The Evolution of Fire Emblem's Insanely Random Art Direction. (FE1 - Engage)

[@Faerghast]

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[@Adir-Yosef]

you do realise that pokemon has a similar thing it already went through 4 or 5 different artsyles gens 1 and 2 gens 3-5 gens 6 and 7 (might add 8 as well) gen 8 and gen 9

[@robineis9460]

Thank you so much for this video, it’s amazing to see the story of the art so far for FE

[@bennutt5050]

what about fire emblem warriors

[@youngnigar525]

Unpopular opinion but Archana saga has the best art

[@tylerdrummond4078]

I like the ever-changing art styles from game to game. Especially when we get to see older characters redrawn in the new styles. It freshens it up and creates distinct feelings for each game. I totally get that people will have their likes and dislikes but I like that they mix it up!

[@paperluigi6132]

And hey, in most cases, with some noticeable exceptions, it truly drives in the feeling that most worlds in Fire Emblem are self contained in their own Outrealms.

[@AzumarillConGafasBv]

I liked the way they handle it in Awakening, some characters recieved a new artwork in the style of that game and looked good, can't say that about Engage

[@supervegito2277]

Different without being too different is definitely a concept i can get behind... like ive read fanfics for that exact reason...

[@Yokai_Yuri]

Ah yes, the loyal nintendo follower

[@DocDevious23]

Same! It makes every game and it's worlds distinct. I don't love Engage's art design but I'd never mistake it for another game's world. And it makes it so much cooler when you see these worlds collide in something like FEH

[@PsychoPenguin1919]

To me, Hidari was the peak of Fire Emblem's character design so far. There's just something about his art that lends itself to the 'modern-fantasy' style that FE has had as of late. Meaning that while, yes, the aesthetic is still very much swords, sorcery, castles, knights, etc. characters don't speak in old English and have modern sensibilities. I know some people clown on the 'poor village kids with designer clothes' style with the Ram Village crew, but all of their designs are just so strong, stylish, and expressive. I would absolutely love to see Hidari come back to the series for another mainline game or another Echoes remake.

[@SharurFoF]

This and it's not really even close. Echoes crushes.

[@ramenbomberdeluxe4958]

I’ll say this much though, people seem to equate modern sensibilities as being the moral choices. I disagree. Medieval and ancient people had the sense to be benevolent and care for their people just as much as folks today for example.

[@crafteariee]

The other cool thing about Hidari's designs is how nicely it fits with the overall art direction consistency they went with Echoes, even down to the UI textures and small elements on the bottom screen menu design too! You can see his influence with the palette in the little CG drawings made by other illustrators for some moments in that game. It's earthy in a way that's rather refreshing for the series to have.

[@SweaterPuppys]

I didnt like Hidari’s direction for echoes at first and even now there’s still some characters that I have problems with (nuibaba) but I do like that not everyone is a pasteface prettyboy, they crushed it with Atlas and Gray

[@MidwestArtMan]

I love that everything in it is less saturated, but in a way that it looks like it was drawn on old paper or the colors have faded evenly over time. It's easily my favorite, too.

[@Dakress23]

I find cool how every artist FE has had so far helps show how much the "anime artstyle" has evolved over the years. Like, no one should deny that FE3 and 4 had very heavy cases of 90's hair (which is fitting since... they did release during that time).

[@MrGksarathy]

Seriously, it seems like every FE3-4 character had some sort of mullet.

[@RadiancePath936]

@@MrGksarathy especially Eldigan,Ares, and Sigurd. It's so obvious and blatant on them too 😭😭😭💀💀💀💀💀

[@jutco]

need a character with a clean fade

[@Cyborg609]

atleast they have given up following current fashion traits or we would have FE 9-12 full of guys with emo hair (Like Sothe & Soren), girls with eyes full of make up and valentia-engage roster with +10 guys with bald sides+combed back upper part haircut and girls dressing in gym pants/leggings with booty showing splash art. :D

[@RTU130]

Hmm

[@ramenbomberdeluxe4958]

I think what people try to argue when it comes to the claim that it’s “more anime” is that modern fire emblem games have somewhat slid more and more into the bubbly and traditional and standard anime art styles of today. As a fan of the marth games, I can attest that the first and third games seem very 80’s and 90’s style anime. In fact? All five of the original games seem somewhat in line with styles of the time, which funny enough WAS typical back in that era, making it funny to hear such discourse nowadays.

[@inari3217]

FE 4 (my favorite in case someone accuses me of dissing it lol) has the WORST case of 90's anime hair

[@ramenbomberdeluxe4958]

@@inari3217 I wanna say debatable but…damn lol

[@LordlyWeeb]

Exactly, that's why the complaint means nothing. FE pretty much just looks like the most popular anime of the time.

