Blog 3: The Priestess

Artist: Shigenori Soejima
Notable Works: Art Director/Character Designer for: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2/3/4, Trauma Center series, Catherine

2004-2010 Artbook

The Megami Tensei style

Shin Megami Tensei is a RPG series created by ATLUS (now a subsidary of Index Holdings co.) It is the 3rd most beloved RPG series in Japan, next to Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.

The theme of the series is the world is on the brink of an apocolypse, through an invasion by "demons" The Protagonist and his/her friends must band together and "capture" demons and use them against each other to save the world.

The Persona series (Soejima's main series) puts a whole different twist on the Megami Tensei series through modernization. Especially Persona 3 and 4, which incorporate high school students as the protagonists.

Original Work - Artbook

Interpretation

As a fan of the SMT series, Soejima's works are iconic for fans of the "ps2 era" of SMT games. The most interesting aspect of his work is how he can capture the tradition of the SMT series, and make it distinctly his own style. The gothic, dark atmosphere of the SMT series combined with the mythology of the demons (Japanese, Chinese, Greek/Roman, European, Norse etc) creates the setting for these "apocolyptic" games, and Soejima excels at this mix.

Original Work - Artbook

Characters

Soejima's characters are the most interesting part about these "modern" SMT games. Soejima's character designs appear youthful, stylized, slim and attractive and show this energy/depth (particularly due to the eyes)

Impact on Society

What appeals to me most about Soejima's artworks and the SMT series is the atmosphere. With Persona 3/4 the gamer feels like they can experience the ideal Japanese highschool life. You play as an appealing, likeable silent protagonist surrounded by a cast of interesting friends. By day your living out your ideal life, going shopping with your friends, attending school and exploring the city. By night your fighting off "Demons" in a dark world and preventing the apocolypse. Its this portrayal of an ideal, interesting teenagers life that some people wish they had, which is why the more modern Persona 3 and 4 have been the most successful games in the SMT series. Soejima's stylish, youthfull and attractive character designs help portray this "life of a hero" in all his works, that we often wish was a reality.