Atelier Series: Official Chronicle

by Takashi Kamiosako, M. Kirie Hayashi

The Atelier series has become a favorite of many Japanese RPG enthusiasts with its unique mix of alchemy and action set in a vibrant and magical fantasy world. Now the gorgeous artwork behind the Atelier games is collected for all to enjoy.

Atelier Series: Official Chroncile collects character designs, promotional artwork, pinups, profile data, and creator interviews from this landmark series.

Genres: Art

272 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2011

Reviews

[Parka · Rating 5 out of 5]

(More pictures on my blog)

This is a thick 272-page paperback for the long video game series Atelier that started in 1997.

Below are the list of game featured chronologically in the book:

Atelier Marie ~The Alchemist of Salburg~ (1997)
Atelier Elie ~The Alchemist of Salburg 2~ (1998)
Atelier Lilie ~The Alchemist of Salburg 3~ (2001)
Atelier Judie ~The Alchemist of Gramnad~(2002)
Atelier Violet ~The Alchemist of Gramnad 2~ (2003)
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana (2004)
Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny (2005)
Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm (2006)
Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis (2007)
Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy (2008)
Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland (2009)

Each game is split into two parts featuring the illustrations and the character profiles, which are just more illustrations. Each game only has a short summary and designer commentary are sparse except for Atelier Rorona.

The illustrations are beautiful, and are all character based. It's interesting to see how the art direction has been keep in line over the years even though the artists have changed. However, the style of Atelier Rorona is quite different from the other games especially the clothing design. The artists are Kohime Ouse, Isaemon Yamagata, Jun Futaba, Kazuyuki Yoshizumi and Mel Kishida (the artist who drew the cover for this book).

There's a section on how alchemy has evolved since the first game. This should be interesting for those who have played through the games.

The interview section is 23 pages long. There are interviews with director Yoshito Okamura, chief designer Yasuhiro Nakai, programmer Teruaki Nakai, illustrator Mel Kishida and the sound Team at Gust which comprises Daisuke Achiwa, Ken Nakagawa, Kazuki Yanagawa, Haruka Shimotsuki, and Akinobu Makaedani. They talk about the different parts to creating the game. The interview with Mel Kishida is rather amusing as it goes into his workspace and strange working habits.

It's a great book for fans of the game, and those who like art.

[Ryan Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art nouveau-inspired designs combined with the saturated color palette, anime look, and wonderful costume design of the Atelier series was a particularly fun source of inspiration. I particularly like the designs of Atelier Roronoa's concept artwork. I think that I would prefer a summary of the decisions made by the artists, as opposed to a curated history of production for the public eyes, but I am happy that this book is willing to share its style, character designs, and history.

[Kirstie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an art book for a series of video games which you can probably guess is the Atelier series. As a big fan of the games I purchased it, thankfully I did not buy the Japanese release I saw on ebay last year for $175 considering I bought it on amazon in English for $25 last month.
The art ranges from promotional to conceptual and even in game. Each release is detailed and from Atelier Judie onwards the artists add comments beside some drawings explaining why she/he chose this pose or that outfit, giving some great insight. At the end they compare recurring characters such as Hagel and Pamela and the way alchemy is used in the gameplay. The end includes some interesting interviews with people who worked on the soundtracks and development which are well worth the read.
Of course the appeal of the book is lost on anyone who is not a fan of the games.

[Lucius · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an art book. This one goes all the way back to the original Atelier Marie RPG which is only available in Japan and is how I got started on the Atelier series.