Book Review: Ayami Kojima' Santa Lilio Sangre

[Dharos]

Ayami Kojima will always be one of the main reasons I am so critical about the designs behind videogames, she truly set the bar high when she did the character and creature design for the PlayStation game, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night(1997), I will always remember with shame the day I found out I had missed the opportunity to go check one of her very few public exhibitions in Tokyo, you will imagine my surprise then, after finding out she had released her first official artbook not long ago.

This incredible compilation of drawings and aquarelle works doesn't have much in the way of descriptions or notes, rather, it lets every image speak for itself. About half of the works are original with the other half being desings and concept art from her contributions to the Castlevania series of videogames.

Overall an excellent addition to any artbook collection, while seeing her art it will be hard for anyone not to feel the emotions she tries to convey through her works.

Title: Santa Lilio Sangre
Author: Ayami Kojima
Hardcover: 200 pages
ISBN: 978-4-87031-923-3
Language: Japanese

Available from Amazon (US | JP) | Play-Asia | beNippon.com | CDJapan.co.jp | YesAsia.com

[vegastar7]

I just bought this book today. It's freakin' awesome. I've been a fan of Castlevania artwork for a long time, and to finally have a book with all those illustrations and more...I'm real happy .
One thing I would add to the review is that there are about three small pictures that are for the "mature" set. It's not much, and shouldn't stop you from buying the book, just a heads up. I was flipping through the book and I sort of did a double-take on one of the picture thinking "what the heck is that about?".

[gnehc]

I've been looking for an Ayami Kojima artbook for a long while. Thanks for the links in where to get them. But...does anyone know if this artbook is sold out? It's not available in the USA Amazon. Does anyone know if it will become available there anytime soon? Or is buying from a Japanese site my only chance of buying one? Thanks a bunch!

[Dharos]

(29-03-2011 05:15 AM)gnehc Wrote:  I've been looking for an Ayami Kojima artbook for a long while. Thanks for the links in where to get them. But...does anyone know if this artbook is sold out? It's not available in the USA Amazon. Does anyone know if it will become available there anytime soon? Or is buying from a Japanese site my only chance of buying one? Thanks a bunch!

Play-Asia is not a Japanese site and is pretty safe place to order from, that's how most of the people I know, that live in the States, get Japanese/Asian games, music, etc.