Summary
- Atelier series producer Junzo Hosoi reveals Ryza’s design was spurred on by Japan’s economic conditions.
- Hosoi cites a theory that people prefer thicker proportions when economic conditions are worse.
- Yumia’s design is based around global fashion trends, rather than economics.
Koei Tecmo is currently working on Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land, the first mainline Atelier game to follow the hugely popular Atelier Ryza trilogy. For those unfamiliar with the long-running series, Atelier is a JRPG series that casts the player into the role of an atelier (alchemist). The naming convention of the series is Atelier followed by the name of the game’s protagonist and then finally the game’s subtitle. The eponymous Reisalin ‘Ryza’ Stout was the popular leading lady of Atelier Ryza, while Yumia Liessfeldt will head up Atelier Yumia.
A common observation in the Atelier community is that the body proportions of Ryza are not only wider than every one of the series’ previous protagonists but also that these proportions grew with each subsequent entry in her trilogy. In a recent interview with 4gamer (translated by Automaton), series producer Junzo Hosoi revealed that this design phenomenon is no coincidence.
Recession Proportions
atelier ryza 2 promo art
“This is just my perception,” Hosoi began. “But I think the economy has an influence on what kind of designs become popular. There are certain types of characters that are needed in times of recession, and there are types that are embraced only when the economy is booming. For example, people begin to favour voluptuous body types and motherly characteristics during a time of recession.”
Hosoi goes on to confirm that Ryza’s design was influenced by these economic conditions, saying that Japan has been in recession for a long time. Although these economic conditions are still in place, Yumia needed to differ from Ryza so instead, the team incorporated global fashion trends into her design, specifically “tight clothing.”
Yumia’s designer Benitama admits that he felt pressure when designing the series’ new heroine because of how iconic a character Ryza is. “I couldn’t imagine surpassing Ryza’s design at all,” Benitama says. After many revisions, the team finally settled on a final design for Yumia. This design is deemed to match Ryza’s in quality, but without being too similar to the popular character.
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & The Envisioned Land releases March 21, 2025 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
- Released
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March 21, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen // Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Suggestive Themes, Mild Language