[@monodoro]

While Fire Emblem has always gone after whatever look is in fashion, the overall aesthetic is still somewhat adjacent to the entry immediately before it. (Style-wise Three houses is closer to Awakening than Sacred Stones, and Sacred Stones is closer to Blazing Sword than FE2 etc) I don’t think this was a deliberate thing, trends just happened to be somewhat adjacent. The complaining will settle down as people adjust, (and people have complained needlessly with every game) but I think it’s fair to say that Engage is one of the more jarring changes. Again, we haven’t seen a style shift from FE1 to FE12 in the span of a single entry like this.

[@miacasual1263]

Yea for real. I watched Saint Seiya for the first time a few weeks back and all the inspiration early FE took from it is very clear

[@BitterSweetNitemare]

Hidari was such a great choice for Echoes and it’s a shame that the game didn’t get as big as it deserved! Easily a favorite for many ppl (including myself)!

[@paperluigi6132]

It didn’t sell a lot, but it sold what IS was expecting it to sell, so it was a success, but not a huge one.

[@maomi1852]

I think that FE Echoes is actually my favorite entry up to now, it's paired next to FE Awakening for me.

[@avinadadmendez4019]

It was released too late in the 3DS lifetime

[@apuspeak8764]

That's what you get for not pandering to classic FE gamers as new potential gamers might find the gameplay a bit awkward.

[@FBBReppCloud]

@@apuspeak8764 that doesnt matter, three houses was not pandering to the classic fans, it was pandering to the Persona fanboys and it became a huge success

[@swift5384]

Shadows of Valentia will always be the peak for me. Since playing it Hidari has become my favourite manga/game artist period. I adore the warm tones and grounded designs. It feels like the most down to earth, lived in fire emblem out of all the modern generation.

[@xoxo.pochacco]

Agreed

[@carlosaugusto9821]

I guess that is right because even though I'm not a fan, it feels like the most tolerable art style in a later game (after Wii).

[@turinturambar501]

I agree. In terms of complexity and depth I would pick Three Houses, but I love the colors and drawings of Echoes.

[@ryugoasakura3247]

Fun thing, I got the chance to meet Chinatsu Kurahana two weeeks ago, at a french exhibition. She was at a dedicace session, and she accept to drew byleth with glasses on mine, it was truly adorable.

[@zeehero7280]

Glasses do look professor-y

[@ryugoasakura3247]

@@zeehero7280 Well, that's why we got them in game

[@CarbonMalite]

This made me think, the point "FE has always been anime" is technically true, but anime in the 90s and anime now are wildly different due to industry standards changing over time. Old FE definitely reminds me of stuff like Inuyasha and Rurouni Kenshin while the new one hits like Genshin Impact

[@fumomofumosarum5893]

i mean obviously it was always anime, what else would it be? it's a deeply japanese franchise after all.

[@henrique789]

3h never hit like genshin to me it felt bot anime but grounded.......but the new even if the art is good the designs are horrible.

[@chewybaka_]

@@henrique7893H was very similar to persona 5 in terms of artstyle

[@princeapoopoo5787]

I feel like 3H is too "realistic" to be compared to Genshin. I don't think Genshin looks horrible, but characters (at least the playable ones) tend to look a bit young and moe. While 3H is less afraid to bring in more diverse designs. Unless op is talking about Engage, which I could see that comparison more.

[@Vermillicent]

Only the latest one feels like Genshin, which is why it also looks like complete garbage. No wonder the artist was a fucking Vtuber artist, it makes a lot of sense now

[@franciscodetonne4797]

Wada Sachiko is my favorite FE/FEH artist. Her style just feels right to me, the arts look like physical paintings and not digital artworks. There is a constant softness/gentleness throughout, but every texture and shape looks right. Also, she's the only artist that has drawn in all 6 CYLs and has the most characters drawn for FEH so far (33 I think). As for main line games, I have to give it to Hidari. His works in SoV make the character, esp. the SoV OCs like Berkut and Slayd.

[@leifster7762]

I'll always have a soft spot for Koya art and I adore Suzuki's artstyle

[@monca1222]

I wish Wada could do the designs for a remake of FE4...

[@paperluigi6132]

@@monca1222 Rika Suzuki is THE artist for an FE4 remake.

[@apuspeak8764]

@@paperluigi6132 nope, I want Sachiko-san and Kita-san to draw for FE4. Their strokes are very detailed, fantasy and the varied men design are actually matched to their age. Most of the modern style artists choice have the same face syndrome, smoothed face and looks like shitubers.

