is a Japanese visual

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

, character designer,

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...

, a

scenic designer Scenic may refer to: * Scenic design * Scenic painting * Scenic overlook * Scenic railroad (disambiguation) * Scenic route * Scenic, South Dakota, United States * Scenic (horse), a Thoroughbred racehorse Aviation *Airwave Scenic, an Austrian pa ...

for theatre and film, and a

costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costume ...

. He first came into prominence in the late 1960s working on the anime adaptation of ''

Speed Racer ''Speed Racer'', also known as , is a Japanese media franchise about Auto racing, automobile racing. ''Mach GoGoGo'' was originally serialized in print in Shueisha's 1966 ''Shōnen Book''. It was released in tankōbon book form by Sun W ...

''. Amano later became the creator of iconic and influential characters such as ''

Gatchaman is a Japanese animated franchise about a five-member superhero ninja team created by Tatsuo Yoshida and produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The original anime series, which debuted in 1972, was eponymously entitled ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatchaman ...

'', '' Tekkaman'', ''

Honeybee Hutch A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current co ...

'', and ''

Casshern ''Casshan'', also known in Japan as , is an anime series created by Tatsunoko Productions founder Tatsuo Yoshida in 1973. The ''Casshern'' franchise also includes a 1993 original video animation titled '' Casshan: Robot Hunter'', and a 2004 ...

''. In 1982 he went independent and became a freelance artist, finding success as an illustrator for numerous authors, and worked on best-selling novel series, such as '' The Guin Saga'' and ''

Vampire Hunter D is a series of novels written by Japanese author Hideyuki Kikuchi and illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano since 1983. As of April 2022, 40 novels have been published in the main series, with some novels comprising as many as four volumes. They ha ...

''. He is also known for his commissioned illustrations for the popular video game franchise ''

Final Fantasy is a Japanese video game, Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and ...

''.ANS Exclusive Interview: 10 Questions To Yoshitaka Amano
; retrieved 2006-09-16. Since the 1990s Amano has been creating and exhibiting paintings featuring his iconic retro pop icons in galleries around the world, primarily painting on aluminium box panels with acrylic and automotive paint. He is a 5-time winner of the

Seiun Award The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Japan Science Fiction Convention. ...

, and also won the 1999

Bram Stoker Award The Bram Stoker Award is a recognition presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) for "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing. History The Awards were established in 1987 and have been presented annually since ...

for his collaboration with

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...

, '' Sandman: The Dream Hunters''.Powells.com Bibliography "The Sandman: The Dream Hunters"
; retrieved 2006-09-16. Amano's influences include early Western comic books,

Orientalism In art history, literature and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects in the Eastern world. These depictions are usually done by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world. In particular, Orientalist p ...

art nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

, and Japanese woodblock prints. In early 2010, he established Studio Devaloka, a film production company.

Biography

Amano was born in

Shizuoka Shizuoka can refer to: * Shizuoka Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture * Shizuoka (city), the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture * Shizuoka Airport * Shizuoka Domain, the name from 1868 to 1871 for Sunpu Domain, a predecessor of Shizuoka Prefecture ...

Shizuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,637,998 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the northea ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

to Yoshio Amano (1917–1962) and Kesano Amano (''née'' Fujimoto). He is the youngest child of four. Amano's father was a lacquer artist, specializing in traditional Suruga lacquerware. As a young adolescent, Yoshitaka Amano was fascinated with drawing. In 1967, he began working in the animation department of

Tatsunoko Productions and often shortened to , is a Japanese animation company. The studio's name has a double meaning in Japanese: "Tatsu's child" (Tatsu is a nickname for Tatsuo) and "sea dragon", the inspiration for its seahorse logo. Tatsunoko's headquarters are i ...

, where he was introduced to the early Japanese

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

movement. His first paid project was for the ''

'' anime franchise. He was a character designer for anime shows such as ''

Time Bokan is a Japanese anime series first aired on Fuji TV from October 4, 1975 to December 25, 1976 throughout Japan every Saturday at 6:30pm, with a total of 61 30-minute episodes. It was produced by Tatsunoko Productions in partnership with Topcraft ...

