Heroes and Heroines (Character Design Books): Japanese Video Game + Animation illustration (Character Design Books) Paperback – 19 Mar. 2012

I have gotten this for my husband for Christmas and I better wrap it fast before he senses Japanese gaming sketches and tries to get it early!This is a beautiful book, the front cover with Catherine on is a bit sparkly/hologram-ish too which is a nice touch, if you take the sleeve off it's a plain white book so you can read it on the train without people assuming it's porn (as Catherine is a little chesty looking there lol)Inside looks beautiful too, so many different games that I recognise mainly because of the damned husband playing them/watching them 24/7, so this should give his eyes a break from staring at computers for a while lolI'm really pleased with it, also the Japanese and English translations are nicely laid out, he's fluent in Japanese and English so this will also be good for him to read either of the languages with and keep them both fresh in his mind, as England doesn't have much Japanese text about for him to read lolMust... hide.... this... amazing... present... before... he... finds... it!!!It's well worth the money for what it is, and if you love gaming, sketches, Japan, and just plain awesome then this is for you!

This book follows the japanese review style and it could be a bit of a surprise if the reader is not acquanted with it. I did like the book but the scope was too big for just one book probably.

Loved this product, it was exactly what I had wanted and in very good condition, the drawings were very clear, and we'll done as well. I would recommend this for anyone who is looking to check out the character styles for well established anime

I am loving anime at the moment and this certainly gives lots of ideas for sketches. It is a great book to peruse and to enjoy the anime and the artwork.

The media could not be loaded.  Heroes & Heroines is a 208 page book that features character designs from Japanese video games and animation. Only titles from 2009 to late 2011 are included.The illustrations are grouped by the 69 artists who created them. Since so many artists are included, only a selection of their works are featured. Those would be the main characters they designed.The character designs are wonderful. The variety is incredible, especially for the costumes. It's also quite a good reference for poses too.Some of the titles included are Persona4, Shining Force EXA, Eden of the East, Fate/Zero, Bayonetta, and more. I've not seen many of the titles before. Many of the Japanese titles are not exported for sale overseas.The work on the cover is from the video game Catherine, designed by Soejima Shigenori, whose interview is one of the two included. The other interview is with character designer Kaneda Eiji and producer Yoshizawa Junichi for the Rezel Cross PSP game. All text in the book are in both Japanese and English.If you like Japanese characters and art, this book is highly recommended.(There are more pictures of the book on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

Fantastic product. Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in anime, Japanese RPGs, etc.The artwork is stunning and there's so many different styles; it's awesome to look at if you're an artist yourself and looking to develop your style a bit more. Also good to look at professional work and try and pick apart technique by looking at the drawings.The book itself is quality, the paper is nice and glossy and it comes with a fancy cover. Overall very awe-inspiring to look at.