[@GenMars]

the drakengard artist that did the roy card in awakening is my favorite, they should keep using his style imo

[@tovi3280]

kimihiko fujisaka my beloved

[@bruskydu]

I really like Echoes' art style. Fell in love with it when I first played Toukiden. Since I've been trying out all games that has the same art style, that's how I got into Atelier games as well thru the Dusk trilogy. I have them all in my PS Vita

[@josmos72]

Man, you would love Remember11

[@Sigismund697]

I find it wierd that I love Atelier's artstyle but never got into awakening/fates I suspect my issue was the designs rather than the art

[@apuspeak8764]

@@Sigismund697 yes, the design is off putting. it reminds me of the knockoff genshin.

[@rad6917]

Hidari’s art is gorgeous, the aesthetic and quality of SoV’s art is insanely polished and makes me want to play the game despite its horrible maps haha

[@HoraceInkling]

Changing up the art style is such a wonderful idea. I freaking love that they hired an otome artist for 3H and that they got an exploding-color-wheel artist for Engage. It keeps it all so fresh. And damn it, I love Yusuke’s art throughout Awakening, Fates, and Heroes. Can’t wait to see what comes next.

[@skeletonwar4445]

Agreed, the only constant in FE is that it always changes and I wouldn't have it any other way.

[@stevenanderson7620]

I find it extremely cool that a lot of the character designers for Fire Emblem are women, particularly shoujo manga artists. A lot of character designers in JRPGs are men, which isn’t bad at all, I just find it cool that they brought on female artists to character design for fantasy games. Again, this isn’t dunking on the male artists at all, as I love their work too, but as a male fan of a lot of shoujo manga, I really enjoy it.

[@gretafreitag2041]

late reply but fe4's manga is so shoujo and I love it so much

[@Moon1tan]

It's lovely to see shoujo manga artists get some recognition in general since they're usually overshadowed by Shounen manga artists due to their overwhelming popularity I still love both shounen and shoujo content but Shoujo manga art has a special place in my heart

[@EphemeralPseudonym]

tales has been largely a collaboration between classic shounen and shoujo manga artists ah my goddess guy and mutsumi inomata

[@bruhgator]

women's contributions to gaming development (especially older games) are often overlooked and overwritten so it's really cool that fe has so many women heading the art direction

[@justnoob8141]

Fire Emblem isn’t RPG

[@borbborbb]

Yuske Kosaki is definitely my favorite artist of the games, Awakening has such beautiful cutscenes and portraits

[@Skasaha_]

One of the most consistent things with FE discussion online, particularly when it leaks out of FE exclusive forums etc, is that there's always plenty of people ready to complain about the new game's artstyle as being 'too anime'. Happens every single time, without fail.

[@paperluigi6132]

FE has been following anime trends since the very beginning. If anything, this is another way of saying that old anime is better than the new stuff, which is COMPLETELY subjective.

[@apuspeak8764]

@@paperluigi6132 not really

[@Skasaha_]

@@apuspeak8764 you haven't seen any 80s or 90s anime, have you?

[@gumgrapes]

Probably because it looks embarrassingly bad :p

[@rdrrr]

@@gumgrapes I prefer traditional animation to CG. It feels more distinct and "alive" to me. But it's also what I'm _used_ to, because that was what anime looked like when I was growing up (I'm an ageing millennial).

[@danny5074]

it's always nice to see a level headed approach to engages style by a.) respecting pikazos work by understanding that her trademark is bright and colorful designs hence the result of the engage cast and b.) acknowledging that fe has an everchanging art style and this is simply the newest style the franchise is using

[@nicocchi]

ngl as someone who likes Sei Shounagon in Fate/Grand Order (drawn by Pikazo) and Baelz a lot, I'm still not sold on Alear's hair lol. It's pretty hard for me to put my finger into why though but surely I'll warm up to them eventually

[@conspiracypanda1200]

@@nicocchi As someone who has a completely useless art degree, I can tell you 100% it is the specific shades of blue and red used that are the issue. Alear's blue streaks are (depending on the art or render) too dark or equal in intensity to their red streaks. This causes the blue and red to contrast badly as they fight for visual dominance. If you stare at the red too long the blue appears darker and duller, and if you stare at the blue too long the red seems jarring and innapropriately intense in comparison. Meanwhile, the character of Sei that you referenced has a much lighter tone of blue, allowing the red to take the dominant role and pop out visually, ironically creating harmony between the two colours. If you look at the red first then the lighter blue becomes soothing to look at, and if you look at the blue first then the red becomes exciting and bold.

