View source for Akihiro Yamada


{{Infobox artist
| name          = Akihiro Yamada
| native_name   = 山田 章博
| native_name_lang = ja
| birth_name    =
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1957|02|10|mf=yes}}
| birth_place   = [[Kōchi, Kōchi|Kōchi]], [[Kōchi Prefecture]], Japan
| death_date    =
| death_place   =
| nationality   =
| field         = [[Manga]], [[illustration]]
| training      =
| movement      =
| works         =
| patrons       =
| awards        = 1996 [[Seiun_Award#Best_Artist|Seiun Award]]
| website       = {{Official website|http://kirakuya-honpo.hustle.ne.jp/yamada-akihiro/}}
}}
{{Nihongo|'''Akihiro Yamada'''|山田 章博|Yamada Akihiro}}; born February 10, 1957, in [[Kōchi, Kōchi|Kōchi]]) is a Japanese illustrator and [[manga artist]].<ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=ifeng/><ref name=cite/> During his career, Yamada has branched out into making book covers,<ref name=bookbang/> character design for video games,<ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=mobygames/><ref name=cite/> theatre [[Costume design|costume]] and [[Scenic design|set design]], concept design for live-action film, and more, though his passion continues to be working on manga.<ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=mobygames/> He is known for delicate images reminiscent of [[suiboku]] and depiction of fantasy subjects. His most popular work is perhaps with ''[[The Twelve Kingdoms]]'' franchise.<ref name=twelvekingdomstv/><ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=ifeng/> He won the [[Seiun_Award#Best_Artist|Seiun Award]] in 1996 in the Best Artist category.<ref name=seiunaward>{{cite web|url=http://www.sf-fan.gr.jp/awards/list.html|script-title=ja:星雲賞リスト|publisher=sf-fan.gr.jp|language=Japanese|accessdate=April 14, 2010}}</ref> He currently lives in [[Kyoto]].<ref name=youyanshe>{{cite web|url=https://www.yystv.cn/p/4961|title=从《十二国记》到《武林群侠传》：插画大师山田章博|trans-title=From "The Twelve Kingdoms" to "The Legend of Martial Arts": Illustrator Akihiro Yamada|date=2019-04-20|publisher=Youyanshe|access-date=2023-12-01}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Yamada was born on February 10, 1957, in [[Kōchi, Kōchi|Kōchi]], Japan<ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=ifeng/><ref name=cite/> and attended  Kochi Nishi High School. He entered [[Osaka University]] to study economics and published his debut comic, ''Padan Padan'' (''{{lang|ja|ぱだんぱだん}}''), in 1981 in the magazine ''Monthly OUT''.<ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=bookbang/><ref name=ifeng/> He published ''Mermaid Changer'' (''{{lang|ja|人魚變生}}'') the following year.<ref name=bookbang>{{cite web|url=https://www.bookbang.jp/review/article/741874|title=山田章博が描く圧倒的迫力と繊細さの極み 「十二国記」世界を具現化した決定版！|trans-title=A definitive edition that embodies the overwhelming power and exquisiteness of Akihiro Yamada's world of "The Twelve Kingdoms"!|publisher=Bookbang|access-date=2023-12-01|language=ja}}</ref> Prior to finishing his degree, he left university to pursue a career in illustration.<ref name=youyanshe/> 

==Career==
Yamada has produced art and character design for a wide range of media, including manga, video games, novels, and anime.<ref name=mobygames>{{cite web|title=Akihiro Yamada Video Game Credits and Biography|url=https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,89875/|publisher=Moby Games|access-date=2020-09-21|website=MobyGames}}</ref> Among his best known works are the art for [[Fuyumi Ono]]'s ''[[The Twelve Kingdoms]]'' series and [[Mizuno Ryo]]'s ''[[Record of Lodoss War]]''.<ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=sohu/><ref name=ifeng/> He has worked on anime such as ''[[RahXephon]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kyotodeasobo.com/art/exhibitions/yamada-akihiro/|title=山田章博 －世界を生み出す魔法の筆－|trans-title=Akihiro Yamada - The magic brush that creates the world -|year=2011|publisher=Kyoto ART|access-date=2023-12-01}}</ref> and the adaptation of ''The Twelve Kingdoms''.<ref name=twelvekingdomstv/> He designed for [[PlayStation]] games ''[[Saiyuki: Journey West]]'' and 
''[[Front Mission 3]]''; various ''[[Might and Magic]]'' and ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry]]'' titles on [[TurboGrafx-16|PC Engine]]; and ''[[Mystic Ark]]'' and ''[[Castlevania: Rondo of Blood|Castlevania]]'' on [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom]].<ref name=mobygames/>

