Atelier Yumia producer explains why the game’s sleek and sexy character designs pursue a more modern look than previous titles
Koei Tecmo’s Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is coming to all major platforms in March 2025. The new game will be the most ambitious entry in the Atelier series so far, aiming to raise the IP to a global level with a whole host of improved and expanded elements. In recent interviews with both Famitsu and 4Gamer, Producer Junzo Hosoi also revealed more about how and why Yumia’s character design has a cool, modern feel.
Atelier Yumia’s character designs, although recognizably Atelier, are a little different to previous games in the series:
Yumia (above) has long, thin legs and a cool look, which is in contrast to Atelier Ryza’s protagonist Ryza (below) who has more of a cute look (and is known for her large thighs).
Atelier Yumia character designs
To design Atelier Yumia’s characters, Benitama (who previously did illustration work for the Atelier Marie remake) focused on creating cutting-edge designs while striking a balance between fantasy and functionality. What is cutting-edge fashion now tends to become a trend about 2 or 3 years later when people get used to it. “We thought, ‘If we design (the characters and costumes) with the cutting edge in mind, by the time we release the game to the public, these designs will be established as modern fantasy-style fashion design, right?’” explains Hosoi in the 4Gamer interview.
However, this was not an easy task. They finalized the design for Isla, a supporting character, early on but were left with a problem. “When I put Yumia’s work-in-progress character design next to Isla’s finished design, Isla looked more like the main character.” Hosoi reveals. Isla’s cute design and colorful outfit hark back to previous Atelier series protagonists, so fans might easily think she looks like the main character.
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In order to make it clear that Yumia is the protagonist, her design was fine-tuned some 30 or 40 times. “To make an RPG that more people around the world will want to play, we needed a main character with a fresh, appealing design,” Hosoi explains to Famitsu. “As a result, we decided on a design direction that emphasized coolness- a strong independent woman who uses footwork.”
Yumia’s long legs and high-heeled boots with light-up heels help accentuate her leg movements. This will really stand out when exploring the game’s open world with her wall-jumping moves. There was also a conscious effort to make outfits a little more practical- and balance fantasy video game costume with real-life wearability. For example, Yumia can undo buttons on her skirt in battle to give her greater range when pulling off a special move.
As a game that aims to evolve the Atelier series to the next level, Atelier Yumia is set to feature many new and improved aspects such as a seamless open world, more real-time actions and even a house building system (more about those here). “I think you will be able to feel how (the game) has evolved right down to the smallest details.” Hosoi explains to 4Gamer.
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land is scheduled to be released on March 21, 2025 for PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam). It will also get a physical release on PS4/PS5 and Xbox.