'', ''

'', '' Tekkaman'', and ''

''.1UP.com A Day in the Life of Yoshitaka Amano
; retrieved 2006-09-16. In the 1960s, Amano was exposed to Western art styles through

comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

, which he claims among his artistic roots. He has cited

Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Supe ...

as his favorite comic book artist, noting that he would often purchase used comics based on Adams's cover artwork, only to be disappointed that the interior artist was different. Amano was also fascinated by the art styles of psychedelic art and pop art of the West, particularly the work of American Pop artist

Peter Max Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein, October 19, 1937) is a German-American artist known for using bright colors in his work. Works by Max are associated with the visual arts and culture of the 1960s, particularly psychedelic art and pop art. ...

.Unno, Hiroshi. ''Amano: The Complete Prints of Yoshitaka Amano'' Collins Design: November 4, 2003. . In the 1970s, Amano studied the artworks of the late 19th century and early 20th century European movement of

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

, as well as the Russian orientalists ( Leon Bakst, Ivan Bilibin) and the ancient Japanese hand woodblock printing work of

Ukiyo-e Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock prints and paintings Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surfac ...

. Amano remained at Tatsunoko Productions until 1982.

Early fantasy works

During the 1980s, Amano concentrated on illustrations for science fiction and fantasy works. Combined with the influence of his prior experience in animation, this focus resulted in a personal style influenced by both modern surrealism and realism. He left Tatsunoko Production and started his activities as a freelancer in 1982. He did illustration and cover page design of Kimaira series, written by Baku Yumemakura, from this year. In 1983, he illustrated the novel ''

Demon City Shinjuku is a novel by Hideyuki Kikuchi that was adapted into an original video animation (OVA) in 1988, directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. The title has also been translated as ''Hell City Shinjuku'' and ''Monster City''. It was also released as two man ...

'' and the first in

Hideyuki Kikuchi is a Japanese author known for his horror novels. His most famous works include the '' Vampire Hunter D'' series, ''Darkside Blues'' and '' Wicked City''. Biography Kikuchi was born in Chōshi, Japan on September 25, 1949. He attended Aoyama ...

's ''

'' novel series. He also worked as a character designer on the 1985 movie adaptation of ''Vampire Hunter D'', which was one of the first anime movies to be released outside Japan. In interviews, however, Amano has stated that he was not pleased with the final product of the movie. His illustrations begin to be published in collections such as ''Maten'' in 1984. The animation title

Amon Saga is an anime OVA released in 1986. The character and conceptual art was contributed by Yoshitaka Amano. It was released by Manga Entertainment Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States an ...

was written by Baku Yumemakura with character design by him. A manga version of

was also released.

Video games

In 1987, Amano joined

Square In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90- degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length a ...

(now known as

Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', ''Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game ...

) to work on a

role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...

: ''

''. Amano produced conceptual design pieces for the game in both traditional and computer designed artwork. At this time, he also worked for another video game company, Kure Software Koubou, producing box cover illustrations as well as some character designs. This work included designs for Kure's ''First Queen'' series. Following ''

Final Fantasy VI also known as ''Final Fantasy III'' from its initial North American release, is a 1994 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Final Fantasy'' ...

'' in 1994, he stepped down as the main character, image, and graphic designer of the series. He continued to provide promotional and character artwork for the following games and to design their title logos. Amano became the world's highest-earning artist in 1996, earning that year from sales of

silk screens Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mes ...

lithographs Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

and

etchings Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

based on his book illustrations. His work began receiving international recognition following the release of '' Final Fantasy VII'' in 1997. In 2006,

Hironobu Sakaguchi is a Japanese game designer, director, producer, and writer. Originally working for Square (later Square Enix) from 1983 to 2003, he departed the company and founded independent studio Mistwalker in 2004. He is known as the creator of the ''Fin ...

