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Tetsuya Nomura is a legendary game designer, known for his work as far back as Final Fantasy V (however he was debugger on Final Fantasy IV). He became a worldwide name in gaming from his work on Final Fantasy VII, and even moreso later with Kingdom Hearts.
One thing that became more prominent in his designs as his career developed is his use, or sometimes overuse, of belts and zippers with his character designs.
Sometimes they make sense, other times it’s completely ridiculous and just downright silly. Now, we’ve finally learned why he’s obsessed with the things.
“That was my preference back when I first designed the characters, so 15 years ago,” Nomura said in an interview with Mirror.co.uk.
“At that time, people teased me about zippers and belts and whatnot and I’m the type of person if somebody eggs me on I’m gonna do it more! Nowadays, I’m not as conscious about adding them in,” he noted.
He went on to say that he’ll actively fight against people telling him not to do something, thus explaining why he’s just added more belts and zippers to his designs as time went on:
“I’m not the type of person that would shrink down when people tease me about it,” Nomura said.
“I’m gonna fight back! I’m gonna go back at it and do it more. So, if people egg me on saying ‘oh, Kingdom Hearts III is delayed’ well, I might even delay it further! (laughs)”
His next games, Kingdom Hearts III and the Final Fantasy VII Remake, are both follow-ups to games that catapulted his name in the gaming industry. Perhaps we’ll see even more belts and zippers in those two games?
LordKaizer
July 19, 2017 at 4:16 pmSo he still hasn’t grown out of the middle school emo phase. That explains his shit writing and characters’ designs.
Dom The Elegy
July 19, 2017 at 4:18 pmSomeone should tease him about writing a story that actually makes sense.
Funtime Happysnacks
July 19, 2017 at 4:20 pmI appreciate what Nomura has contributed to the world, but man some of this stuff he says, really just makes you want to deck him one.
LordKaizer
July 19, 2017 at 4:20 pmDarkness, bad. Light, good. Friendship, ultimate weapon. I just translated all kingdom hearts plot.
InquisitiveRavenclaw
July 19, 2017 at 4:21 pmSo that explains it. All this time we’ve been FUELING him!
Dom The Elegy
July 19, 2017 at 4:22 pmNeeds about 12000 more characters that contribute fuck all but muddy everything up just for the sake of it.
Just Some Guy
July 19, 2017 at 4:26 pmYou all just got trolled.
tccboss
July 19, 2017 at 4:32 pmat least we got an answer.
tccboss
July 19, 2017 at 4:33 pmremember everyone is Xehanort and everyone is Sora.
Dom The Elegy
July 19, 2017 at 4:34 pmAlso everyone is Riku and sometimes Kairi.
chaoguy
July 19, 2017 at 4:40 pmGlad to see a dev sticking to his guns, no matter how crazy they are. Now all we need is a belt with a zipper down the middle.
evilmajikman
July 19, 2017 at 4:40 pmOh. So he’s just fucking with people. Good to know.
No_Good_Names_Ever
July 19, 2017 at 4:51 pmI thought his reasoning was that is where they put all the potions and whatnot.
LordKaizer
July 19, 2017 at 4:51 pmThat shows he’s still hasn’t grown out of the middle school emo phase. Then again he wanted ff15 to be musical because he saw a musical movie that appeals to emo people like him.
No_Good_Names_Ever
July 19, 2017 at 4:52 pmThought he was goth.
Asu
July 19, 2017 at 5:15 pm“Please leave feedback and let us know if there’s something you want us to cover”
Sorry, but last time I sent you a message I was ignored.
Nope, won’t do. :(
Mr0303
July 19, 2017 at 5:20 pmYeah, but at some point it becomes too much:
https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/5/5b/FFX_Lulu_Art.png
edge
July 19, 2017 at 5:27 pmHey-hey; zippers and belts are pretty cool~
edge
July 19, 2017 at 5:29 pmThe distinct lack of zippers in disturbing.
edge
July 19, 2017 at 5:31 pmOy, emo was highschool. Everyone’s hipster now. Emo was way better.
