ruining both the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Heart series with delayed games and unfruitful projects.
I don't think most if any of his most outspoken critics understand the kind of work Tetsuya Nomura does. I've done a few character designs buy request myself and it's actually a bit pressing to bring out the imaginative wishes of someone else. Nomura designs what the characters should look like. He gives them a face based on the story written around them. Sometimes, character designers have the freedom to design everything from characters to story -which is true for him on some projects albeit at the base level. The illustrations/designs he puts out is for reference of the modelers, the sculptors, cosplayers. They take what his final design of the character is and make it come to life.
Hello. If you've been to this blog before, I take it you've seen my last post was Christmas 2016. Truth is, my computer died and the replacement is also nonoperational until I get a replacement HDD. So, I've busted out my beloved HP Chromebook 14 and instead of watching anime or YouTube videos, I've decided to do something a bit more constructive.
...
Have a look at this.
This line of information is on every packaging I've seen of the Final Fantasy XIII series. Let's look at FFXV's title screen.
Zoom in a bit...
Crisis Core!
Do you see the trend? Each of them has it plastered. "Character Design: Tetsuya Nomura." Aside from Kingdom Hearts, the now re-birthed Final Fantasy versus XIII, and the FFVII Remake, Mr Nomura is basically the character designer. A designer who delivers on those designs time and time again.
But what is it about his art? For one, it's instantly recognizable. Sharp angles, a noticeable pose. Zippers and belts! With his works over the years he's designed many characters that gamers have come to know and love. Despite designing characters like Cloud and Sephiroth, Lightning and Sazh, Nomura receives a lot of negative backlash for bland designs and characters with no soul.
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| Yes, so bland! |
I recently saw a (2 year old) video of a critic, well, criticizing the Play Arts Kai Batman figure designed by Mr Nomura. He bashed it for being, generally, too Nomura, citing that this kind of thing was the reason that Square-Enix - the company Nomura works for was going to the dogs. For him, there was too much detail. Too much aesthetic. Too much design - and in his criticism, he seems to have missed the entire point. I remember seeing that figure revealed. I was in awe. At that time, I had just started designing figures/characters so my friend could sculpt them. It's a thing we do. That figure, and Nomura's take on Catwoman were both spectacular! But the critic missed something. This was a design for an action figure based on Nomura's interpretation.
I immediately understand at least a bit of what Mr Nomura must have felt when asked to design this. Things like, " How do I approach this? How do I make this look like I am the one who did it, yet keep the character true? How can I make it freaking AWESOME as I have this chance here right now!?"
He then finalized an epic design complete with Batarangs, a split cape, updated visor/horns, spikes in all the right places, and a pair of epic wings with additional arms, all on a dark, intimidating finish with tints of red. The Dark Knight indeed.
It is wicked! That'd scare ANY hard boiled criminal in Gotham. I'm positive that this design took some time, maybe weeks/months to get finalized. Because this is hard work come to fruition. Hard work that has shown itself in the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts games among others.
By this, we can say, the magic of Nomura's style is in the details. In the tiny things that are placed in there. The so-called "over-design" is his trademark. It's this kind of detail work that makes Tetsuya Nomura Tetsuya Nomura. Especially for JRPGs. Do not expect overly simplified designs - and I for one wouldn't accept that. If I were from a company approaching Mr Nomura for a design, I most likely want it for a few reasons:
1. I get his name on there and therefor boost profit for the product ("Designed by Tetsuya Nomura").
2. I want an elaborate, heavily detailed, "cool" design.
3. He may have some really interesting ideas that could prove very useful based on older projects and bring out a product well.
It's the same reason a company would contact Akira Toriyama or Eichirou Oda for something adventurous, or RinShin or Yaegashi Nan for something a little more... sexy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). You want the artist's style and interpretation. This Batman figure is absolutely no exception.
I'd say, my favorite Nomura design ever... is probably Genesis Rhapsodos, a character based on pop idol Gackt, or the first revealed design of Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum. Perhaps Rikku from FFX/FFX-2, Serah Farron FFXIII-2 - I really can't decide! But I can surely attest, I like his way of doing spiky hair. In my younger days, I spent maybe at least a month studying the hair on characters like Cloud Strife and Sora just to master that spiky hair look. I honestly don't think Tetsuya Nomura deserves all the hate he gets thrown his way. And if you're going to bash him for "over-designing" or "starting a design and never finishing", then you're barking up the wrong tree. Nomura's style is his detail, as I wrote earlier. His "over designing" is what makes his characters/designs so great. I think this is because Mr Nomura may tend to think of what the character does. What their personality is. What they might carry with them. Where they may becoming from/going to. There are a lot of things to consider, but boy do I sound like a Nomura fanboy! For the record I don't really like Tidus' design. He's very eccentric! That's a good thing, I just personally don't like everything about it.
