Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography-Beyond the Fantasy

by Florent Gorges, Luc Petronille, Yoshitaka Amano (Illustrator)

A beautiful celebration of the life and imagery of Japan's master of fantasy and science fiction art! This handsome, landscape-style hardback contains nearly 400 illustrations and photos from the incredible career of Final Fantasy designer Yoshitaka Amano.

But Beyond the Fantasy covers far more than just the famous game series. Amano's artistic journey goes back to his first job in 1967--age 15, working on Speed Racer ! From animator, to illustrator, to internationally exhibited painter, this biography is a look not only into the work of Amano's life, but the influences, techniques, philosophy, and family that have nurtured it.

Genres: Art, Biography, Japan, Nonfiction, Asia, Art Design, Asian Literature

336 pages, Hardcover

First published November 6, 2015

Reviews

[Harley Gesford · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest living artists of all time and one of my personal favorites. A must read for all fans of any kind of art.

[Justine Cucchi-Dietlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super fun biography. The illustrations were gorgeous and helped the biography immensely. It often helped to see pictures of the works Amano worked on for a specific commission, especially since I wasn't familiar with all his work.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sumptuously produced love letter to Yoshitaka Amano, this is packed with interview snippets, superb illustrations and insights into the man and his work. While the biographer may not be the most penetrating of interviewers, we do get a real look at the way Amano's mind works, his attitudes to his art and his ambitions.

The real selling point is, of course, Amano's illustrations and we get plenty of them from all points of his careers, from character sketches from his time as an Anime designer, through to Final Fantasy and Vampire Hunter D, as well as later work for both Marvel and DC comics. All in Amano's signature style. There is no mistaking the master's work. There are also numerous photographs of the man himself through the years, and his workspaces.

Included in this set is a separate book of sketches Amano made during his time in Paris - rough, quick character studies of people and places that caught his interest.

A great tribute to one of the world's greatest illustrators and artists.

[Silas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an extensive biography for Yoshitaka Amano, whose work I first got to know through Final Fantasy, but whose work I have gotten to know in other ways, from art books, the Sandman graphic novel, and internet searches. It was interesting to see how growing up in post-WWII Japan shaped his life, and I was surprised to find out that he worked extensively in anime for such a long time, which I had never heard about before. Being something of a casual fan, I also didn't know about some of his other video credits or large exhibitions, and it was heartening to know that someone whose art I have admired for some time is more respected in the art world than I might have expected. There was also quite a bit of involvement from Amano, himself, since the biography was full of quotes. It was quite a bit more extensive than I had expected when I started, but I enjoyed it throughout, and learned a good bit about Amano, his work, and his process.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yoshitaka Amano's artwork is superb, and I think it would be an amazing achievement if a Final Fantasy game could have a visual style that matched his concept art and designs (for now we can only dream).

This book has a wealth of amazing artwork and photographs showing his evolution as an artist and also his range of projects throughout his career. My only gripe is that I wanted this book to be just the artwork rather than a biography. I'm sure some fans are interested in the man himself, but I'm much more intrigued by the work and his process, which don't get as much space in this coffee table-size book (there are very few full page images or double spreads which feels like a wasted opportunity).

[Poet for fun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro que a todas luces fue hecho con amor; en algunas de sus páginas atisbé un trabajo editorial impecable, de entre los mejores que he encontrado hasta la fecha, y ello es mucho decir, considerando que últimamente he tenido la fortuna de haber gozado obras bellísimas como "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play", "The Mysteries of the Universe: Discover the best-kept secrets of space", "Steve McCurry - Icons: Conversations with Biba Giacchetti", "The Art Institute of Chicago Essential Guide" o "Palacio de Bellas Artes. Las obras y los días", entre otras. Incluso me atrevería a decir que solamente en "RE3SE3T" he encontrado una presentación más esmerada y una edición más bella y mejor cuidada. ¡Librazo!

[kerrycat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly engaging look at the personal and professional life of this great artist, from his childhood and start (at the age of 15) as a studio animator (on Speed Racer, no less) to his current work habits and process. If you love Vampire Hunter D or Final Fantasy - or any of the hundreds of projects he's worked on, this is a must read.

[Rowan]

The physical size of this book is something to consider when wanting to read it, because it's much larger than a standard book size, and pretty heavy. The biographer really wants to point out how clever he is though, multiple times mentioning how most people didn't/haven't asked Amano this or that.

[Niko Hyppönen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upeasti kuvitettu elämäkerta Amanosta. Visuaalinen puoli ansaitsee neljä tähteä, teksti noin kolme. Olisin mielelläni lukenut vieläkin enemmän Amanon Final Fantasy -ajoista.

[Amy Zhao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the illustrations in this book. And it was interesting to learn about Yoshitaka’s upbringing as an artist. Great book for anyone who’s a fan of his work!

[Kevin Yee]

Very good biography.

[Drew Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous art, and fascinating insight into the prolific output of Amano (as well as how his art influenced the overall development of classic video games)

[Michael Esposito · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great insight from those interviewed, especially Amano. But a bit lacking in cohesion from the author and quite repetitive between what the interviewees said and what the book says.

[othryswhisper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great peak into the life of Amanos genius.
The illustrations and artwork are superb!
What else do you expect for artists and fans of his work a great source of inspiration and information.