AuraMaster DX (austin9568)
July 19, 2017 at 5:39 pmThough he did made a good choice of (what im assuming to be) stockings
SuuLoliBoob
July 19, 2017 at 5:45 pmI like his sense of humor. Though, i hope he doesn’t make any of the women sexy in the Final Fantasy 7 remake. Hear that Nomura? Don’t do it!
TsukuyomiMagi99
July 19, 2017 at 5:46 pmI see what you did there ;)
AuraMaster DX (austin9568)
July 19, 2017 at 5:46 pmZippers are a powerful thing https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8da2385e4e49621fee5cad61e47d2f7e57ae00620c9fdf8e9910a685c670b803.gif
Leonardo Cornejo Bernal
July 19, 2017 at 5:47 pmCan we start complaining about him designing sexy women?
LordKaizer
July 19, 2017 at 5:55 pmI still prefer when everyone acted like Jean-Claude Van Damme is best actor and how manly he is.
bdp
July 19, 2017 at 6:06 pmShould’ve reverse psychology’d him into releasing games faster.
Uncle Ocelot
July 19, 2017 at 6:35 pmI almost want to see what that would look like, Versus XIII seemed like it would’ve been the alpha and omega of Nomura’s autism.
Uncle Ocelot
July 19, 2017 at 6:36 pmPlease, give Tifa the flattest chest possible, Nomura.
Travis Touchdown
July 19, 2017 at 6:56 pmThis is exactly why I took to being such a hardcore Nintendo fan online.
PaRaLLaXTHeTiCS
July 19, 2017 at 7:25 pmNever noticed that before. Didn’t know Lulu was that bad of a girl.
Wanderer
July 19, 2017 at 7:27 pm“I was being retarded on purpose” is the lamest defense. You’re still being retarded.
PaRaLLaXTHeTiCS
July 19, 2017 at 7:27 pmLulu is best girl.
Galvanized Dreamer
July 19, 2017 at 9:22 pmhttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h5vGvhBES24/UiQI7E_iP9I/AAAAAAAADzI/fMfbBvEUbG0/s640/Belt-Zipper5.jpg
grgspunk
July 19, 2017 at 9:24 pmhttp://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.857156-Jimquisition-Batman-Is-Everything-Wrong-With-Square-Enix
deadmancrawling
July 19, 2017 at 9:30 pmCan you elaborate on that?
deadmancrawling
July 19, 2017 at 9:32 pmHonestly, if Nomura stuck to urban settings, his stuff would stop being a laughingstock
LowLifeOcelot
July 19, 2017 at 9:45 pmI didn’t know Nomura was a big fan of Burno Buccellati.
Kessek
July 19, 2017 at 9:48 pmOnly his dominatrix truly knows why.
Bitterbear
July 19, 2017 at 10:04 pmLook at the bright side: At least he can draw hands and feet:
https://nerdsonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Cable-Pouches-Labeled.png
Pocketmarmots
July 19, 2017 at 10:05 pmHeh, I can respect that. Nobody likes a backseat-designer.
Γεώργιος Αρχαιοκαπηλίδης
July 19, 2017 at 10:30 pmIt’s an art style, smart pants. Not lack of skill. Learn the difference.
Tubsiwub
July 19, 2017 at 10:48 pm“I’ll keep doing what people don’t want, more and more and more… until they stop buying my stuff! Ha!”
Good one…
PChandler
July 20, 2017 at 12:41 am“I’m the type of person if somebody eggs me on I’m gonna do it more!… he’ll actively fight against people telling him not to do something… I’m not the type of person that would shrink down when people tease me about it… I’m gonna fight back! I’m gonna go back at it and do it more”—
In my country we have a saying: Al que no le gusta la sopa, se le dan dos tazas / The one who doesn’t like soup, gets TWO bowls of soup!