, the former designer and creator of the ''Final Fantasy'' series, recruited Amano and composer

Nobuo Uematsu is a Japanese composer and keyboardist best known for his contributions to the ''Final Fantasy'' video game series by Square Enix. A self-taught musician, he began playing the piano at the age of twelve, with English singer-songwriter Elton Jo ...

to work on video games at

Mistwalker is an independent video game development studio. The company was founded in July 2004 by Hironobu Sakaguchi, best known for his work at Square including creating the ''Final Fantasy'' series. The company has created both game franchises such as ' ...

. Amano and

worked together again on videogames like ''

Fairy Fencer F is a 2013 fantasy role-playing game under Compile Heart's Galapagos RPG brand for the PlayStation 3 and Windows. The game uses a modified version of ''Hyperdimension Neptunia'' battle system. The Windows version was released on August 4, 2015. ...

'' at

Compile Heart is a Japanese video game developer founded on June 2, 2006 as a subsidiary of Idea Factory. The company was formerly managed by Compile's former executive Masamitsu "Moo" Niitani, most well known as the creator of the ''Madou Monogatari'' and ''Pu ...

Branching out

Amano's first

exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibition ...

, called "Hiten", was held in 1989 at Yurakucho Mullion in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan. In 1990, he began to work as an artist and set designer for stage theater. His first work for theater was Tamasaburo Bando's ''Nayotake''. Beginning in 1995 with his work at the Biennale d'Orléans in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, he received increased recognition outside Japan. Further international exhibitions followed, including the 1999 "Hero" at the Angel Orensanz Foundation and the 1997 workshop and exhibition "Think Like Amano". In 1998, Amano appeared as Hiroshi in the 1998 movie ''

New Rose Hotel "New Rose Hotel" is a short story by William Gibson, first published in ''Omni (magazine), Omni'' in July 1984 and later included in his 1986 collection ''Burning Chrome (short story collection), Burning Chrome''. Plot The story is set in a futu ...

'', loosely based on the

William Gibson William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as ''cyberpunk''. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, his ...

short story of the same name.

Freelancing

In 2000, Amano illustrated

's '' The Sandman: The Dream Hunters'', which won several awards and was nominated for a

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...

. In 2001,

Greg Rucka Gregory Rucka (born November 29, 1969) is an American writer known for the series of novels starring his character Atticus Kodiak, the creator-owned comic book series '' Whiteout'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Stumptown'' and '' Lazarus'', as well as ...

and Amano collaborated on another comic book tale, '' Elektra and Wolverine: The Redeemer''. His character designs were used in another Vampire Hunter D movie entitled '' Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust''. In 2006, the first volume of his ''HERO'' series was released by

Boom! Studios Boom! Studios (styled BOOM! Studios) is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. History Origins In the early 2000s, Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby had been working in Holly ...

. He was key visual and costume designer for movies written by Baku Yumemakura, including '' Onmyoji'', ''

Onmyoji 2 is a 2003 Japanese historical fantasy film directed by Yōjirō Takita, starring Mansai Nomura as ''onmyōji'' Abe no Seimei. Both it and its predecessor, ''Onmyōji'', are based on the ''Onmyōji'' series of novels by author Baku Yumemakura. ...

'', and ''

Taitei no Ken (aka: The Sword of Alexander) is a series of novels by Baku Yumemakura. They blend samurai action with sci-fi elements. The first novel was adapted into a 2007 movie directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. Cast * Hiroshi Abe as Yorozu Genkurou *Kyōko H ...

''. He illustrated three album covers for the Japanese power metal band

Galneryus is a Japanese power metal band, formed in Osaka in 2001 by guitarist Syu and vocalist Yama-B.Artist.cdjou ...

: ''The Flag of Punishment'' (2003), ''Advance to the Fall'' (2005), and ''Beyond the End of Despair'' (2006). In 2004 Amano was asked by creative director GK Reid to create illustrations in collaboration with author

and featuring

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

and Iman as sci-fi characters, for "The Return of the Thin White Duke" a portion of which were published in V Magazine. In 2008, Amano created an illustrated adaptation of

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inclu ...