[@TriforceWisdom64]

@@conspiracypanda1200 I assume that Alear's hair is supposed to have that effect, to illustrate how they're torn between human and dragon and between good and evil. Though the idea that that look is intentional just makes me dislike it more.

[@LockedOnTargetShow]

@@TriforceWisdom64 I mean, I thought the same thing when I first saw the character reveal, but then they showed the 3d model in motion which looks stunning and the design has grown on me.

[@KazuhikoTsuki]

@@conspiracypanda1200 thank you so much for explaining this. Now it makes a whole lot more sense why I find it so jarring and difficult to enjoy personally. I’m hoping I can enjoy this new art style but I’m very picky on it… if the art isn’t my thing I don’t bother getting a game like in VNs 😅

[@ImmaLittlePip]

I didn't even know FE4 had figurines Imagine how much they go for now

[@Hailinel]

I have the Eldigan figurine from that set. It was specifically a blind-box figure series (i.e.: You buy a boxed figurine without knowing which one's inside.) The figurine's quality is, unfortunately, not the best for that reason, as the figure quality is by necessity rather cheap, and pieces were a pain to assemble. (Eldigan's sash could never fit on quite right for my particular figure.) I have no doubt that sealed blind-boxes would sell for high prices these days, though.

[@moistypancake4076]

I got Sigurd from that set years ago at my first comic con. And yes the belt doesn't fit on him either... thought it was just me haha.

[@zanxdyne]

I remember reading somewhere that Wachiko Sada did the sprite/portrait art for FE9, while Kita Senri did the sprite art for FE10, that’s why they look different (Kita Senri was the character designer for both games though)

[@juliajulius8000]

You’re wrong regarding the character designer. Sachiko Wada is the credited character designer for Radiant Dawn. PoR has no credited character designer. Senri Kita did the illustrations for PoR and Sachiko the portraits. Senri Kita did both the illustrations and the portraits for Radiant Dawn. Sachiko did the character design.

[@Zaemoncho]

I loved the Awakening art so much.

[@paperluigi6132]

12:30 On that topic, Chinatsu Kurahana created the design for Regis Altare, a VTuber from Holostars, essentially the males version of Hololive also run by the same company. Also, I just fully realized that Fire Emblem Engage will be the first mainline Fire Emblem game (and second overall after Three Hopes) to not have Cipher art made for it.

[@StewartMcGinnis]

Really cool to see all the research gathered together in a nice exposition with continuity. I wouldn't have known where to find anything but names in credits

[@yeollierancher]

This was so fascinating! The art style Echoes has is one of my all time faves, I can’t believe it’s the same one that Atelier has. No wonder they’re so lowkey familiar. Having said that, the Three Houses one had me laughing so hard. We want to draw pretty men, so someone that specializes in drawing pretty men it is. Bless.

[@kevinskyssandbox7610]

Mayumi Hirota's work is probably my favorite. All of Thracia's characters feel so realistic/grounded while also standing out from one another. Beautiful work!

[@carlosaugusto9821]

To me the nicest of all that generation and including the GBA games

[@Peeplii]

Something about Yusuke Kozakis art just hits so well for me. It will always be my fave FE art style 🤧 Awakening also had my fave character designs

[@jedimasterpickle3]

I think my favorite art direction is a tie between Echoes and Three Houses. I don't really dislike any art direction (even with Engage, I mostly think Alear alone is too much), but Echoes is just a gorgeous game. It's hard to describe what about it really works for me, but the characters just look....right. Sure, Alm growing up as some rural village kid but having a full suit of plate armor is perhaps a bit silly, but when he comes into his own as a leader? It fits super well. And Celica has one of my favorite designs in the whole series. After the SUPER fanservice heavy Fates, I really liked seeing a more toned-down, but still very feminine outfit. And her bright white color scheme contrasts well with Alm's darker outfit. And with Three Houses, it's kinda like....I enjoyed seeing the characters come into their own. You can see a lot of personal touches in many of the cast's Academy uniforms, but then the timeskip hits and all my kids are grown up now, and their outfits all fit them super well. I especially loved how the Blue Lions tended to have a lot of furs because Faerghus is much colder than the other countries. I just have to know what the deal with Lorenz's face and hair was ha.

