The Artbooks - Updated!

[Kizyr]

For real this time! We've now completely updated our artbooks section. You'll now find:
• Scans of the Lunar I+II Official Artbook
• Scans of the Lunar SSS Newtype Artbook
• New translation: "Thirty Questions About Lunar"
• Old translations of interviews with the creators

It's all up at our artbooks section here:
Merchandise - Artbooks

And some of the specific sections are here:
Lunar SSS Newtype Artbook
Lunar I+II Official Artbook
- Thirty Questions about Lunar
- Interview with Designers
- Interview with Game Arts
- Interview with Studio Alex
- Interview with Creators

The "Thirty Questions" translation is new, and there's some interesting comments there from Kei Shigema, most of which we already knew (like Lucia's purpose), but some of which is more plainly stated here (like where Dragons come from). The other interviews are older ones from a few years ago, translated by forum member Maou, but since they're part of the Lunar I+II Artbook we've regrouped them here.

Let us know what you think!

...oh and lest we forget:
BORGAN TIME!

[AkagisWhiteComet]

Thanks for updating this. The older official artbook is utterly fascinating to me with Kubooka's sketchings, especially of the Silver Star cast. I like seeing this sort of conceptual artwork and wish there was more that existed for LUNAR.

[Sonic#]

I spent some time last week reading the interviews and the Thirty Questions about Lunar. As you say, a lot of the information is what "we already knew" but "more plainly stated." I appreciated the greater clarity on what Lucia, Althena, and Zophar are. (Like gods, but with some difference [like their ability to die?].) Lucia and Althena being compared to "saints" is also intriguing, especially with the connections to creating miracles. Also, I still have trouble thinking of Ronfar as underage, though in that same question Shigema provides an interesting answer to the question of underage drinking in Lunar:

(12) Ronfar is underage, so is it OK for him to drink alcohol?
KS: Well, it's a different world. Also it might not be such a great aspect of Lunar.

See also Kyle and Jessica? The way bars seem to proliferate outside of Alex and Luna's home island? This is a pretty common feature of JRPGs (FF6 had several bars, taverns, and bars in inns), but seems especially important to Lunar, which isn't particularly negative about the effects of these institutions.

[Alunissage]

In Canada the drinking age is 19. That always seems odd to me, but it's a useful reminder that to many people Ronfar wouldn't be that far off even if his age were in any way reasonable. Of course, most JRPGs have ridiculous ages for their casts anyway. This seems like the sort of thing a fan would ask as a gotcha; most of the questions are a little silly anyway.

It struck me as a little odd that Jean's age isn't mentioned in the same question, but then, these questions were about the SegaCD games, and that artwork of Jean holding a mug of beer is from the remake.

[Kizyr]

Y'all know that I typically suggest adding like 3 years onto any ages the creators of the series offer for their characters. Everyone is always given an arbitrarily young age -- the only one who's original age is believable is Lemina.

The drinking age in Japan is 20, by the way. In my observation it's not really heavily enforced (at least if you're already college-aged). KF

[Sonic#]

I've been adding three years to their ages mentally for so long that I forgot the official ages were so young.