Yamada worked on concept design for the live-action film ''[[Shinobi: Heart Under Blade]]'' and was [[art director]] for ''Koga Ninjutsu''. He has also created covers for English-to-Japanese translations, including for ''[[The Dark Tower (series)|The Dark Tower]]'' by [[Stephen King]].<ref name=youyanshe/> Additionally, he did [[Costume design|costume]] and [[Scenic design|set design]] for the theatre show ''[[GEAR (theatre show)|GEAR]]''. In 1996, he won the [[Seiun_Award#Best_Artist|Seiun Award]] for Best Artist.<ref name=ifeng/><ref name=cite/><ref name=seiunaward/> In the 2010s, he was a visiting professor in [[Kyoto Seika University]]'s manga department.<ref name=cite>{{cite web|url=https://www.cite.com.tw/publisher/authors/35517|title=山田章博 YAMADA Akihiro|trans-title=YAMADA Akihiro|publisher=cite.com.tw|access-date=2023-12-01|language=ja}}</ref><ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=ifeng/> [[Yumi Tamura]] has cited Yamada's work as one of her inspirations.<ref name=sohu/>

===Style===
Yadama's style is heavily influenced by Chinese [[gongbi]] and by the chivalry of medieval European artwork.<ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=ifeng/> [[Phoenix Television]] pointed out that his work contains elements from [[Gustave Doré]]'s print lines and [[Alphonse Mucha]]'s "decorative images" and describes his style as combining European swords and magic and the "delicacy of Eastern culture."<ref name=ifeng/> In 2018, [[Sohu]] echoed many of these sentiments and described him as having a "unique fantasy style... with delicate brushstrokes."<ref name=ifeng>{{cite web|url=https://ishare.ifeng.com/c/s/v002tddA4nfrguQvWBnXApM1264KJ2ibuhFwqxJdJZW3Ehk__|title=深受中国连环画影响的日本漫画家:山田章博|trans-title=Japanese cartoonist deeply influenced by Chinese comic books: Akihiro Yamada|date=2018-08-06|publisher=[[Phoenix Television|iFeng]]|access-date=2023-12-01|language=ja}}</ref>

==Selected works==
===Anime===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year(s) !! Title !! Character Design !! class="unsortable" | Notes !! class="unsortable" | Ref
|-
| 2002-2003 || ''[[The Twelve Kingdoms]]'' || X* || *Character design draft || <ref name=twelvekingdomstv>{{cite web|url=https://pierrot.jp/archives/tv_list_2000/tv_059.html|title=十二国記|trans-title=Twelve Kingdoms|publisher=Pierrot|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523204535/https://pierrot.jp/archives/tv_list_2000/tv_059.html|archive-date=2012-05-23}}</ref>
|-
| 2024 || ''Metallic Rogue'' || X || || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/FujitvView_1036358/|title=「Anime NYC2023」が興奮！ボンズ25周年アニメ『メタリックルージュ』第一話プレミア上映|trans-title=“Anime NYC2023” is exciting! Bonds 25th Anniversary Anime “Metallic Rouge” Episode 1 Premiere Screening|date=2023-11-23|publisher=Excite Japan|access-date=2023-12-01|language=ja}}</ref>
|}