, published by

Radical Comics Radical Studios is an American multimedia studio. It had branches in feature films, television, physical and digital publishing, merchandise, recorded music, digital and online media applications and mobile and social games. History Radical Pub ...

. He also collaborated with Christopher "mink" Morrison of

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...

A Band Apart A Band Apart Films was a production company founded by Quentin Tarantino, Michael Bodnarchek, and Lawrence Bender that was active from 1991 to 2006. Its name is a play on the French New Wave classic film, '' Bande à part'' ("Band of Outsiders") by ...

production company, providing illustrations for the novel ''Shinjuku'' and ''Shinjuku Azul'', as well as a third unannounced follow up and an online game, ''Shinjuku Nexus''. He was the character designer for the 2009 ''Jungle Emperor'' (''

Kimba the White Lion ''Kimba the White Lion'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese '' shōnen'' manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka which was serialized in the '' Manga Shōnen'' magazine from November 1950 to April 1954. An anime based on ...

'') TV special, directed by

Gorō Taniguchi is a Japanese anime director, writer, producer and storyboard artist, who is among Sunrise's noted directors. He was born in Nisshin, Aichi, Japan. Works Anime television series *''Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh'' (storyboards, episode direction, bac ...

, to commemorate both the 50th anniversary of

Fuji Television JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba today is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. Odaiba was initially b ...

and the 80th anniversary of

Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such ...

's birth.

Studio Devaloka

In 2010, following a small solo art exhibition tour titled " Devaloka" it was announced that Amano had established a film production company, Studio Devaloka, and would be directing a 3D anime titled ''Zan'', with additional projects to be announced in the future. On December 15, 2010, the official website for the film, now titled ''Deva Zan'', was unveiled, along with information concerning an upcoming press conference, to be held on December 21, 2010.''Deva Zan'' official website
; accessed July 28, 2015. The roughly ten-minute-long conference revealed details about the project, including staff, as well as a short trailer for the film, which stylistically emulates the look of Amano's paintings. In April 2012, an illustrated novel adaptation of the work was announced by

Dark Horse Manga Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...

. To be released in January 2013, the novel will be Amano's debut as an author and will include over 240 original illustrations. Despite a projected 2012 release date, Amano stated in an October 2012 interview that the animation project was still in its development and funding stages and may instead be realized as a TV series. The possibility of a video game adaptation was also mentioned.Interview with Yoshitaka Amano
, AnimeNetwork.com; October 29, 2012. In 2013, Amano collaborated with Japanese rock star Hyde (L'Arc-en-Ciel/VAMPS) on an art exhibition titled ''Destiny and Decay: Nippon Evolution''.

List of works

Animation

* ''

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman is a Japanese animated franchise about a five-member superhero ninja team created by Tatsuo Yoshida and produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The original anime series, which debuted in 1972, was eponymously entitled ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatcham ...

'' (1972) * ''

Casshan ''Casshan'', also known in Japan as , is an anime series created by Tatsunoko Productions founder Tatsuo Yoshida in 1973. The ''Casshern'' franchise also includes a 1993 original video animation titled '' Casshan: Robot Hunter'', and a 2004 ...

'' (1973) * ''

Hurricane Polymar is a Japanese anime and OVA series produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The show was created by Tatsuo Yoshida, who had produced many of Tatsunoko's series. Other romanizations of the name include ''Hurricane Polymer'', and ''Hariken Polyma ...

'' (1974) * ''

New Honeybee Hutch is an anime cartoon series and a sequel to '' The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee''. Plot The sequel starts some time after the events of the first series, as Hutch and his sister, Aya, lose their mother, the Queen Bee, after an attack of ...

'' (1974) * ''

'' (1975) ** ''

Yatterman is a Japanese anime television series broadcast from January 1, 1977 to January 27, 1979, comprising 108 episodes. It is the second and longest show in the ''Time Bokan'' series by Tatsunoko Productions. The series succeeded ''Time Bokan'' a ...

'' (1977) ** ''

Zenderman is a Japanese anime television series which first aired from February 3, 1979, to January 26, 1980, on every Saturday from 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm with a total of 52 episodes. It is the third show in the sequence of " Time Bokan Series" produced by ...

