Junko Kawano as seen during the video of the presentation of Eiyuden Chronicle
Junko Kawano (河野 純子) is a Japanese illustrator, writer and designer best known for her work on the Suikoden series.
Biography[]
Junko Kawano joined Konami in 1993 and was tasked with working with Yoshitaka Murayama on creating a game for an internally developed console that was eventually cancelled. The game they designed was an early draft for what would become Suikoden II. After the console was cancelled, Junko joined Murayama to work on a new RPG to be released on Sony's new PlayStation console. They decided to create a prequel title to the unfinished game they had been working on and thus the original Suikoden was born. Kawano worked on all the character designs and overall visual feel of the game. When the game proved to be a success the two designers decided to finally finish their original game. Kawano returned as a game designer but left character designs to Fumi Ishikawa. While working on Suikoden II (she did the ending theme music) she was also helping out designing the TwinBee RPG. Kawano moved away from the Suikoden series to produces, writes and illustrates the PlayStation 2 Adventure game Shadow of Memories.
After Murayama left Konami following the release of Suikoden III, Kawano was put back in charge of the Suikoden franchise. She began working on Suikoden IV as the game's producer, main designer, and character designer. She focused on modernizing the franchise with contemporary features like voice acting (even doing some of the voices herself), use of motion capture technology, and making the game compatible with Progressive Scan TVs. The game was a modest success in Japan but didn't fair as well overseas. She next began working on a game called Rhapsodia which was meant to be a gaiden game for Suikoden IV. Eventually the game was renamed Suikoden Tactics when released overseas. Kawano returned in her position as producer, character designer, and main designer and wanted to focus on a new take with the franchise by making the game into Strategy Role-Playing Game. Once again, it was a modest success in Japan but met with mixed reviews abroad.
She later returned to working on adventure style games for the Nintendo DS, creating Time Hollow in 2008 and Zack & Ombra: The Phantom Amusement Park in 2010. She left Konami in 2015.
As of July 24 2020, it was revealed that Junko Kawano was working as a lead designer on a new game, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. Working along other Suikoden staffs members such as Yoshitaka Murayama and Osamu Komuta.
Junko Kawano was also involved in the upcoming Suikoden I & II HD Remaster, redrawing all the portraits of the characters.
Suikoden Works[]
- (1995) Suikoden (Designer)
- (1998) Suikoden II (music: "La passione commuove la storia")
- (2004) Suikoden IV (Writer/Producer/Designer/Voice acting)
- (2005) Suikoden Tactics (Writer/Producer/Designer/Voice acting)
- (2006) Suikoden V (Special Thanks)
- (2023) Suikoden I & II HD Remaster (Artworks)
Other Konami Works[]
- (1998) TwinBee RPG (Designer)
- (1998) Diver's Dream (Planner)
- (2001) Shadow of Memories (Writer/ Director/Character Designer)
- (2008) Time Hollow (Writer/Designer)
- (2010) Zack & Ombra: The Phantom Amusement Park (Writer/Director)
Other Works[]
- (2019) Arca Last (Designer)
- (2022) Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Designer)