It was apparently Mr. Sakaguchi who selected you for FFVII, but how did that come about?
Nomura: From before when making a FF title, everyone would put plans regardless of their section. While everyone handed in text documents they made on a PC, mine were hand-written and had illustrations attached. Because I had originally studied advertising, I would keep in mind how to make people want to read it. Mr. Sakaguchi thought those illustrated proposals were amusing. Then one day he said, let Tetsu draw the characters. The start of this was the brush images for FFVI.
Because your proposals were amusing!?
Nomura: Until that point, I hadnt had many proposals taken up at all, so I dont think thats the reason (laughts). I suppose he liked the illustrations on the proposals.
When it was decided that you would draw the illustrations, was the world and characterss details already pinned down to a degree?
Nomura: There was a plot for the story, and I drew them based on that. But during the course of it Mr. Sakaguchi put Mr. Kitase (*3) in charge of production, and at that point in time the plot went back to square one. From there, I was also included in coming up with the original idea for the story, and began drawing while thinking up character and story details. At first Mr. Nojima (*4) was still on the Bahamut Lagoon team, so Kitase and myself refined the plot.
But before then as well, you not only created the pixel graphics but also submitted proposals as well, right?
Nomura: I put forth ideas for FFV and VI, but they were only really a part of the whole. Unlike in VI where with the inclusion of my ninja and my gambler I was given charge of the stories for Shadow and Setzer, VII was the first FF where I was involved from the ground up. Before then, I had been giving my opinions to a few people like Kitase, so it was interesting to be able to openly introduce proposals.