'' (1979) ** ''

Rescueman ''Rescueman'', known in Japan as , is the fourth in the ''Time Bokan'' series. Burning with ambitions to become the most beautiful woman, the most renowned scientist, and the greatest hero the world has ever known, three villains - Atasha, Sek ...

'' (1980) ** ''

Yattodetaman is the fifth installment in the '' Time Bokan'' series, produced by Tatsunoko Productions and directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa. In this series, two royal houses battle for the power to rule the Kingdom of Fir. In order to secure the Kingdom, two r ...

'' (1981) ** ''

Gyakuten! Ippatsuman is a Japanese anime television series broadcast from February 13, 1982 to March 26, 1983, comprising 58 episodes. It is the sixth entry to the ''Time Bokan'' series by Tatsunoko Productions and the second series to feature a super robot as th ...

'' (1982) ** ''

Itadakiman is the seventh in the ''Time Bokan'' series. Plot The story begins in the year 20XX. Oshaka School in Kamakuland is a world-renowned school where only those who are pure and clearheaded descendants of Priest Sanzo's clan may be admitted. The ...

'' (1983) * '' Tekkaman: The Space Knight'' (1975) * ''

Gowappa 5 Gōdam is a Japanese Mecha anime series produced by Tatsunoko Productions and aired in 1976. There were 36 episodes. It is the second installment to Takara's ''Magne-Robo'' Franchise. Outline ''Gowappa'' was the first super robot anime to feature ...

'' (1976) * ''Akū Daisakusen Srungle'' (1983) * ''

Genesis Climber MOSPEADA (literally "Armored Genesis MOSPEADA") is an anime science fiction series created by Shinji Aramaki and Hideki Kakinuma. The 25-episode television series ran from late 1983 to early 1984 in Japan. MOSPEADA stands for Military Operation Soldi ...

'' (1983) * '' Radio City Fantasy'' * ''

Starzan S , or simply ''Starzan S'', is an anime created by Tatsunoko Productions from an idea by veteran studio director Hiroshi Sasagawa. The series is a "mixture of Star Wars and Tarzan". Canceled at only 34 episodes due to low ratings, the series w ...

'' (1984) * '' Bismark (anime)'' (1984) * '' Angel's Egg'' (also co-creator of the story) (1985) * ''

'' (1985) * ''

'' (1986) * ''

Lily C.A.T. ''Lily C.A.T.'' is a 1987 science fiction/ horror anime film written and directed by Hisayuki Toriumi, featuring monster designs from Yoshitaka Amano and character designs from Yasuomi Umetsu. An English version of the film was produced by C ...

'' (1987) * ''

Twilight of the Cockroaches is a 1987 anime/live-action film written and directed by Hiroaki Yoshida that combines live-action footage with animation. The plot concerns a society of cockroaches who live peacefully in the apartment of a bachelor named Saito, until a woman mo ...

'' (1987) * ''1001 Nights'' (1998,

Concert video A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian. Early history Th ...

directed b
Mike Smith
for music by David Newman, based on Amano's ''Princess Budou'' illustrations) * '' Ayakashi'' (2006) * ''Fantascope ~Tylostoma~''(2006) * ''Bird's Song'' (2007) * ''

Ten Nights of Dreams or ''Ten Nights' Dreams'' is a series of short pieces by Natsume Sōseki. It was serialized in the ''Asahi Shimbun'' from July 25 to August 5, 1908. Sōseki writes of ten dreams set in various time periods, including his own time (the Meiji peri ...

'' (2007) * '' Vegetable Fairies: N.Y. Salad'' (2007) * ''

Jungle Emperor ''Kimba the White Lion'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese ''shōnen manga, shōnen'' manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka which was serialized in the ''Manga Shōnen'' magazine from November 1950 to April 1954. An ani ...

