I first became aware of Yoshitaka Amano through his character design on Vampire Hunter D. It was one of the first manga I watched back in the early 90s and the gothic horror stylings really stood out for me. Later on, I knew his work from the Final Fantasy games and the Neil Gaiman Sandman special Endless Dreams. His androgynous, pale faced figures with slight bodies makes his art style visually distinctive whilst his brushstrokes art in a painterly style touch upon the Japanese heritage.

This visual biography, Amano: Beyond the Fantasy, celebrates the life and art of the artist though 400 illustrations and in-depth interviews about his childhood, his rise at Tatsunoko and his move away to become an independent artist. The writing in the book is engaging without being too overwhelming with details. What you get is a good look at his childhood, growth as an artist, his process and his current practice including his quest to create his magnum opus.

The book is printed on quality thick paper stock and the images printed in excellent detail with no artefacting at all. The interviews by Florent Gorges are excellent as they offer flavour to Amano's life and help contextualise the artworks. For anyone interested in this singular artist, this book is a real boon!

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