Akihiro Yamada
山田 章博
Born (1957-02-10) February 10, 1957
Kōchi, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan
Known forManga, illustration
Awards1996 Seiun Award
WebsiteOfficial website

Akihiro Yamada (山田 章博, Yamada Akihiro); born February 10, 1957 in Kōchi) is a Japanese illustrator and manga artist.[1][2][3] During his career, Yamada has branched out into making book covers,[4] character design for video games,[1][5][3] theatre costume and set design, concept design for live-action film, and more, though his passion continues to be working on manga.[1][5] He is known for delicate images reminiscent of suiboku and depiction of fantasy subjects. His most popular work is perhaps with the The Twelve Kingdoms franchise.[6][1][2] He won the Seiun Award in 1996 in the Best Artist category.[7] He currently lives in Kyoto.[1]

Early life and education

Yamada was born on February 10, 1957 in Kōchi, Japan[1][2][3] and attended Kochi Nishi High School. He entered Osaka University to study economics and published his debut comic, Padan Padan (ぱだんぱだん), in 1981 in the magazine Monthly OUT.[1][4][2] He published Mermaid Changer (人魚變生) the following year.[4] Prior to finishing his degree, he left university to pursue a career in illustration.[1]

Career

Yamada has produced art and character design for a wide range of media, including manga, video games, novels, and anime.[5] Among his best known works are the art for Fuyumi Ono's The Twelve Kingdoms series and Mizuno Ryo's Record of Lodoss War.[1][8][2] He has worked on anime such as RahXephon[9] and the adaptation of The Twelve Kingdoms.[6] He designed for PlayStation games Saiyuki: Journey West and Front Mission 3; various Might and Magic and Wizardry titles on PC Engine; and Mystic Ark and Castlevania on Super Famicom.[5]

Yamada worked on concept design for the live-action film Shinobi: Heart Under Blade and was art director for Koga Ninjutsu. He has also created covers for English-to-Japanese translations, including for The Dark Tower by Stephen King.[1] Additionally, he did costume and set design for the theatre show GEAR. In 1996, he won the Seiun Award for Best Artist.[2][3][7] In the 2010s, he was a visiting professor in Kyoto Seika University's manga department.[3][1][2] Yumi Tamura has cited Yamada's work as one of her inspirations.[8]

Style

Yadama's style is heavily influenced by Chinese gongbi and by the chivalry of medieval European artwork.[1][2] Phoenix Television pointed out that his work contains elements from Gustave Doré's print lines and Alphonse Mucha's "decorative images" and describes his style as combining European swords and magic and the "delicacy of Eastern culture."[2] In 2018, Sohu echoed many of these sentiments and described him as having a "unique fantasy style... with delicate brushstrokes."[2]

Selected works

Anime

Year(s)TitleCharacter DesignNotesRef
2002-2003The Twelve KingdomsX**Character design draft[6]
2024Metallic RogueX[10]

Manga and novels

YearTitle (English)Title (Japanese)ArtWriter
1983-1989Tales from the Star World星界物语三部曲XAkihira Yamada[8]
1991Record of Lodoss War: Saint of Pharisファリスの聖女XRyo Mizuno[11][1][8][2][3]
Tragedy of the Garden of Many Flowers百花庭園の悲劇XAkihiro Yamada[8]
1992The Twelve Kingdoms series十二国記XFuyumi Ono[1][2]
1994Legend of Lodoss: Prince of the Fallen Landロードス島伝説 亡国の王子XRyo Mizuno[1]
2001-2007Dream BusterドリームバスターXMiyuki Miyabe[11]
2011Beast of East: Eastern Vertigo東方の獣 めまいXAkihiro Yamada[1][3]
1989-2014The Last ContinentラストコンチネントX[1]
2014Red Magic Detective Team红色魔术侦探团X[8][1]
1986-2017The Heroic Legend of Arslanアルスラーン戦XYoshiki Tanaka[1]
2020The Lairs of the Secret Gods秘神界X*Ken Asamatsu (editor)*Cover art[1]
2018-2021King of Fire Hunting火狩りの王XRieko Hinata[12]