'' (2009) * ''

Gibiate is an original anime television series produced by Yoshitaka Amano, directed by Masahiko Komino at studios Lunch BOX and Studio Elle and written by Ryō Aoki. The series aired from July 15 to September 30, 2020. A special PR program aired on J ...

'' (2020) * '' Exception'' (2022)

Novels

* ''A Wind Named Amnesia'' English Version (2009)

Author

* ''Deva Zan'' (2013)

Illustrator

Select domestic Japanese works * ''

'' (1983-ongoing) * ''

Guin Saga is a best-selling heroic fantasy novel series by the Japanese author Kaoru Kurimoto, in continuous publication since 1979. A record 100 volumes were originally planned, but the final total stands at 147 volumes and 26 side-story novels, ...

'' (1984–1997) * ''

The Heroic Legend of Arslan is a Japanese fantasy novel series written by Yoshiki Tanaka. It was published from 1986 to 2017, with sixteen novels and one side-story in the official guidebook ''Arslan Senki Dokuhon''. Set in ancient Persia, it is loosely based on the ...

'' (1986–1999) * '' Sohryuden'' (1987-ongoing) * '' Rampo Edogawa Mystery Collection'' (1987–1989) * '' Tekiha Kaizoku Series'' * '' Shinsetsu Taikō-ki'' * '' Chimera-ho Series'' * '' Garouden'' * '' The Tale of Genji'' (1997) * '' Sword World RPG'' – Assorted artwork * '' Mateki: The Magic Flute'' * ''Illustrated Blues'' (2010) Select Japanese editions of foreign works * '' A Cup of Magic!'' (1981) * '' The Prince in the Scarlet Robe, Corum'' (1982) * '' Erekosë Saga'' (1983) * '' Elric Saga'' (1984) * '' Dream Weaver'' (1985) * '' The Chronicles of Castle Brass'' (1988) * '' Hoka Series'' * ''

Seven Brothers 7 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 7 or seven may also refer to: * AD 7, the seventh year of the AD era * 7 BC, the seventh year before the AD era * The month of July Music Artists * Seven (Swiss singer) (born 1978), a Swiss recording artist ...

'' (2006) Foreign works * '' Sandman: The Dream Hunters'' (1999) * '' Elektra and Wolverine: The Redeemer'' (2002) * ''Yoshitaka Amano's HERO'' (2006-ongoing) * ''Shinjuku'' (2010) * ''Shinjuku Azul'' (TBA)

Art books

* ''Maten / Evil Universe'' (1984) * ''Genmukyu / Castle of Illusions'' (1986) () * ''Imagine'' (1987) () * ''Hiten / Flying Universe: The Art of Yoshitaka Amano'' (1989) ( * ''Dawn'' (1991) ( * ''The Heroic Tales Of Arslan'' (1991) * ''The Illustrations for Tarot Card by Yoshitaka Amano'' (1992) ( * ''Rasenoh / Spiral King'' (1992) () * ''Le Roi de la Lune'' (1992) () * ''Mono (art book), Mono'' (1993) * ''Untitled set of 10 postcards'' (1993) * ''Steps To Heaven'' (1993) * ''Yoshitaka Amano Postcard Selection'' (1994) () * Japan, Final Fantasy'' (1994) () * ''Katen'' (1994) () * ''Budōhime / Princess Budou'' (1996) * ''Yousei / Fairies'' (1996) () * ''

'' (1996) () * ''Yoshitaka Amano: Collection of Paintings'' (1996) * ''1996'' (1996) * ''Kan'oke / Coffin'' (1997) () * ''Think Like Amano'' (1997) * ''Biten'' (1999) * ''Alice Erotica'' (1999) * ''1001 Nights'' (1999) * ''Märchen'' (2000) * ''Vampire Hunter D'' (2000) () * ''POEM'' (2001) * ''Kotatsu I'' (2002) * ''Kotatsu II'' (2002) * ''Guin Saga Chronicle'' (2002) * ''The Sky'' (2002) * ''Kiten'' (2002) * ''Symphony (2002) * ''Amano First'' (2003) () * ''The Virgin'' (2004) () * ''Yoshitaka Amano x HYDE - Destiny and Decay: Nippon Evolution'' (2013)

Video games

* Esh's Aurunmilla (1984) – Character Designer *''

'' (1987) – Character Designer, Title Logo Designer and Graphic Designer * ''

Final Fantasy II * is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the ''Final Fantasy'' series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the P ...

