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Remnants

Prophet of Regret
Member
Jul 18, 2019
811
Soft spot for Winter Aranea.

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Credits for gifs to: SunhiLegend

Get out of my head.

The Bouncer's cast is so much underrated

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I've never heard of this game but wow these are ridiculous even by Nomura's standards imo.
 
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Oct 25, 2017
3,065
His work on FFVIII and the two PE games will always be my favourite. Squall and Aya perfectly encapsulate the 90s.

With that said, I like most of his work. The characters in mainline Final Fantasy are usually consistently great. His more questionable stuff comes from sequels and spin-offs, which I imagine he knocks out pretty quickly.
 

Slaythe

The Wise Ones
Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,971
KH III Kairi is a great design....in his hands but not how it was rendered in the videogame.

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The design team went too far in making her seem young and cutesy.

KH 3 Riku is also the best the character's ever looked even if he looks like a silver haired Sasuke/Noctis.

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Aqua, Terra and Ventus are all iconic especially the armor. Aqua in particular.

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1) No, Riku looked better with long hair, by far

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This a million times over shittier Noctis. Which is hilarious because we have Yozora too now which is just kh 3 Riku but cooler.

2) Terra's artworks are far above the other two IMO, neo samurai X batman
 

DiipuSurotu

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
53,148
Right, I remember seeing that. I think they designed the clothing for the entire boy band. I'd figure Nomura had some input, but when it comes to games like 7 and 13 (games I know he was character designer for), I wonder if he was responsible for their clothing. Roen jumping on for 15 was the first time I'd heard of an outside group helping outfit SE's characters.

Pretty sure Nomura was the one who personally chose Roen, back he was the Versus 13 director. In 7 and 13 there wasn't an outside group.

It should be noted, however, that 7 and 8 were some of the rare cases where the character designer was free to do whatever he wanted. In most games (FF13 for example), the character designer works based on the ideas and requests of the director. Motomu Toriyama had a lot of input on Lightning for example.
 

residentgrigo

Banned
Oct 30, 2019
3,726
Germany
About 75% of his designs are good to great and he does a LOT of work. Including daddy Nooj that OP makes fun of:
latest


The game´s story was shit but he was good. His disability wasn´t mishandled either. You know who also looks good? Tidus. All aspects of his design have a reason. There, I said it. I like Tidus in FF X but not what the sequels did with him.

Dirge or the Bouncer had many bad designs and his Batman and Catwoman statues a legendary awfully but he is by and large the 2nd best character designer in the business after Yoji Shinkawa. Just look how much he can do with just bouncers in suits:
latest

Nomura is a legend and constantly evolves his craft. Not that I care for him as a director or producer and worst of all writer but he can design with the best of them.

Edit: About 50% of his directorial output is legit good. Not bad actually. A list of credits:
He directed Advent Children. I always forget that. That film, watch the director's cut, is good and holds up.
 
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Rand a. Thor

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
10,213
Greece
I love his KH3 designs for the characters in general, I just hate however how for story purposes everyone wears a homogeneous uniform and nothing truly distinct, except for Kairi hilariously enough. Αlso gonna be slightly controversial, but I think KH2 Cloud is the best redesign:
1280px-Cloud_KHII.png
 

Kain

Unshakable Resolve - One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
7,670
Everybody knows his best design is Lulu. That's fact.
 

Slaythe

The Wise Ones
Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,971
I love his KH3 designs for the characters in general, I just hate however how for story purposes everyone wears a homogeneous uniform and nothing truly distinct, except for Kairi hilariously enough. Αlso gonna be slightly controversial, but I think KH2 Cloud is the best redesign:
1280px-Cloud_KHII.png


I liked Squall's even more actually.

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KH3 completely destroyed this version of his design.
 

residentgrigo

Banned
Oct 30, 2019
3,726
Germany
A tiny problem with him is that he is too detailed in his artwork and it took the tech ages to capture his vision:
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Early-ish PS2 just wasn´t there yet. Especially with the colors/contrasts and CG Tidus was kind of a mess. Or look at Auron´s face:
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He needed a PS4 to get these right, not a PS2. Here is the Ehrgeiz design for Cloud btw, perfection:
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Naga

Alt account
Banned
Aug 29, 2019
7,850
Anything Kingdom Hearts is definitely not good design...
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Simple and effective.
Lightning.