===Manga and novels===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title (English) !! Title (Japanese) !! Art !! Writer !! !!
|-
| 1983-1989 || ''Tales from the Star World''<!--maybe Chronicles of Stargazer?--> || ''{{lang|ja|星界物语三部曲}}'' || X || Akihira Yamada || || <ref name=sohu/>
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1991 || [[Record of Lodoss War|''Record of Lodoss War: Saint of Pharis'']] || ''{{lang|ja|ファリスの聖女}}'' || X || [[Ryo Mizuno]] || || <ref name=kai-you>{{cite web|url=https://kai-you.net/article/17659|title=山田章博の漫画「ロードス島戦記」完全版で復刊 イラスト集も付属|trans-title=Akihiro Yamada's manga "Record of Lodoss War" is republished in a complete version, and a collection of illustrations is also included.|date=2015-06-08|publisher=KAI-YOU|access-date=2023-12-01}}</ref><ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=sohu/><ref name=ifeng/><ref name=cite/>
|-
| ''Tragedy of the Garden of Many Flowers'' || ''{{lang|ja|百花庭園の悲劇}}'' || X || Akihiro Yamada || || <ref name=sohu/>
|-
| 1992 || ''[[The Twelve Kingdoms]]'' series || ''{{lang|ja|十二国記}}'' || X || [[Fuyumi Ono]] || || <ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=ifeng/>
|-
| 1994 || ''[[Record_of_Lodoss_War#Legend_of_Lodoss|Legend of Lodoss: Prince of the Fallen Land]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|ロードス島伝説 亡国の王子}}'' || X || [[Ryo Mizuno]] || || <ref name=youyanshe/>
|-
| 2001-2007 || ''Dream Buster'' || ''{{lang|ja|ドリームバスター}}'' || X || [[Miyuki Miyabe]] || || <ref name=kai-you/>
|-
| 2011 || ''Beast of East: Eastern Vertigo'' || ''{{lang|ja|東方の獣 めまい}}'' || X || rowspan="3" | Akihiro Yamada || || <ref name=youyanshe/><ref name=cite/>
|-
| 1989-2014 || ''The Last Continent'' || ''{{lang|ja|ラストコンチネント}}'' || X || || <ref name=youyanshe/>
|-
| 2014 || ''Red Magic Detective Team'' || ''{{lang|ja|红色魔术侦探团}}'' || X || || <ref name=sohu/><ref name=youyanshe/>
|-
| 1986-2017 || ''[[The Heroic Legend of Arslan]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|アルスラーン戦}}'' || X || [[Yoshiki Tanaka]] || || <ref name=youyanshe/>
|-
| 2020 || ''The Lairs of the Secret Gods'' || ''{{lang|ja|秘神界}}'' || X* || Ken Asamatsu (editor) || *Cover art || <ref name=youyanshe/>
|-
| 2018-2021 || ''King of Fire Hunting'' || ''{{lang|ja|火狩りの王}}'' || X || Rieko Hinata || || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/information/promotional_topics/article-6105.html|title=カバーは山田章博さんの新規描き下ろし！WOWOWオリジナルアニメ化でも話題の『火狩りの王 〈一〉春ノ火』が11/22(火)に角川文庫より発売！|trans-title=The cover is newly drawn by Akihiro Yamada! ''King of Fire Hunting <1> Haru no Hi'', which is also a hot topic as a WOWOW original animation, will be released from Kadokawa Bunko on November 22nd (Tuesday)!|date=2022-10-26|publisher=Kadokawa Corp.|access-date=2023-12-01|language=ja}}</ref>
|}

