It's been about 1.5 years since the release of Phantom Rose 2. While working on my next project, I found some old concept art and thought it'd be interesting to share!
Here's a look at some early designs for the characters.
1. Aria
As the protagonist of the game, Aria naturally went through the most iterations. Although I had already set the game's backdrop as a "magic school," I wasn't initially sure whether I wanted Aria to be a student, a visitor, or even a knight.
Eventually, alongside the storyline I was writing, I decided Aria would be one of the school's students — a possible lone survivor in the story's setting.
After settling on that role, it became a matter of iteration and refinement: trying out different poses and expressions to find the right tone.
(Some early poses for the in-game battle sprites)
2. Sylphy
Sylphy originally started out as Aria's companion fairy, inspired by one of my favorite JRPGs, Bravely Default.
It might have created some interesting dynamics with the other fairy NPCs in the game, but I ultimately decided to change direction toward a magical cat that could transform between cat and human form.
I felt that a talking cat — referencing common media archetypes from classics like Sailor Moon — would be more relatable and would more clearly establish Sylphy’s role and relationship with Aria.
Afterwards, it was about refining her design to be more fighter-like. Almost ninja- or kunoichi-inspired, to contrast with Aria's peaceful student look.
3. Reverie
Reverie's design wasn't too difficult because I had a strong vision for who she should be: elegant, intricate, and a little out of place, like a fancy clock.
The challenge was finding the right balance.
Making her too visually busy risked overpowering Aria’s modest student uniform. But I still wanted Reverie to feel unique, like an intruder — after all, why would someone dressed like that be wandering around a school?
Overall, designing Reverie was very fun. The direction felt clear from the beginning, and the exploration process went smoothly.
4. Others
I wasn't able to iterate much on some of the other characters due to time constraints, but for the more important ones, I was able to sketch out rough ideas to "feel" their designs before finalizing them for the game.
Estelle was designed mainly to create a strong visual contrast with the younger Aria, while Madeline, the first major antagonist, needed a look that felt out of the ordinary even for the magic school setting.
It's been fun revisiting these old designs and remembering the small decisions that shaped Phantom Rose 2. As I make progress on my next project, I'm excited to bring everything I've learned into something new — I’ll have more to share soon!
“It crept closer, bit by bit, and stopped just shy of Mob’s thin hand curled around the wood. One step closer, and it sniffed his finger. Its whiskers tickled skin.”
from chapter 8 of a breach of trust by @phantomrose96
(click for higher quality)
[ID: a digital drawing of mob sitting on the basement stairs, looking at the light seeping from under the door. a mouse is sniffing the hand he’s using to prop himself up. mob is in old clothes and has long, messy hair. the basement is very rundown. end ID]
i tried to draw lucia from memory and i failed so i didn't post it but since phantomrose2 /ファントムローズ2 is coming soon i decided to publish it cause why not at this point ?
The ending song of the AH Musical is by far one of the greatest gifts Achievement Hunter has ever given us. I have to give a huge shoutout to Jack and Jeremy for really leaning into the Fake AH Crew/GTA V lore (and for, as Jeremy mentioned this morning, looking to the Tumblr community and how we write for and view the Fakes).
This just makes me want a live action Fake AH Crew series even more 😭💚
Cause deep down we all know that they’re just Good at Being Bad....
