The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy Slipcased Edition

The Final Fantasy series has been a fairly big part of my life for the past decade, so I made my obligatory visits to fan-sites every now and again. Now, a handful of these websites had photo galleries dedicated to concept artwork, most of which was done by a Yoshitaka Amano. At first, I didn't get the fuss over this Yoshitaka Amano guy. He liked to make brunettes blond, and he thought that chocobos were pterodactyls. Everybody either wore nothing but a cape, or they had on garish motley costumes. I certainly saw the Final Fantasy quintessence embodied in my favorites, but some of them just seemed odd. Over the years, I started to pick up on the subtleties of Amano's works. Many of them were still, brooding, and somber; yet just as many were whimsical, vibrant, and active. But somehow, I could feel a small narrative in essentially every piece, that unmistakable Final Fantasy quality. When I saw this box set on Amazon for pre-order, and for a reasonable price, I figured it would be nice to own some of those drawings and paintings in real life, not in compressed .jpg format. I justified the preorder by telling myself that I could probably sell this for a lot of money in due time. Well, I don't want to sell this thing now that I have it. Opening up the first volume yesterday afternoon, I recognized a couple of familiar drawings. I flipped through the pages fairly quickly, until I noticed that there was a clear narrative moving along with each turn of the page. Not only had Amano documented the creative process of Final Fantasy, he was telling the game's story through his own eyes as well! I began looking at each page much more slowly, taking in the big picture as well as each individual sketch. The same as Nobuo Uematsu has defined Final Fantasy through his music, Amano truly is synonymous with the visual world of Final Fantasy. Looking through these drawings, I could see how painstakingly Square's in-game artists worked to bring Amano's visionary ideas to life with integrity and consistency. Throughout the first two volumes, it was amazing to watch as Amano's works became more detailed, more ornate, and more prolific for each successive installment in the series. Final Fantasy VI's section alone spanned over 100 pages! The final volume then showed a different, more experimental side of Amano, as he had been removed from his role at the creative helm, ceding to the likes of Tetsuya Nomura and Yusuke Naora (VII, VIII, and X), and Hideo Minaba (IX). Instead of creating many bright environments and characters, Amano shifted his focus to much more detailed, tender scenes, oftentimes through less traditional media like printmaking. Amano's emphasis on specific moments in Volume 3 casts a different tone than was captured in the first two books, but all paint an equally vivid narrative of the Final Fantasy series and its evolution. It's a spectacular journey! As for the technical details, I was surprised at how heavy the set was! I guess that's the best testament I can give to the set's durability. As others have mentioned, the outer "slipcase" is in fact an incredibly sturdy box, with an amazing cloth graphic covering the whole thing. The books themselves have nice, thick glossy paper. They are bound loosely enough that the book can be laid flat to any page but sturdily enough that pages don't feel like they'll fall out anytime soon. Perhaps the only technical complaint I have about the book is that a small number of drawings and paintings either appear to cropped to fit on a page or are magnified to take up more space. In both cases the images look slightly out of place. Overall, though, this is an incredibly detailed, faithful, and durable set. My highest recommendation both for product quality and for content. Also of note: Amazon packs this thing as if it were as fragile as an egg! I'm very impressed and thankful for the care that went into a safe delivery.

You can’t have played games in the Final Fantasy series without becoming aware of Amano’s art. His work borders on legendary. And even if you haven’t heard of him, take a moment to browse through some of his artwork and chances are you won’t be able to deny that the man has some serious talent going on. This gorgeous collection is packed with hundreds of pages of beautiful artwork from most of the Final Fantasy games, and if all you’ve ever played is the original versions of the games, in all their 8- or 16-bit glory, here’s a great chance to see more detail than you get to see with blocky sprites. And also the chance to see many of your favourite characters wearing long flowing dresses (females) or skin-tight pants that show off one’s butt (males). Seriously, Amano seems to have a thing for tight pants. This isn’t an artbook I would recommend for everyone. I can’t even say that I would recommend it for every die-hard Final Fantasy fan, though that’s mostly due again to the collection’s cost. This isn’t an everyday purchase. But for the fan who has the money to spare, it’s definitely worth buying this collection. The art is beautiful, the insight amazing, and there will be no regret in acquiring this artbook. I can assure you, you won’t be disappointed.

First off, if you are expecting video game 3D art this isn't the collection for you. Let me get that out of the way so that can move on to how truly amazing this collection is. The three books included in this collection are quality items. The box the books come in is not only beautiful and sturdy, but covered in silk. It is fancy schmancy, and I love it. Now, onto the art books themselves. The creators didn't skimp on quality in these books. They are heavy, sturdy, and the pages that art is printed on are of high caliber paper. Each of the books displays different years and games of the Final Fantasy series, starting with FF1 and ending with FFX. The art in these books is beautiful, and varies from character concepts to beast ideas to full-fledged paintings. While none of the pictures feature any "true" 3D images, it is loads of fun turning the pages and seeing how the ideas and stories behind the games unfolded. And trying to match up what creature became what in the final games, that too. I grabbed this collection when it was on sale for $31, and I would gladly pick up extra copies for my friends if it comes back in stock. The quality of these items at that price point can NOT be beat. It is truly a great collection for any fan of art or the Final Fantasy series.

