FORBIDDEN SIREN INTERVIEW WITH MIKI TAKAHASHI (CONCEPT ARTIST ON SIREN)

FORBIDDEN SIREN INTERVIEW WITH MIKI TAKAHASHI (CONCEPT ARTIST ON SIREN)

Thank you to Bokeh Game Studio and Miki Takahashi for taking the time to answer my questions!! I featured some of the answers in my latest video on the first Siren game, but here's the full interview for everyone to read:

1. What kind of directions did you receive when asked to design the Shibito? And what aspects of the designs in particular do you feel come from you and your style specifically?

2. How did you approach combining humans with sea creatures in the context of horror? I imagine you could take that idea but also end up making it look too cool or even quite funny, so how did you ensure they stayed creepy?

(Answering both 1 and 2)Regarding the combination of humans and sea creatures – as there was the aspect of the “Sea Sending” ritual in the story, the Art Director requested that sea creatures be incorporated into the Shibito’s design.

However, I preferred to detach myself from a traditional horror design. There are many monsters with decaying bodies, big mouths, fangs, and glaring eyes seen in other works. I also felt that if the creator’s intention of trying to intimidate viewers becomes too obvious, the result would be less interesting.

The Shibito is a physical manifestation of God’s blessing. They are not zombies, but rather bodies that are being reborn. This is why I incorporated the colors and shapes of lively, beautiful sea creatures in the design.

I also believe that ultimately in horror, there is a fine line between humor and pity. The final design was an outcome of pursuing this line.

3. What was your favourite Shibito design and why? Were there any particular Shibito concepts you made that you really liked but didn’t end up in the game?

I would say that Mina Onnda’s Shibito Brain is my favourite. This is the first Shibito I had designed, and I remember Toyama liking it. This therefore allowed the overall approach of the Shibito’s design to be clearer in my head.

4. Datatsushi’s appearance resembles a Shakoki-dogu. When it came to the design process, were the real-life counterparts the origin or starting point of a design? Or did they only come in during the later stages of creation to finalise details? I’m interested in how the relationship between reality and fiction worked during development!

Thank you for spotting the resemblance of the Shakoki-dogu! The design was inspired by the

beheading of Datatsushi. The reason for it… I think I will leave it up to your imagination.

5. What did you learn from your time working on the first Siren game? Are there any particular memories you’d like to share?

Through thoroughly incorporating the world and atmosphere of the game, I discovered how rewarding it is to create a convincing design. I find that the stories and settings that aren’t present on-screen are the most important aspects. I believe these give depth in the overall design of a work and stirs the imagination of the viewer.