I made Steve. The first NPC that came to mind when I began creating characters.
Steve was based on a relative of mine who works an office job.
My cousin works endlessly, day after day, yet carries a constant sense of exhaustion with life. His face rarely changes. Almost always blank, detached. I find a certain irony in how people outside of office environments imagine office workers as expressive or lively, when in reality, many resemble something far more subdued.
The design choices reflect this.
The color palette is intentionally muted. My cousin is not wealthy, and his appearance reflects that. The black necktie he often wears was a gift I gave him two years ago when he became a father. His suit is inexpensive and slightly oversized for his frame, which explains why the clothing on Steve appears loose and disproportionate to the body.
By the time I was finalizing the design, I had been watching Golden Kamuy. I decided to incorporate the eyes of Hyakunosuke Ogata into Steve’s design.
Ogata’s eyes convey a sense of emptiness. Something internal, distant. That same quality exists in my cousin. Translating that into Steve became essential to completing the character.
Ogata’s character:
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