And this is why brownshirts aka “SJWs” lost, and will lose the game in Japan and other places. There are around 8 billion people on this planet. If you think you can go about trying to intimidate, and systematically, pervasively target and harass everyone, trying to shame them, anywhere. With calumny, libel, slander and defamation. With false charges of racism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, islamophobia… etc. While expecting no resistance and retaliation. You lost big f’ing time!
There are people who will fight back, who are willing to go at it even physically if needed be, to defend freedom of expression and to fight back against projective brownshirts trying to submit everyone, people of all cultures and civilizations, into their projective bigoted, intolerant views and narrow-minded religious, cultist dogmata.
edge
July 20, 2017 at 1:18 amPlease give her the thinnest thighs ever too!
Clone Loli
July 20, 2017 at 2:26 amPlease make Yuffie as busty as possible!
Zombie_Barioth
July 20, 2017 at 2:32 amHe’s saying people make fun of him for being a fanboy, so he does it all the more.
There’s a difference between being a “hardcore Nintendo fan” and an immature fanatic however.
Zombie_Barioth
July 20, 2017 at 2:33 amI’m pretty sure that’s the joke.:P
Skate or Die
July 20, 2017 at 3:06 amThat would make too much sense.
Zanard Bell
July 20, 2017 at 10:25 amPlease make Riku less sassy and don’t give her hotpants.
Zanard Bell
July 20, 2017 at 10:27 amHe takes pride on being abused by Nintendo’s horrible policies and still liking it.
In short, cucking.
Ebicentre
July 20, 2017 at 10:41 amHey, Nomura – please don’t give Tifa big tits. And I mean the BIGGEST, MOST PERFECT tits. Dooooooon’t do it – bad man, don’t you dare.
Zanard Bell
July 20, 2017 at 10:54 amJust don’t zip up the dick, Pete.
Snorlaxation
July 20, 2017 at 6:14 pmYou have to remember, few if any Mature themes (like character development) would be allowed under the Disney umbrella.
None of the plot is actually complicated, just convoluted, to make up for what is and isn’t allowed.
Snorlaxation
July 20, 2017 at 6:17 pmbut all of that backlash only fuels them more, or provides them with more evidence they choose to use. Some of the shit they claim isn’t wrong. Not all of them are Anita-levels of bullshit stirrer.
LordKaizer
July 21, 2017 at 8:56 amTranslation: nomura is hack and can’t write good story and characters.
Snorlaxation
July 21, 2017 at 3:58 pmi can’t deny nor confirm that. The development may be lacking, and (thanks to disney) any sense of risk or stakes are a moot point, that only leaves the characters, whom I love. The plot has some interesting aspects, but overall, if you don’t like the characters, then this games has nothing for you but solid gameplay (and since this isn’t bomberman or something, that’s not nearly enough for something like this.)
Cthulha Mel'fgt'er'ra
July 22, 2017 at 2:45 amWell, it *is* a skirt, which is more than what some female characters wear,,,
PaRaLLaXTHeTiCS
July 22, 2017 at 3:54 amor is it a…trap??
Grave Knight
July 22, 2017 at 4:02 amJust how long as Kingdom Hearts III been delayed out of spite?
Bunny-Boo
July 22, 2017 at 10:51 amMake a game called “Kingdom Zippers”, where every zipper has a heart.
XXXTEEMOLOVERXXX (Alvis)
July 22, 2017 at 11:16 amoh, kingdom hearts lll is delayed :^)
SiliconNooB
July 22, 2017 at 11:41 amI hope he delays FFVIIR – permanently!
Bunny-Boo
July 22, 2017 at 7:33 pmI agree!
Gaia Mix
July 23, 2017 at 1:49 pmMaybe that’s why the KH lore is so complex and all about heart, soul, body, light, and darkness. Because someone teased Nomura-san about the story not making sense!
Keldroc
July 24, 2017 at 1:54 pmAn art style that cunningly replicates a lack of skill. Very daring.
Damian Powers
August 26, 2017 at 12:29 amDoes anyone know of him?