[@bigballedlegend5592]

ive really come to love three houses art style! when it was first announced i was honestly a little disappointed because al l the art looked a little boring and stiff when you put them next to awakening, fates and ESPECIALLY echoes (god bless you hidari). but seeing it all in-game made me realise what the art was trying to achieve. the 2d sprites definitely are less dynamic and expressive but mostly because the 3d models are the ones meant to carry that. then the timeskip happened and OH BOY THOSE DESIGNS.... it really pays off seeing all these characters grow and become more confident and comfortable in their own skins. plus the outfit designs and the general mood and style feels more 'mature' and really fits the tone of the game

[@jedimasterpickle3]

@@bigballedlegend5592 Agreed on all counts. I was *not* impressed with the character designs when 3H was first announced and thought they didn't fit in. The Academy uniforms grew on me, though, and you can still see personal touches many students added. Like Mercedes's shawl or Bernadetta's hoody. And nothing beats getting to chapter 13 for the first time and seeing your class in their timeskip outfits.

[@maomi1852]

Agreed on all accounts! Those are my favorite FE when it comes to the art style as well! But Chrom is still the most handsome FE guy for me hahahah

[@mercy144]

And in EVERY single art direction people ALWAYS bitching. 💀

[@heyjeySigma]

duno bout u but three houses had some very good character designs imo. But yea Engage is a hit or miss.. not bitching but i guess theres always ups and downs

[@stopannoyingme601]

@@heyjeySigma ngl Three Houses sometimes made the hair look weird I don't hate it but it bothers me a little

[@warm-heartedreaction6191]

@@stopannoyingme601 you not bother by engage protag hair?

[@stopannoyingme601]

@@warm-heartedreaction6191 I am but I'm not talking about the hair colour rn

[@warm-heartedreaction6191]

@@stopannoyingme601 i not talk about colour either lol

[@echoesvtuber]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the main artists over the main Fire Emblem games, while being easy to follow in chronological order. Art is so important in how we see and understand characters visually and conceptually, so these character artists and designers remain integral to Fire Emblem’s characters and how their worlds are perceived. Hidari is my absolute favorite out of the group, followed by Yusuke Kozaki. Hidari’s attention to clothing material and textures is amazing, with careful attention to detail with his clothing and design choices. I hope he comes back for other Echoes titles. While the Engage artist is perfect for helping create a more vibrant and energetic game, and her clean artwork makes it easier to create 3d models that look as stunning as they are in-game. Thanks for your lovely video as I have been wanting to watch this kind of video for some time.

[@ArataShizunai]

Kozaki Yusuke and Chinatsu Kurahana are both my favorite illustrator from the Fire Emblem franchise. Awakening character designs are my most favorite designs because they look so stunning, but i also like Chinatsu Kurahana design because she also drawed Constantine, a recent character in the game Fate/Grand Order. Mika Pikazo’s character designs looks really colorful and interesting in some way and my favorite design right now is Diamant.

[@natsumie.williams3931]

Same I love their art design so much. I was excited to know that Chinatsu designed Constantine XI, btw Chinatsu is a woman.

[@ArataShizunai]

@@natsumie.williams3931 sorry, i know. Just forgot it.

[@SuperMiIk]

Marth is fine asf no matter who draws him

[@AnastieNivna]

Artist for Three Houses- Chinatsu Kurahana also made the vtuber design for Holostars' talent Regis Altare

[@heresynth]

Big fan of Hidari's style for fantasy games, especially in the Atelier Dusk series. They have such a lovely storybook quality to them

[@johnathanedwards9054]

I think all the artists are pretty good, it's hard to pick out a favorite. But if I had to pick I would go with the Awakening/Fates style. It looks really cool and reminds me a little of anime like Naruto and Bleach.

[@Blitz_Spencer]

If I had to pin down my favorites, it’d probably be Hidari and modern Kita Senri (her work in FEH)

[@crusaderking2257]

Each FE has a nice and unique design, but each is also consistent within their own game. Engage looks fresh and beautifully colorful, excited to play it!

[@Rookie643]

it never really clicked before, but each art style still keeps the Fire Emblem feel.

[@s.castellino4306]

SOV/Hidari is my favorite art for the franchise. I love that FEH has employed previous FE/IS artists. Great video!

[@bramv7174]

I like the differences in artstyle it gives each game (or era) their own uniqueness.

[@LordlyWeeb]

Great video. My only gripe is that you called Pikazo a vtuber artist at the end, lol. I know you don't mean anything by it, but a lot of people think that's *all* she's done, and think less of her for it, unfortunately.

[@Nachtflut]

And most don't know that Chinatsu Kurahana, Three Houses/Hopes character designer, also designed a VTuber.

[@skeletonwar4445]

Yeah, calling Pikazo "a vtuber artist" seems pretty reductive and not fitting for the rest of the respectable tone of the video.

[@Illysi]

I think this video gave me a deeper appreciation for FE art styles. It’s actually kinda cool it changes so often! No other series that I can think of really does this!