'' (1988) – Character Designer, Title Logo Designer and Graphic Designer * ''First Queen'' (1988) – Box cover artist * ''Duel'' (1989) – Box cover artist * ''Duel98'' (1989) – Box cover artist * ''

Final Fantasy III is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Family Computer. The third installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it is the first numbered ''Final Fantasy'' game to feature the job-change system. The story revolve ...

'' (1990) – Character Designer & Title Logo Designer * ''First Queen 2'' (1990) – Box cover artist * ''

Final Fantasy IV known as ''Final Fantasy II'' for its initial North American release, is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in 1991, it is the fourth main insta ...

'' (1991) – Character Designer, Image Designer and Title Logo Designer * ''

Final Fantasy V is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992. It is the fifth main installment of the ''Final Fantasy'' series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom (known internationally as the ...

'' (1992) – Character Designer, Image Designer and Title Logo Designer * ''Kawanakajima Ibunroku'' (1992) – Box cover artist * ''First Queen 3'' (1993) – Box cover artist * ''

'' (1994) – Character Designer, Image Designer and Title Logo Designer * ''

Front Mission is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square (video game company), Square, now Square Enix. The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and existed withi ...

'' (1995) – Character Designer * '' Front Mission: Gun Hazard'' (1996) – Character Designer * '' Final Fantasy VII'' (1997) – Promotional Artwork, Image Illustrator, Title Logo Designer and Character Artwork * '' Kartia: The Word of Fate'' (1998) – Art Designer * ''

Final Fantasy VIII is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation console. Released in 1999, it is the eighth main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Set on an unnamed fantasy world with science fiction elements, t ...

'' (1999) – Promotional Artwork, Image Illustrator, Title Logo Designer and Character Artwork * ''

Final Fantasy IX is a 2000 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth game in the main '' Final Fantasy'' series. The plot focuses on a war between nations in a medieval fantasy world cal ...

'' (2000) – Character Illustrations & Original Character Designer * '' El Dorado Gate'' (2000–2001) – Creative Director & Additional Design * '' Final Fantasy X'' (2001) – Promotional Artwork, Image Illustrations, Title Logo Designer and Character Artwork * ''

Final Fantasy X-2 is a 2003 role-playing video game developed and published by Square (video game company), Square for the PlayStation 2. Unlike most ''Final Fantasy'' games, which use self-contained stories and characters, ''X-2'' continues the story of ''Fin ...

'' (2003) – Promotional Artwork, Title Logo Designer and Image Illustrator * ''

Final Fantasy XI also known as ''Final Fantasy XI Online'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), originally developed and published by Squaresoft and then published by Square Enix as the eleventh main installment of the ''Final Fantas ...

'' (2002) – Promotional Artwork, Title Logo Designer and Image Illustrator * ''

Final Fantasy XII is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. The twelfth main installment of the '' Final Fantasy'' series, it was first released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. It introduced several innovations to the series: an open ...

'' (2006) – Promotional Artwork, Title Logo Designer and Image Illustrator * ''

Lord of Vermilion is an arcade-based fantasy collectible card game developed by Think Garage and distributed by Square Enix in which players control combat cards on an arcade play surface. The objective of the game is to destroy the enemy team's Arcana Stones and e ...

'' (2008) – Guest Card Illustrator * ''

Dissidia Final Fantasy is a fighting game with action RPG elements developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign for the '' Final Fantasy'' series' 20th anniversary. It was released in Japan on December 18, 2008, in Nor ...

'' (2008) – Title Logo Designer & Image Illustrator * '' Final Fantasy IV: The After Years'' (2009) – Title Logo Designer * '' Lord of Vermilion II'' (2009) – Guest Card Illustrator * ''

Final Fantasy XIII is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles and later for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Released in Japan in December 2009 and international in March 2010, it is the ...