One thing's certain though. Without people like Tetsuya Nomura to actually do work, critics would have no work. It's very easy to be outside of the office, not affiliated with the project in any way, and talk crap about something that took months to develop. Not all of it is gold, of course no, I just slammed Tidus. But when "fans" become so salty that they curse people and revile their work we have a problem on our hands. Funny thing is, despite all their claims, Tetsuya Nomura is still working at Square-Enix and producing designs as I type. That knowledge makes me happy.
As busy as Tetsuya Nomura is, he sure gets his design work done and done with quality. He's not perfect, not at all. Genius? Perhaps (One Winged Angel lyrics!!!). A good director? He doesn't seem to be so confident. But when it comes to designing characters, Nomura has that down. And I'll always be a fan of his details.
Here's to Tetsuya Nomura and the teams at SE who put out hard work everyday despite early trailers and angry "fans." Here's to the characters this man has created that we all remember despite what others may claim. And here's to the future of a finished FFVII Remake and the future of the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts franchises.
I immediately understand at least a bit of what Mr Nomura must have felt when asked to design this. Things like, " How do I approach this? How do I make this look like I am the one who did it, yet keep the character true? How can I make it freaking AWESOME as I have this chance here right now!?"
He then finalized an epic design complete with Batarangs, a split cape, updated visor/horns, spikes in all the right places, and a pair of epic wings with additional arms, all on a dark, intimidating finish with tints of red. The Dark Knight indeed.
 |
| Have you seen this Beast!!? |
By this, we can say, the magic of Nomura's style is in the details. In the tiny things that are placed in there. The so-called "over-design" is his trademark. It's this kind of detail work that makes Tetsuya Nomura Tetsuya Nomura. Especially for JRPGs. Do not expect overly simplified designs - and I for one wouldn't accept that. If I were from a company approaching Mr Nomura for a design, I most likely want it for a few reasons:
1. I get his name on there and therefor boost profit for the product ("Designed by Tetsuya Nomura").
2. I want an elaborate, heavily detailed, "cool" design.
3. He may have some really interesting ideas that could prove very useful based on older projects and bring out a product well.
It's the same reason a company would contact Akira Toriyama or Eichirou Oda for something adventurous, or RinShin or Yaegashi Nan for something a little more... sexy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). You want the artist's style and interpretation. This Batman figure is absolutely no exception.
I'd say, my favorite Nomura design ever... is probably Genesis Rhapsodos, a character based on pop idol Gackt, or the first revealed design of Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum. Perhaps Rikku from FFX/FFX-2, Serah Farron FFXIII-2 - I really can't decide! But I can surely attest, I like his way of doing spiky hair. In my younger days, I spent maybe at least a month studying the hair on characters like Cloud Strife and Sora just to master that spiky hair look. I honestly don't think Tetsuya Nomura deserves all the hate he gets thrown his way. And if you're going to bash him for "over-designing" or "starting a design and never finishing", then you're barking up the wrong tree. Nomura's style is his detail, as I wrote earlier. His "over designing" is what makes his characters/designs so great. I think this is because Mr Nomura may tend to think of what the character does. What their personality is. What they might carry with them. Where they may becoming from/going to. There are a lot of things to consider, but boy do I sound like a Nomura fanboy! For the record I don't really like Tidus' design. He's very eccentric! That's a good thing, I just personally don't like everything about it.
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| Tidus Concept art by Tetsuya Nomura for FFX |
One thing's certain though. Without people like Tetsuya Nomura to actually do work, critics would have no work. It's very easy to be outside of the office, not affiliated with the project in any way, and talk crap about something that took months to develop. Not all of it is gold, of course no, I just slammed Tidus. But when "fans" become so salty that they curse people and revile their work we have a problem on our hands. Funny thing is, despite all their claims, Tetsuya Nomura is still working at Square-Enix and producing designs as I type. That knowledge makes me happy.
As busy as Tetsuya Nomura is, he sure gets his design work done and done with quality. He's not perfect, not at all. Genius? Perhaps (One Winged Angel lyrics!!!). A good director? He doesn't seem to be so confident. But when it comes to designing characters, Nomura has that down. And I'll always be a fan of his details.
Here's to Tetsuya Nomura and the teams at SE who put out hard work everyday despite early trailers and angry "fans." Here's to the characters this man has created that we all remember despite what others may claim. And here's to the future of a finished FFVII Remake and the future of the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts franchises.
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