But why did Masa scratch the haori design?
So, I'm pretty sure we all know of Shikyou's concept art and her unused design for Shikyou, the Amanojaku, right? And I'm pretty sure that a majority of Masa fans can agree that Shikyou looks so much more visually interesting in that unused design, right?
Well, my question is why did Masa scrap the idea of using that design for the PV and end up removing the haori entirely?
As you can see, he sketched Shikyou's concept art. Then, when making Shikyou's original sprite for Shikyou, the Amanojaku, Masa removed her hagoromo. Which I don't ever see people talk about, actually. Though I feel it should be more talked about, as her having one would have alluded to her status as a goddess! You may have noticed that divine/celestial beings in mythology often wear hagoromos! Then, in the final PV, her haori got purged too?? So she just ended up in a plain kimono. + She has normal eyes too, but it's fine because she's pretty.
But why'd he even ditch the haori? The image of Shikyou wearing the haori was literally complete. It was shaded and everything. Did he just say "uh, actually, forget this" last minute and start over? What was the reason?? These extra garments would have made Shikyou stick out compared to the rest of the cast. And honestly, I'm quite upset that they were removed, as, that's what Shikyou needs! She needs to stick out as a character because, being a goddess, she shouldn't look like a normal everyday woman. Because she's above that. And I think making her outfit more unique would've been a good way to show that. It's like it *tells* you she's important just by looking at her. If Masa can give characters like Nagomi clothing that diverges from what he usually gives his characters, he can do the same for Shikyou. I really hope that by some miracle, he'll give Shikyou her swag back.