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There's been a lot of buzz both negative and positive about Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined's diorama-style art and doll character designs since they were revealed, especially since the recent Dragon Quest 1-3 HD remakes opted for a more traditional pixel art aesthetic. Whether you're a fan of the doll vibes or not, one thing's for certain: the art style stays very faithful to the original designs drawn up by the late Japanese mangaka and Dragon Quest series artist Akira Toriyama.
We recently caught up with Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined producer Takeshi Ichikawa via email, and we couldn't help but ask him what it was like adapting Toriyama's iconic character designs in such a distinctive style.
"The original Dragon Quest 7 was defined by Akira Toriyama's designs, featuring charming, stylized characters," said Ichikawa. "We considered how to convey that cuteness while still capturing the game's unique atmosphere."
For my money, they nailed this aspect of the game. My overall feelings on Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined (too easy) aside, I absolutely love the way the remake manages to modernize Toriyama's designs without compromising whatever it is that makes them so uniquely Toriyama.
In terms of what drove Square Enix to go with the doll-like look to begin with, Ichikawa said Square Enix had seen a similar visual style in successful movies and games and simply wanted to try it out.
"At the same time, we discovered that movies and games featuring doll motifs were well-received globally, which inspired us to combine this concept with Dragon Quest 7's character designs," he said. "We felt this approach would create a visually appealing style, leading to our decision to move forward with the hand-crafted aesthetic."