[@ricesneeze7107]

Kozaki Yusuke probably has my favorite art style of the franchise so far, although I like pretty much every style they've gone for. His character designs are really creative and the most expressive the franchise has had so far, and he's really good at translating those designs to Awakening/Fates/FEH's 3D cutscenes. Also he designed Lissa, so top marks all around.

[@tommycrawford1183]

This has been driving me crazy for years now but it does have some benefits as well. My favorite art style is Tellius but I’m also a fan of 7 and 8.

[@apuspeak8764]

Kino taste. Whenever I take a gander at Tellius and Magvel characters, they're very diverse instead of looking the same, like Awakening, Fate, Three Houses and Engage.

[@skeletonwar4445]

@@apuspeak8764 ?

[@filipearaujo9981]

Using Trouble to represent FE 1 is unfathomably based. Thank you, editor, that song doesn't get enough love.

[@shannonjones8877]

I was so thrown off @ 6:54 when SquareEnix popped up in the corner. This turned out to be a very interesting trivia project. Kudos.

[@lace_mononym]

I hope they bring back Hidari for an eventual FE4 remake. The character art in FE15 is incredible, and assuming they keep the Echoes moniker for future remakes, having the same character artist makes it a more cohesive brand for a remake subseries

[@mikewazowski7024]

Nothing will ever beat the Tellius games and especially Radiant Dawn for me. The full-body portraita of the Radiant Dawn characters are gorgeous.

[@EspecialJ]

Thank you for this video, it is so well done, the clips, the soundtracks, every transition and the pertinent information, congratulations. It was beautiful to watch.

[@princeapoopoo5787]

My opinion of the artwork in Fire Emblem is really all over the place. I'm not particularly a fan of how outlandish some of the designs in some of the more recent games are (though, believe it or not, I don't hate Alear's hair!), but the quality of the artwork itself is top tier. The designs I do like from Fates and Awakening I absolutely go crazy over! On the other hand, I am a huge fan of like 90% of the designs in the Tellius games, but not the biggest fan of how they're translated in-game.

[@carlosaugusto9821]

Because those games are cheap as hell games, mainly POR. Horrible looks compared to the Nintendo games of its same time and the general games of its time on the GC and the other similar consoles. It would look good if there was good effort on it. Or if there's a modern remake that tries to replicate the same art style.

[@larkspur1517]

this definitely makes me feel less weird about engage's art style, but still i just love 3 houses' more uniform and serious direction so much more

[@cabbusses]

Thanks for remembering BSFE through these videos, even in it's chronological order.

[@Leo-ok3uj]

Rika Suzuki art is so gorgeous, I hope she is who does the art for the FE4 remake

[@oscarcapac1786]

Kita Senri is the MVP, the character design of FE9/10 has this badass but functional feel that goes great with Tellius' atmosphere. The artwork she did for FEH is also amazing, have you seen how gorgeous the original Ryoma and Cecilia are ?

[@Duck_Praise]

I love the gba kinda burned paper watercolor style, plus its pixel sprites, I also love the colour and lines of the radiance games and the paleness of shadow dragon. But my favourite will always be Shadows of Valentia, the colours are so vibrant yet they have so much weight and they mess perfectly with each other and the lines just round it perfectly, it's simply so pleasing and easy to the eye.

[@hylianfelldragon1308]

I get that FE has always had an anime esque look to them (and in most cases, I don't really mind it) but I still can't really say that I like the art direction of FE Engage, at least when it comes to the FE series. A lot of it boils down to bright saturation combined with my distain with the majority of the character designs in general, barring a few exceptions.

[@xoxo.pochacco]

Yeah I feel you. It's much more bright and bubbly than what we're used to.

[@Rageouz]

@@xoxo.pochacco that's what they wanted, they wanted something "flashy" to suit the game

[@madamebkrt]

My issue is that it's infantile. At least to me. The characters look extremely young and the overall style is way too "Genshin Impact" for me. My favourite was SoV; the younger characters looked a bit odd in contrast to the more realistic-looking adult characters, with some having random bug-eyes out of nowhere...but overall the art made it feel as if we WERE in a medieval world. It was grounded and beautiful, and strange-looking characters were the exception. I would have bought Engage were it not for the artstyle.

[@Mikewolv007]

On more thing of note for Yusuke Kozaki is that he had some TCG art made for Fire Rmblem dating back to 2001

[@matt-dr4fk]

I'd love to see Soeda Ippei (Arden's and Dorcas's FEH artist) be the art director for an FE4 remake, though I'm pretty sure he already said he doesn't feel qualified for the job. Great video 💙

[@paperluigi6132]

As much as I love his work, the art director for an FE4 remake HAS to be Rika Suzuki.