This is a review taken from my blog and edited (in case you see it elsewhere over the internet). This is a reflection on the book and not on Amazon/Dark Horse. It should be noted I did purchase this copy from Ebay for £100 just before the UK launch. These were released a week early in the US, hence why UK Ebay sellers had them before Amazon UK. My Amazon order did pull through however so I sold my £100 copy on to a friend and kept my cheaper Amazon order. Before I get flamed - my friend was one of the ones who missed out on an Amazon copy too and no, I didn't make any profit. Now to the review. I've finally managed to get my hands on a copy of the English version of The Sky by Amano! It has just been released in the West although this was first released in Japan back in 2001. There is little difference between the two versions except for two things: the language - one is Japanese and the other English, and the Western version includes a hand signed card by the legend himself - Yoshitaka Amano! The contents: Book 1: Final Fantasy I, II, III Book 2: Final Fantasy IV, V, VI Book 3: Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX, X Book 4: All About Yoshitaka Amano Book 5: The Sky Premium Flipbook Two Postcards (Bartz & Terra) One clear sheet with an illustration etched in silver (this is really hard to explain) One hand signed card (1 in 1000) This is probably the best piece of Final Fantasy merch I have ever brought. Amano is my favourite artist so to have a whole boxset of his work is too much for words! Not only is it pure awesome, it was also limited to 1000 copies so if you see one for sale don't hesitate to snap it up! I will make a little note about the amount of content each game has received because they are very disproportional. I, II and III are fairly even in my opinion. Amano was heavily involved in the design of I in particular and you can see a lot of the enemies and environments. IV has little art compared with V and VI, and VI in particular has a hefty amount. Amano's favourite characters are Tina (Terra in the Western games) and Mog so expect several images of these two. All the other characters have many illustrations too. VII is extremely heavy on Cloud and Aerith. Red and Sephiroth make some appearances too and there is one of Tifa but most of the remaining cast barely get a look in. VIII is even more limited, focusing completely on Squall, Rinoa and Seifer. There is a group shot of the party and one of Ultimecia but little else. IX however is -extremely- heavy. Not only do we have double pages of each character but several sketches of each are included as well as many scenes. This is a joy for me as VI and IX are two of my favourite of the series! Amano has taken a completely different approach to X and seems to be experimenting with a new art style. There is a lot of sketching and scenes (you'll have to look up photos to get a proper idea of the difference) but I really loved these sketches so much! There isn't a great deal for X either and again there is a heavy focus on Yuna and Tidus but the images are fantastic. It should also be noted that VII onwards is very character based (which some environment scenes) whereas pre-VI has a lot more monsters included (but still has many characters images too). Book 4 offers an insight into the artists personal life. It is completely translated in English though so I will at some point read through it. It has a variety of things included such as an interview, how he became involved with Final Fantasy and a list of all of his books and artworks. Book 5 can't really be considered a book as such but it is lovely nevertheless. It is a very small flip book which has two stories depending on which way you flip it. One is of a moogle as it stumbles around and the other is of a dancing spirit. There is not much to comment on regarding the postcards. They both must be favourite pieces of Amano though as the same drawing of Bartz is also used on the front cover of the box and Tina is also used on the inside cover. They are made from card and have a very plain back. It always makes me wonder why postcards are included in sets like this as they clearly will never be used but either way they make lovely prints. Next is the clear, plastic sheet. This is a very unusual item and I have tried my best to photograph it at the right angle so the silver shows up. It has been suggested to me this artwork could be of Cosmos and now I look back at the image it does resemble her. Lastly included in this set is the hand signed card. When I first heard about this boxset I assumed Amano's signature would be printed and just thrown in but no, these sets are limited to 1000 and each card is signed personally. I've spoken to others who also have this set and some have had the item signed in black ink, another in red ink but mine is signed in black paint. Amano must have got bored signing so many cards! The sets aren't actually individually numbered which is a shame but it does say `limited to 1000′ on the card. Sadly XI-XIV aren't included in the box. I know Amano has been less and less involved with the series post X but I would have loved a minibook including some of the later work. Although in saying this there is no shortage of content in here so don't let the lack of post XI put you off! To give some of you hope who weren't able to get the limited version, Dark Horse are planning a rerun of this set with just the 3 main artbooks in a slipcase (as far as I am aware). I don't know specifics but they tweeted about it in Novemeber. It might be a cheaper alternative for those who don't mind missing out on the exclusive extras. To leave you with one last thought about this collection... These are the last powerful words in book 3... Look up at the sky... There must be a fantasy.