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She's filled with Nomura stereotypes (asymmetrical outfit, excess belts), but it somehow just works for her.
Lightning, the thread.

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I like his design for Jin
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Jin's second form looks like a rejected boss from KH tho
Big +1 for all of those!
Soft spot for Winter Aranea.

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Credits for gifs to: SunhiLegend
Wait, that was a Nomura design? I thought that was Ferrari?
Both her outfits are great designs anyway. Shame that one of the best FFXV characters didn't get her own episode in the end. Barely seen in the main game.
 

DiipuSurotu

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
53,148
About 75% of his designs are good to great and he does a LOT of work. Including daddy Nooj that OP makes fun of:
latest


The game´s story was shit but he was good. His disability wasn´t mishandled either. You know who also looks good? Tidus. All aspects of his design have a reason. There, I said it. I like Tidus in FF X but not what the sequels did with him.

You know, I wonder if Nomura really designed Nooj at all. For FFX he was credited as "Character Designer". For FFX-2 he was credited as "Main Character Designer".

In FFXIII, Nomura was also credited as "Main Character Designer" and we know for a fact that most of the NPCs in that game were designed by other staff, for example Nao Ikeda who was credited as one of the "Character Art Designers".
 

residentgrigo

Banned
Oct 30, 2019
3,726
Germany
KH 3 is what it is (solid game, shit story/presentation) but the designs are good and most importantly though through:
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You can really see all 3 boys shine through in Sora´s design and demeanor. And the looks of Toy Story and Pirates 3. God damn.
People never give Nomura enough credit. He thinks way too much about his work and knows his fashions. Actual non-Japanese brands used his designs after all.
 

Echo

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
6,482
Mt. Whatever
Wait, that was a Nomura design? I thought that was Ferrari?
Both her outfits are great designs anyway. Shame that one of the best FFXV characters didn't get her own episode in the end. Barely seen in the main game.

I guess it's true Ferrari is the main designer, but in the notes for Aranea it also mentions Nomura's oversight of her. Like he was the one who swapped her makeup colors for example, and Ferrari specifically says "variations" plural.

I'd be curious to know exactly how much Nomura lorded over him lol. But I digress, Aranea probably is a bit out there for this thread.
 

residentgrigo

Banned
Oct 30, 2019
3,726
Germany
You know, I wonder if Nomura really designed Nooj at all. For FFX he was credited as "Character Designer".
Maybe. It could be Shintaro Takai. It´s one of the two. Both do good work. The FF X-2 "Ultimania Omega" book may or may not sort this out. My Japanese skills are at a loss here.

He is also working on FF VII-1. Who knows about the game itself but the designs all work for me.
 

residentgrigo

Banned
Oct 30, 2019
3,726
Germany
Nomura for sure designed Sazh Katzroy. Japanese media really struggles with black men (and women) for reasons we don´t need to get into but Sazh gets full marks from me. I even get to pull my half African-card here. I liked FF VII´s Mr-T and his Advent Children do-over but this is the way:
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The FF XIII trilogy is what it is but I know who the most likable character was in the first game. Look up who his choco-chick turned into. Lol.

I just found out that Nomura did a Joker:
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His best Batman design but still an easy mark for the loose pile. Ardyn but bad. Real bad.

Edit: Well, fuck me. The Joker even has a Red Hood look.
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He did sooo many I never knew of. His Flash looks really good. I´ll give him that.
 
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NHarmonic.

▲ Legend ▲
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
10,298
I'll always say that Coated, blindfold Riku or KH2 Riku is the best version. Long hair suited him so well.

Noctis haircut should be just for Noctis, looks lame on other characters.
 

Tornak

Member
Feb 7, 2018
8,411
Also, how haven't people mentioned this mf in the thread smh:
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One of my favourite FF designs by far (I also love the Amano take of him, as seen in my avatar).
Vanilles's legs damn
A problem I have with his female characters, yeah. Remake Tifa is just the latest victim of stick legs lmao.
I really liked Stella's outfit and colour scheme.

