Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined producer says Square Enix tried to convey the “cuteness” of legendary Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama’s original designs without compromising the JRPG remake’s “unique atmosphere”

There’s been a lot of buzz both negative and positive about Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined’s diorama-style art and doll character designs since they were revealed, especially since the recent Dragon Quest 1-3 HD remakes opted for a more traditional pixel art aesthetic. Whether you’re a fan of the doll vibes or not, one thing’s for certain: the art style stays very faithful to the original designs drawn up by the late Japanese mangaka and Dragon Quest series artist Akira Toriyama.

We recently caught up with Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined producer Takeshi Ichikawa via email, and we couldn’t help but ask him what it was like adapting Toriyama’s iconic character designs in such a distinctive style.

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.