{"product_id":"elegant-spirits-amanos-tale-of-genji-and-fairies-isbn-9781506725314","title":"Elegant Spirits: Amano's Tale of Genji and Fairies","description":"\u003cb\u003eYoshitaka Amano has visualized other worlds of wonder as the artist of the \u003ci\u003eFinal Fantasy\u003c\/i\u003e game series. Now, with \u003ci\u003eElegant Spirits\u003c\/i\u003e, our own world's ancient treasures of literature and legend are richly evoked through Amano's paintings and illustrations!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eElegant Spirits\u003c\/i\u003e first contains Amano's adaptation of\u003ci\u003e The Tale of Genji\u003c\/i\u003e, a psychological exploration of courtly love written a thousand years ago by Lady Murasaki, and often considered to be the earliest novel ever written. The second half of \u003ci\u003eElegant Spirits \u003c\/i\u003eis Amano's \u003ci\u003eFairies\u003c\/i\u003e, his portrayals of the many magical beings of English and Celtic lore and drama--from brownies and the Seelie Court, to Merlin and Nimue, to Shakespeare's Puck and Titania. The images of \u003ci\u003eElegant Spirits\u003c\/i\u003e are accompanied by excerpts of text, poetry, and the stories that accompany these unforgettable figures of the past. | Yoshitaka Amano was born in 1952 in Shizuoka, Japan, the youngest child of a WWII veteran who worked in the traditional Japanese lacquer ware arts. Amano went pro in 1967 at the age of 15, as the youngest person to be hired by legendary anime studio Tatsunoko, where his first job was on the famous anime series \u003ci\u003eSpeed Racer\u003c\/i\u003e. By 17, he had been made the studio's character concept artist, a new kind of industry position created specifically for him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWell-known anime characters designed by Amano in the 1970s include the cast of \u003ci\u003eGatchaman\u003c\/i\u003e, also known as \u003ci\u003eBattle of the Planets\u003c\/i\u003e--of whom superstar comics painter and \u003ci\u003eGatchaman\u003c\/i\u003e fan Alex Ross (\u003ci\u003eKingdom Come\u003c\/i\u003e) has said, \"They belong among the pantheon of great characters.\" In the 1980s, Amano designed the cast of \u003ci\u003eGenesis Climber Mospeada\u003c\/i\u003e, known to fans around the world as the third part of the TV series \u003ci\u003eRobotech\u003c\/i\u003e (\u003ci\u003eRobotech: The New Generation\u003c\/i\u003e). In 1985 Amano partnered with director Mamoru Oshii (\u003ci\u003eGhost in the Shell\u003c\/i\u003e) and Hayao Miyazaki's early producer Hideo Ogata to create the feature-length \u003ci\u003eThe Angel's Egg\u003c\/i\u003e, often considered the most personal of Oshii's anime films.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the 1980s, Amano began to develop an independent career as one of Japan's most sought-after character and design illustrators, painting hundreds of science fiction and fantasy magazine book covers. His mysterious, atmospheric style attracted the creators of a new video game concept in 1987 called \u003ci\u003eFinal Fantasy\u003c\/i\u003e, who hired Amano to give a distinctive artistic vision to the game. Amano would go on to design the characters, monsters, weapons, and treasures of the first ten \u003ci\u003eFinal Fantasy\u003c\/i\u003e games, visually influencing a worldwide fan base through the new frontier of video games, as he had earlier done through the medium of anime.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile remaining in high demand as a commercial illustrator, Amano entered the fine arts world beginning in 1989 with his first exhibition of original art in Tokyo, and in 1995 his first outside Japan, at the Biennale d'Orléans in France. In 1997 he made his New York art world debut with the exhibit Think Like Amano, and the following year worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to create the animated concert film \u003ci\u003e1001 Nights\u003c\/i\u003e. A fan of US comic books since he discovered Neal Adams in the 1960s, Amano's New York exhibit led to his first work in American comics, when he was asked to create a poster for the 10th anniversary of \u003ci\u003eSandman\u003c\/i\u003e, a project that put him in touch with Neil Gaiman, with whom he would collaborate on \u003ci\u003eSandman: The Dream Hunters\u003c\/i\u003e; for Marvel, he would create \u003ci\u003eElektra \u0026amp; Wolverine: The Redeemer \u003c\/i\u003ewith Greg Rucka.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaintaining studios today in Paris and Tokyo and travelling frequently to international events, in the 21st century Amano continues to take on commissions, while devoting the majority of his working time to personal projects. In 2013, Dark Horse Comics, which has released over 40 books illustrated by Amano, was the first in the world to publish Yoshitaka Amano's debut original novel, \u003ci\u003eDeva Zan\u003c\/i\u003e, containing dozens of accompanying paintings. Dark Horse is proud to honor the continuing legacy of one of the world's most influential Japanese artists through its English edition of Florent Gorges's \u003ci\u003eYoshitaka Amano: Beyond the Fantasy--The Illustrated Biography\u003c\/i\u003e.","brand":"Dark Horse Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46301378937061,"sku":"NP9781506725314","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781506725314.jpg?v=1767726145","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/elegant-spirits-amanos-tale-of-genji-and-fairies-isbn-9781506725314","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}