[@MildlyAggressiveOni]

Hidari is my favorite artist for the series by far, and I can only hope that they return in a later entry.

[@kicksyo2171]

Nice video man. It’s a great way to get hyped up for Fire Emblem Engage.

[@hozus.7330]

Fun fact - I believe Kozaki did art for at least one character for the old FE TCG card, many years before he got to do character art for a FE game. I can't remember which one(s) he drew, but IIRC it was a Jugdral character(s).

[@Faerghast]

i believe it was leif!

[@paperluigi6132]

@@Faerghast Leif, Lewyn, and Sara. They look… rough, with the best looking one being Sara. Honestly, I wish he could draw them with his current skill level to see how they’d look like.

[@steelecrayon]

Amazing video! Looking at the GBA art took me back to being a kid in 2002, when I would scour all the FE message boards in search of any scraps of art for FE6.

[@Joestar8780]

Thank you Ghast. I learned a lot about the art direction of FE. That bonus artwork of Palla was my favorite 🥰. Videos such as these are very informative and a pleasure to watch.

[@hayleydragon2868]

Thanks for sharing. I’ve always wanted to know more about the designers behind my favorite characters and games.

[@outeremissary4438]

It's a lot of fun to see all the art styles put together like this! I think seeing everything at once makes it clear that they all have a unique charm, even if some speak to me more than others (that Hidari art is my favorite... grounded but still fantastical). It's definitely interesting seeing how the idea of fantasy anime has changed over time.

[@hansgretl1787]

This is all genuinely fascinating. But there are novelizations of Genealogy and Thracia?

[@Dakress23]

Yep. There's been a good bunch of them over the years, including manga.

[@paperluigi6132]

@@Dakress23 Genealogy has four different manga adaptations, with the most famous one being the Mitsuki Oosawa adaptation.

[@mikethepokemaster2012]

Awakening, Fates, Hero's art style by far my favorite. Hidari artstyle is a good 2nd.

[@doorbox788]

I honestly hadn’t thought about it much when i started playing FEH all the way back when it first released, but it’s been sick seeing all the different artwork that has come out from so many different names. So much talent and love has been poured into this series!

[@summongody]

Great job, man, very interesting info about art designers who made franchise so variative

[@TofuSG98]

Times change, to hold onto the past too much will leave you left behind.

[@AkameGaKillfan777]

At the same time, those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it

[@sketch319]

Very well written video faerghast it really made me appreciate what each game was going for. Keep up the work we appreciate it

[@leifster7762]

As someone who's gotten interested in becoming an artist,this was a really engaging video for me! Really puts Fire Emblem art into perspective for me! Thanks on making this,Ghast!

[@galghoul3042]

Small correction: 6 heroes. Nyna's art is also by Rika! And speaking of, I didn't know THE Suzuki Rika and Sachiko Wada had been working with Fire Emblem for so long! The style changes quite a bit, but remains oh so gorgeous. I like the artstyle variety, although Fates, 3H and SoV remain my favourite among all.

[@KingEndymionrose]

Hidari art from Fire emblem shadows of valentia was my favorite.

[@coroarc8423]

Yes, I learned something and left a comment and I like your Fire Emblem scripted content. Nice one!

[@luxaterno6851]

This actually explains why despite the obvious quality and talent that went into Engage's art I just don't like it. I'm not big on the super busy super overly bright style of Vtubers in general. Fire Emblem has always had some off the wall design choices but I think the art style always tempered it slightly. They took a risk and I appreciate that. But it just doesn't work for me. I find myself longing for more harmonious and subdued color palettes.

[@skeletonwar4445]

A very respectful take. I personally really enjoy the explosion of color that these characters are. And thanks to FE constantly changing up the style, we may both be in for a surprise whenever the next game comes out. 👍

[@lauravturner]

I love seeing how different the art styles are. It really shows a history. I love almost all of these art styles. They are all so fun and pretty in their own ways.

[@pain.incarnate]

My favourites are Hidari and Senri Kita. Something about how the designs are not as colourful or elaborate as fates or the other games, yet the shading and texture allows the comparitively toned down designs to be extremely elegant and beautiful. I remember going from fates to SoV and looking at the ram village crew. Their designs were so simple and more monotone compared to fates, yet somehow they are my favourite to look at.

[@Densoro]

I'm completely with you on this. It feels like there's believable weight to the weapons and armor. Modern anime suffers from a 'weightlessness' where everything tries to seem effortless.