Qualidade do material impecável. Caixa linda. Artes do Yoshitaka Amano dispensa comentários. Apenas a edição das imagens poderia ser um pouco melhor, com espaços mais otimizados. Alguns pequenos rascunhos de baixa relevância ocupam uma página inteira. As vezes as duas páginas. Fora isso, você ficará com vontade de arrancar algumas páginas e colocar em quadros pela casa, de tão lindos.

Vorweg muss ich sagen, ich kenne bislang nur das japanische Original und darauf beruht diese Rezension. Halte ich die englische Version in Händen, vergleiche ich mit der japanischen Version und dann wird die Rezension entsprechend aktualisiert! Als ich damals eine Review dieses Artbooks in einem Manga-Magazin gelesen habe, musste ich es haben. Als begeisteter Final Fantasy Fan, seit der Super Nintendo Ära, war dieses Artbook ein absolutes Must-Have. Mit einem damaligen Preis im vierstelligen DM Bereich angepriesen, war es aber, nachdem man es sich einmal angesehen hat, defenitiv diesen Preis auch wert. Es erwarten einen rund 800 Seiten Final Fantasy Artworks des Meisters Yoshitaka Amano, unterteilt in 3 Hardcover-Artbooks, 2 Softcover und ein Hardcover, der die 5 Bücher beinhaltet. Yoshitaka Amano war bis Final Fantasy VI der Reihe für das Charakter-Design verantwortlich und alle diese Artworks zu Charakteren, Gegnern und vielen mehr ist hier komplett enthalten. Natürlich hat der Meister es sich nicht nehmen lassen, auch für die Teile VII bis X weitere Artworks zu gestalten. Bis heute designt er auch die Final Fantasy Logos auf den Verpackungen der Spiele. Die 3 hier enthaltenen Hardcover Bände beinhalten somit alle Artworks zur Reihe begonnen mit Teil 1 bis zum 10.ten Teil. Das erste Buch vereint Final Fantasy (I) bis III, das zweite Buch Final Fantasy IV bis VI und der dritte Band die Teile VII bis X. In einem Softcoverband werden Artworks erläutert und ein Interview runden den Softcoverband ab. Kleines Highlight ist für mich das Daumenkino, das eine kleine Geschichte erzählt. :-D Alle Bände vereinen sich in einem weiteren Hardcover mit dem "The Sky" Schriftzug. Dieser hat auch auf der Innenseite ein tolles Artwork, hier wurde nichts weiß gelassen, einfach alles hat Farbe und ein Artwork verpasst bekommen. Der japanischen Version beiliegende Karton hat einen Tragegriff mit dem Hinweis, dass das Buch oder die Bücher 7 kg wiegen. Ich habe es damals im Winter gekauft und neben den Kilos die man so schon täglich mitschleppt zur Arbeit, waren auch nur 7 kg schon eine Tortur. Aber eine, die es wert war! :-D Alles in allem ist dies wirklich die Mutter aller Artbooks. Der Preis ist unschlagbar günstig im Vergleich zum Original und bestimmt nicht nur für Final Fantasy, Videogame, Manga oder Anime Anhänger ein echtes Highlight.

天野喜孝氏のイラストが好きでFFシリーズのイラストだけを見たいという方におすすめ。 作品はⅠからⅩまでで情景的なものからキャラクター・モンスター・召喚獣まで総ページ数600ページ超の天野画のFFの世界を楽しめます。 結構なお値段ですが買って後悔はしないイラスト集だと思います。

Éste es sin duda el mejor libro de arte de videojuegos jamás creado. Y más, si eres un fan de Final Fantasy en sus mejores tiempos. La calidad es magnífica, en todos los aspectos. El tamaño, más que suficiente (supera al A4), una muy buena encuadernación, la calidad de las reproducciones es muy colorida, y el papel es perfecto, grueso, suave y no demasiado satinado, lo que hace que los colores de las ilustraciones del señor Amano sobresalgan. La caja es un añadido muy goloso, y te permite tener los libros bien guardados, además de que el diseño es muy bonito y decorativo. En cuanto al envío, llegó rapidísimo, en perfecto estado, y antes de lo esperado. This is, without any doubt, the best videogame art book ever created. It gains value if you are a true Final Fantasy fan (if you love the true Final Fantasy games, the old ones).The quality is top notch, regarding every single aspect. Its size is far from enough (larger than a DIN A4 sheet), a very well crafted book; the quailty of the images reproduced is very colourful, and the paper used is perfect: thick enough to feel durable, soft and not very shiny, and that makes the mr. Amano's illustrations to come to life, showing beautiful colours. The cage is also a nice addition, so you can have them stored, and it is beautiful by itself. Regarding the shipment, I have no complaints at all, the books arrived in perfect condition, very fast, even faster than expected.