She also had (like, during 2009) one of my favourite faces in a Nomura character in 3D. Pretty pleasant and surprisignly natural-looking for an anime character.
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He screwed her up later in 2011 and in 2013, but yeah. Luna looked good as well (it's not a design by him, but it's clearly based on 2013 Stella).
 
Nov 17, 2017
12,864
I think Nomura is a really great character designer and honestly is underrated due to how memed he gets as people love to shit on his stuff. But as the thread shows, most of his work is really great.

I don't think a single one of his character designs have aged well, to be honest. Looking at them objectively.
How exactly are you looking at them objectively?
 

Kromeo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
17,971
Stella looked like a generic Black Desert or Archeage character, nothing was lost there
 

Lulu

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,971
Edea is probably his best, yea. So fucking good.

Damn, he turned Riku into Sasuke too? smh
 

Good4Squat

Member
Nov 2, 2017
3,154
I like the ones that aren't too busy looking and overstuffed with accesories. Like Aya Brea from PE1 or Yuna from FFX.
 

Naga

Alt account
Banned
Aug 29, 2019
7,850
I guess it's true Ferrari is the main designer, but in the notes for Aranea it also mentions Nomura's oversight of her. Like he was the one who swapped her makeup colors for example, and Ferrari specifically says "variations" plural.

I'd be curious to know exactly how much Nomura lorded over him lol. But I digress, Aranea probably is a bit out there for this thread.
I think it counts, it's great! I just didn't know Nomura worked on this design :p
 

Strangelove_77

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,392
I hate that he cut Riku's hair. He looks like everyone else now. Loved his KH2 look.
 

SPRidley

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,259
For a thread about posting good Nomura designs (and he has good designs) seems people are posting some of the same shit he has been criticised multiple times, even in the OP.

His old designs before he turned director and in modern times his xeno 2 villains are actually good and pretty contained designs. He needs supervision to get good ones now.

I will add that he is actually a REALLY good artist, that not amazing designer.
 

Valkerion

Member
Oct 29, 2017
7,297
Meh, his DC designs did not bother me at all. Not sure why people scoff at them so hard when they are on brand for him, Square Enix, and DC. Not to mention fit the future anime aesthetic the line was aiming for. If Nomura came out and said he watched the Adam West Batman and made these then sure...

Have you people see some of the nonsense DC puts out canonically?

also y'all know you'd eat those designs up if it said Kingdom Hearts
 

ToTheMoon

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,342
I'm not gonna post my favorite characters that already appeared here (like Lulu, Fang, Rinoa, Auron, Edea, Yuna etc) so I will try to bring another ones:

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Whimsical anime girl weirdness aside, I really love Vanille's character design. As someone who isn't attracted to women irl, I can say without feeling like a creep that her face and hair are beautiful. I love that this Nomura piece captures her joy and also hints at the determination that she develops throughout the game, and I kind of wish she had kept the darker hair that the original concept art has. A model that looks like it has the darker hair color is still visible in the pre-rendered trailer that plays when you first start up the game.

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Oct 27, 2017
1,443
FFVIII + Parasite Eve is easily peak Nomura

Edea is probably my favorite design of his (I know it was a leftover from VII)
 

Lunar Wolf

Banned
Nov 6, 2017
16,237
Los Angeles
1) No, Riku looked better with long hair, by far

b27480666df39b4548e6d788a26f71a1.png


This a million times over shittier Noctis. Which is hilarious because we have Yozora too now which is just kh 3 Riku but cooler.

2) Terra's artworks are far above the other two IMO, neo samurai X batman

Have to disagree on Riku. I can't take him seriously with that mullet. He looks too much like a pubescent Sephiroth from the OG Final Fantasy VII.

Anime always has unnaturally thin legs

Depends on the anime and character.

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UnluckyKate

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,618
Announced today, his design for a PNG in XIV :

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in game :

Final-Fantasy-XIV-4.jpg


its a fair balance between the usual business of his design and the XIV aesthethic