SHIGENORI SOEJIMA

Shigenori Soejima is a Japanese video game artist, currently employed under Atlus' Japanese branch. He is best known for his work in the Persona series of role-playing video games by Atlus and is responsible for the art direction of the Persona Team's games. His distinctive style is characterized by the use of vibrant and dynamic colours in his artwork that create a certain sense of lighting and contrast as well as characters that resemble typical manga-styled figures with strong angular silhouettes. I admire him as I am a big fan of the characters he has created from the Persona series and love his unique art style.

Born on February 24, 1974, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, Shigenori Soejima's journey first began with a childhood love for drawing, practicing his skills by copying the characters from Doraemon. His family moved quite often during his childhood due to his father's office work, and the constant changes in his surroundings left him feeling unsettled, leading to a slight introversion and difficulty in making friends. It was during this period that drawing became a comforting activity for him. Eventually, he made friends in elementary school who shared his enthusiasm for Doraemon, and encouraged his aspirations of becoming a cartoonist. During junior high, Soejima's interest in video games, particularly Shin Megami Tensei II, and the detailed animation in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, influenced his aspirations in character design. Enrolling at Tama University and later Tokyo University of the Arts, he began experimenting with painting alongside his cartoons now wanting to pursue a career as an animator and character designer. Despite facing initial challenges, including a failed attempt to enter an arts college, Soejima's determination led him to the Illustration Department of the Tokyo Design Academy, solidifying his decision to pursue a professional career in illustration. Upon graduating, he joined Atlus, impressing art director Kazuma Kaneko during the interview. Soejima's early projects at Atlus included pixel art for Purikura Photo Booth and minor roles in various games such as Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner, Revelations: Persona, and Kartia: The Word of Fate, gradually leading to his role as art director and character designer for Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity. Persona 3 marked a turning point, with Kaneko entrusting him with the art direction for the Persona series as he wanted Soejima to grow as a designer, which would later on become what he is best known for in his work.