[@Will_Parker]

As much as I love the Tellius games, Echoes art style is just next level imo and one of the most gorgeous of any in the series.

[@TofuSG98]

I'm proud that Echoes was my first FE game, the music in it is just amazing, even the DLC screen had nice music. Songs name is Reminiscences.

[@codystork3008]

I see you sneaking the Verdane army theme in there.

[@MakiNoAtorie]

Hidari is one of my main inspirations on general anime styled design. thanks for this video.

[@rhamnetines]

fun fact: kurahana was staff for nitro + chiral and did the art for togainu no chi and lamento beyond the void. the rai to dimitri pipeline is REAL.

[@rydercloud]

I really love Nitroplus a lot so when I found they were in charge of Fire Emblem Three Houses, it was nice to see a familiar artist.

[@TonyB0ne]

watching this video and seeing the progression of the artwork style and how beautifully talented these artists are just makes me want to keep grinding my dream of being an artist like them. Long road ahead but I gotta do it before I graduate college lol

[@bladerdj3503]

I think it's cool to have multiple different artists giving all kinds of personalities and prints over the respective game. It kind of formed the identity of the GBA, DS and first two 3Ds games etc.

[@jacciswacc4335]

I personally pick Kozaki’s work as my favorite. The key art for characters and box arts are some of the best I’ve seen. The lighter color palette and the willingness to go over the top with some character designs make them some of my favorite in the franchise.

[@danny18894]

I'm so proud of myself that I was able to memorize the Artists for a lot of the games , I have been wanting to appreciate and thank all of them because they've done so much work and I appreciate them so much

[@matthewjones6786]

I’ve been playing FE Heroes since the beginning (FTP), and as an artist, I LOVE having a wonderful character design gallery using all kinds of art styles right there in my pocket. I remember when Mila came out and everyone was complaining about her art not “matching”. Meanwhile I think the unconventional colored-pencil style is badass! Artistic diversity is awesome!

[@corruptedteka]

I don't know much of anything about this franchise but I gotta say, especially artistically, Engage has piqued my interest ! I've been kind of obsessed with one of the trailers for some reason and I really can't wait to consume what this franchise has to offer ! Delightful video ! I figured something about art direction wouldn't have too many spoilers in it, glad I was right !

[@ginganinja420_3]

What an interesting vid! Great job dude!

[@scitails]

12:04 Ngl, the sudden brightness shift actually hurt my eyes a little.

[@gameboyn64]

I remember having the discussion of whether or not fire emblem is more anime now or if it's always been anime. It's like just watch some oldies and you'll see. I just love the fe3-4 art. Those old designs are just so appealing with how simple yet effective they are.

[@carlosaugusto9821]

To me it's just about how normal they look except on hair color sometimes, compared to 3ds onwards. There were some few bad signs in the GBA and Tellius games, but gladly just few. The extravagant anime design for this kind of game isn't good to me. And I have the same problem in other "very anime" RPGs like Tales Of, that i prefer in the first games.

[@thepheeesh]

Ketas work is easily my fav but there's so many designers here I love the work of. I think I've learned what I like most out of design is body, and character diversity. Fat, skinny, dark, light, young, old, pretty, ugly. The more of these show up in the cast I seem to enjoy it more.

[@aninymouse1651]

Fantastic video, Ghast!

[@augustobonito4816]

This was enlightening, didn't know Wada Sachiko and Rika Suzuki were such huge names in the franchise. I'm also loving Engage's art, is spectacular

[@DuelingSteel]

Great Video!

[@_pulyx]

Senri Kita is my all time favorite. Balanced, great posing, colorful and distinct sillhouettes. Her work on Samurai Shodown is also AMAZING

[@demi-fiendoftime3825]

I like the art in Genology, Echoes, and three houses and what I want the games to look like

[@pokemongirl5674]

I quite like the variety of the artists for the games differ from one enough in terms of how the characters are drawn, colored and shaded to make the entries feel like they are taking place in various different locations/countries within the universe. Also the newest artist is born 3 days after me which is very nice 🙂

[@riton349]

Hidari was my fav. FE9&10's was also rly good. It's rly interesting that the newest one for FE17 is the one, who created the art for Hakos Bae; love her design.

[@cgk1276]

Senri Kita and Hidari were the best. When people say “too anime” they mean it looks too much like modern anime which is very gaudy looking in the case of Engage (especially the faces). Kita and Hidari artstyles pair very well with the more grounded character designs in their respective games.

[@byronvonedmund]

To add up the vtuber info, Chinatsu also drew one of Hololive's talent model - Regis Altare