Now that the Final Fantasy franchise is moving to more realism in its presentation, the stylized work of Yoshitaka Amano, who most recently worked as character designer for Final Fantasy IX, is being used less and less. Despite this, a rabid fanbase for the artist exists, in Japan as well as domestically. Last month saw the Japanese release of The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy, a massive collection of the artist's work on the immensely popular series. Covering all the released FF games, from the very first Final Fantasy up to and including Final Fantasy X, the collection is comprised of 5 books and an impressive 700+ pages.

No word has been made of a North American release, but, in the latest news letter on Amano's personal site, the artist sends out a request for e-mails to gauge interest in a stateside release of a similar collection. Those interested in supporting the cause can send e-mail to Amano. For a taste of what our Asian brothers have been treated to, check out the images of The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy below.