===Video games===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title (in English) !! Title (in Japanese) !! Console !! Art !! Character Design !! class="unsortable" | Notes !! class="unsortable" | Ref
|-
| 1990 || ''Black Rainbow'' || || rowspan="2" | [[PC-98]] || X || X || ||
|-
| 1992 || ''Black Rainbow II'' || || X || X || ||
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1993 || ''[[Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra]]'' || || [[PC Engine]] || X* || || *Japanese version || <ref name=mobygames/><ref name=youyanshe/>
|-
| ''Ancient Magic'' || ''{{lang|ja|バズー!魔法世界}}'' || [[Super Famicom]] || X || X || ||
|-
| ''[[Gaiapolis]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|ガイアポリス: 黄金鷹の剣}}'' || [[Arcade game|Arcade]] || || || Promotional Art || <ref name="GM448">{{cite magazine|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19930501p.pdf|title=ビデオゲームの流れが変わる。本格RPG―「ガイアポリス」|magazine={{ill|Game Machine|lt=Game Machine|ja|ゲームマシン}}|issue=448|publisher={{ill|Amusement Press, Inc.|lt=Amusement Press, Inc.|ja|アミューズメント通信社}}|date=May 1, 1993|pages=6|language=ja|access-date=2025-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131223821/https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19930501p.pdf|archive-date=2020-01-31|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|author=Hamakawa, Shūjirō|user=ShuzilowHA|date=June 29, 2019|number=1144881327079997440|title=このポスターは僕が山田章博さんに直接電話してお願いしたんです(w) ラフが上がってきた時は嬉しすぎて枕元に置いて寝ました。|language=ja|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220209210909/https://twitter.com/shuzilowha/status/1144881327079997440|archive-date=2022-02-09|url-status=live|access-date=2025-09-27}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry I・II]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|謎の地下遺跡}}'' || rowspan="3" | [[PC Engine]] || X || || || <ref name=mobygames/>
|-
| ''[[Castlevania: Rondo of Blood]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|悪魔城ドラキュラX 血の輪廻ロンド}}'' ||  X || X || || <ref name=mobygames/><ref name=ifeng/><ref name=youyanshe/>
|-
| 1994 || ''[[Wizardry (video game series)|Wizardry III・IV]]'' || || X || || || <ref name=mobygames/>
|-
| 1994/1995 || ''[[Kingdom Grand Prix|Kingdom Grandprix]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|疾風魔法大作戦}}'' || [[Arcade game|Arcade]], [[Sega Saturn]]  || X* || X || *Cover art for Sega Saturn release || <ref name=mobygames/>
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1995 || ''[[Mystic Ark]]'' || {{lang|ja|ミスティックアーク}} || [[Super Famicom]] || X || X || || <ref name=sohu>{{cite web|url=https://www.sohu.com/a/257223515_100127162|title=插画家山田章博：唯美结合东西方画风的日本漫画大师|trans-title=Illustrator Akihiro Yamada: A master of Japanese comics who combines Eastern and Western styles in a beautiful way |date=2018-09-30|publisher=Sohu|access-date=2023-12-01|language=ja}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Castlevania: Dracula X]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|悪魔城ドラキュラＸＸ}}'' || [[Super Famicom]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]] || X || X || || <ref name=mobygames/><ref name=ifeng/><ref name=youyanshe/>
|-
| 1996 || ''Terra Phantastica'' || || [[Sega Saturn]] || X || X || || <ref name=mobygames/>
|-
| 1997 || ''Milandra'' || || [[Super Famicom]] || X || || ||
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1999 || ''[[Front Mission 3]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|フロントミッション サード}}'' || rowspan="4" | [[PlayStation]] || || X || || <ref name=sohu/><ref name=youyanshe/>
|-
| ''[[Mystic Ark#Sequel|Mystic Ark: Maboroshi Gekijo]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|まぼろし劇場}}'' || X || X || || <ref name=mobygames/>
|-
| ''[[Shinkai Densetsu Meremanoid|Meremanoid]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|深海伝説MEREMANOID}}'' || X || X || || <ref name=mobygames/>
|-
| ''[[Saiyuki: Journey West]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|西遊記}}'' || X || X || || <ref name=mobygames/><ref name=youyanshe/>
|-
| 2014 || ''VANITY of VANITIES'' || ''《VANITY of VANITIES》'' || <!--online game--> || || X || || <ref name=youyanshe/>
|-
| 2009/2010 || ''[[Heroes of Three Kingdoms]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|三国群侠传}}'' || || X || X || || <ref name=ifeng/>
|-
| 2017 || ''[[Fire Emblem Heroes]]'' || ''{{lang|ja|ファイアーエムブレム ヒーローズ}}'' || [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[iOS]] || || X* || Character design for Jagen, Ogma, Zephiel [Binding Blade ver.], Gunter, Bantu, Mila, [[Gatekeeper (Fire Emblem)|Gatekeeper]] || <ref name=mobygames/>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Related links==
* {{IMDB name|id=nm1639349|name=Akihiro Yamada}}
* {{Isfdb name|id=29007|name=Akihiro Yamada}}
* {{ann|people|10233}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Yamada Akihiro}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Anime character designers]]
[[Category:Japanese character designers]]
[[Category:Cthulhu Mythos writers]]
[[Category:Japanese video game artists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Kōchi, Kōchi]]
[[Category:Manga artists from Kōchi Prefecture]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Akihiro Yamada|access_date=2026-02-24}}