'' (2010) – Promotional Artwork, Title Logo Designer & Image Illustrator * ''

Final Fantasy XIV ''Final Fantasy XIV'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix. Directed and produced by Naoki Yoshida, it was released worldwide for Windows and PlayStation 3 in August 2013, as a rep ...

'' (2010) – Title Logo Designer * ''

Lord of Arcana is an action role-playing game for the PlayStation Portable, developed by Access Games and published by Square Enix. A remake titled , was released in Japan and Asia in December 2011 for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation Portable. Gameplay ...

'' (2010) – Guest Monster Designer * ''

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy ''Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy'' (pronounced as ) is a 2011 fighting game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the ''Final Fantasy'' series. It was developed by the company's 1st Production Department and released in J ...

'' (2011) – Title Logo Designer & Image Illustrator * ''

Final Fantasy Type-0 is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). Released in Japan on October 27, 2011, ''Type-0'' is part of the ''Fabula Nova Crystallis'' subseries, a set of games sharing a common my ...

'' (2011) – Promotional Artwork, Title Logo Designer & Image Illustrator * ''Final Fantasy XIII-2'' (2011) – Title Logo Designer * ''Final Fantasy Dimensions'' (2012) – Title Logo Designer * ''UnchainBlades EXXiV'' (2012) – Character Designer * ''Fantasy Life'' (2012) – Image Illustrator * ''

'' (2013) – Art Designer * ''Child of Light'' (2014) – Image Illustrator * ''Terra Battle'' (2014) – Character Design * ''Final Fantasy Explorers'' (2014) – Title Logo Designer * ''Mobius Final Fantasy'' (2015) – Title Logo Designer * ''Final Fantasy Grandmasters'' (2015) – Title Logo Designer * ''Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius'' (2015) – Promotional Artwork, Title Logo Designer * ''World of Final Fantasy'' (2016) – Title Logo Designer * ''Final Fantasy XV'' (2016) – Promotional Artwork, Title Logo Designer & Image Illustrator * ''Final Fantasy Dimensions II'' (2017) – Title Logo Designer * ''World of Final Fantasy: Meli-Melo'' (2017) – Title Logo Designer * ''Dissidia Final Fantasy NT'' (2018) – Title Logo Designer * ''Final Fantasy Explorers-Force'' (2018) – Title Logo Designer * ''Arc of Alchemist'' (2019) – Image Illustrator * ''Eternal'' (2019) – Key Visual, Character Designer, Monster Designer * ''War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius'' (2019) – Title Logo Designer * ''Final Fantasy VII Remake'' (2020) - Title Logo Designer * ''Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin'' (2022) – Title Logo Designer * ''Final Fantasy XVI'' (TBA) - Title Logo Designer

Music

* ''Raphael (band), Raphael:'' ''Sweet Romance'' (1999), ''Yume Yori Suteki na'' (1999), ''Hanasaku Inochi Aru Kagiri'' (1999), ''Eternal Wish (Todokanu Kimi e)'' (1999), ''Promise'' (1999) – Cover Illustrator * ''

Galneryus is a Japanese power metal band, formed in Osaka in 2001 by guitarist Syu and vocalist Yama-B.Artist.cdjou ...

'': ''The Flag of Punishment'' (2003), ''Advance to the Fall'' (2005), ''Beyond the End of Despair...'' (2006), ''Best of the Awakening Days'' (2009), ''Best of the Braving Days'' (2009) – Cover Illustrator * ''Vocaloid 3 Library: Zola Project'' (2013) – Image Illustrator * ''Random Encounter (band), Random Encounter: Lost Frequency'' (2017) - Cover and Interior Illustrator

Other Works

* ''Magic: The Gathering'' Liliana, Dreadhorde General (2019) - Image Illustrator

Biography

Early fantasy works

Video games

Branching out

Freelancing

Studio Devaloka

List of works

Animation

Novels

Author

Illustrator

Art books

Video games

Music

Other Works

Notes and references

External links