Video games

YearTitle (in English)Title (in Japanese)ConsoleArtCharacter DesignNotesRef
1990Black RainbowPC-98XX
1992Black Rainbow IIXX
1993Might and Magic III: Isles of TerraPC EngineX**Japanese version[5][1]
Ancient Magicバズー!魔法世界Super FamicomXX
Gaiapolisガイアポリス: 黄金鷹の剣ArcadePromotional Art[5]
Wizardry I・II謎の地下遺跡PC EngineX[5]
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood悪魔城ドラキュラX 血の輪廻ロンドXX[5][2][1]
1994Wizardry III・IVX[5]
1994/1995Kingdom Grandprix疾風魔法大作戦Arcade, Sega SaturnX*X*Cover art for Sega Saturn release[5]
1995Mystic ArkミスティックアークSuper FamicomXX[8]
Castlevania: Dracula X悪魔城ドラキュラＸＸSuper Famicom, Super NESXX[5][2][1]
1996Terra PhantasticaSega SaturnXX[5]
1997MilandraSuper FamicomX
1999Front Mission 3フロントミッション サードPlayStationX[8][1]
Mystic Ark: Maboroshi Gekijoまぼろし劇場XX[5]
Meremanoid深海伝説MEREMANOIDXX[5]
Saiyuki: Journey West西遊記XX[5][1]
2014VANITY of VANITIES《VANITY of VANITIES》X[1]
2009/2010Heroes of Three Kingdoms三国群侠传XX[2]
2017Fire Emblem Heroesファイアーエムブレム ヒーローズAndroid, iOSX*Character design for Jagen, Ogma, Zephiel [Binding Blade ver.], Gunter, Bantu, Mila, Gatekeeper[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 "从《十二国记》到《武林群侠传》：插画大师山田章博" [From "The Twelve Kingdoms" to "The Legend of Martial Arts": Illustrator Akihiro Yamada]. Youyanshe. 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "深受中国连环画影响的日本漫画家:山田章博" [Japanese cartoonist deeply influenced by Chinese comic books: Akihiro Yamada] (in Japanese). iFeng. 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "山田章博 YAMADA Akihiro" [YAMADA Akihiro] (in Japanese). cite.com.tw. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  4. 1 2 3 "山田章博が描く圧倒的迫力と繊細さの極み 「十二国記」世界を具現化した決定版！" [A definitive edition that embodies the overwhelming power and exquisiteness of Akihiro Yamada's world of "The Twelve Kingdoms"!] (in Japanese). Bookbang. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Akihiro Yamada Video Game Credits and Biography". MobyGames. Moby Games. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  6. 1 2 3 "十二国記" [Twelve Kingdoms]. Pierrot. Archived from the original on 2012-05-23.
  7. 1 2 星雲賞リスト (in Japanese). sf-fan.gr.jp. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "插画家山田章博：唯美结合东西方画风的日本漫画大师" [Illustrator Akihiro Yamada: A master of Japanese comics who combines Eastern and Western styles in a beautiful way] (in Japanese). Sohu. 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  9. ↑ "山田章博 －世界を生み出す魔法の筆－" [Akihiro Yamada - The magic brush that creates the world -]. Kyoto ART. 2011. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  10. ↑ "「Anime NYC2023」が興奮！ボンズ25周年アニメ『メタリックルージュ』第一話プレミア上映" [“Anime NYC2023” is exciting! Bonds 25th Anniversary Anime “Metallic Rouge” Episode 1 Premiere Screening] (in Japanese). Excite Japan. 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  11. 1 2 "山田章博の漫画「ロードス島戦記」完全版で復刊 イラスト集も付属" [Akihiro Yamada's manga "Record of Lodoss War" is republished in a complete version, and a collection of illustrations is also included.]. KAI-YOU. 2015-06-08. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  12. ↑ "カバーは山田章博さんの新規描き下ろし！WOWOWオリジナルアニメ化でも話題の『火狩りの王 〈一〉春ノ火』が11/22(火)に角川文庫より発売！" [The cover is newly drawn by Akihiro Yamada! King of Fire Hunting <1> Haru no Hi, which is also a hot topic as a WOWOW original animation, will be released from Kadokawa Bunko on November 22nd (Tuesday)!] (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corp. 2022-10-26. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
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