Let's talk a little about the character designs. You've told us about how the characters for Radiant Historia were different from what you've done in the past, Mr. Konishi, but what parts did you really have to focus on? Konishi: That would probably be their silhouettes. I wanted to make sure each character could be distinguished just by looking at their silhouettes. This philosophy isn't restricted to games, it's the basis of good character design. I have an imaginary line I draw in my mind where I know the design will turn out okay if there's no trouble with their silhouette. The character Aht is a good example. Whether her poncho is open or closed, its characteristics stand out enough that you can tell at a glance that it's Aht. Is there anything in particular you recall about the characters, generally speaking? Konishi: Let's see... Well for one thing, Stocke and Eruca were originally drawn to be sub-characters, not main characters. Takayashiki: That's right. When I had Mr. Konishi start drawing out the characters, the protagonist was still a sword, after all. Haha. At the time, I wanted the player to connect with all the characters as opposed to just one, so I asked him to draw them as though there was nothing too special about any one in particular. Konishi: The first character I drew was Eruca. In my previous title, I made all the characters a little weird, so I wanted to start with the more normal designs first. Haha. Next I moved onto characters like Rosch, Tio, and Lippti, because they were more human. Did those characters look like they do now? Konishi: Well, that varies by character, but to take Stocke for example, he was much plainer than he is now. I mean, his eyes were completely covered by his bangs. Takayashiki: Stocke's backstory was that of an assassin, so his clothes were all black. I had requested that his face not look cool at all, so he really did look very plain and boring. Konishi: We touched up the characters from there, but the Stocke you see now is pretty much my amalgamation of every "cool" character trait I could think of. Once the story changed and Stocke became the protagonist, we started making a lot of changes to him. I tried adding some red in to accentuate his black outfit, but eventually we came to the conclusion that he'd look better in all red. We also tried a more military-looking uniform, and I think we used sort of a khaki color that time. The topic of color has come up before, but the usage of the darker palette in your designs is a fascinating aspect. Was that because of the dark elements of the storyline? Konishi: No, I don't usually use highly saturated colors, so I guess you could say that the option just didn't pop into my head. I always start with low saturation, and if that causes them to look too dark over all, then I'll start over. I guess I just like low saturation. Haha. Another characteristic of the designs would be the overt patterns. It looks like many of the outfits have patterns in them. Konishi: I actively try to include patterns when I have extra time to do it. I love the decorative style of medieval Europe, so I used that as a motif and tried to find a way to work it in. Interesting. What artists and illustrators have influenced you, Mr. Konishi? Konishi: I've always liked Mucha.(*7) I also used to be really into Celtic and Norse mythology, so some of that probably influenced me too. I'm drawn to more pastoral things, as opposed to stuff that is more urban. Someone once told me that my illustrations have an English look to them, and maybe that's the case? Haha. *7 Alphonse Mucha: A Czechoslovakian artist who was a major contributor to the art noveau movement that began at the end of the 19th century in Europe. He is well known for his elegant style and beautiful colors.