Given that the value of human-created art is being fiercely debated online at the moment, it seems like a good time to shine a light on an artist who isn't as famous as some within the games industry—in fact, Toyonaka Ozaki's real name isn't even known.
Also known as Zahiro, Mahiro Sasaka, and Hiroshi Maezawa, Ozaki sadly passed away last year, and VGDensetsu has done an absolutely wonderful job of pulling together all of the available information on the one-time Sega artist and a broad selection of her work.
A graduate of Tokyo University of Fine Arts, Ozaki joined Sega at the end of the 1980s. Her first project was the Sega Mark III game Chouon Senshi Borgman, which was localised outside of Japan as Cyborg Hunter on the Master System.
In 1989, she would create uncredited illustrations for Sega's Super Hang-On home port before moving on to Phantasy Star III in 1990, perhaps her most significant contribution to gaming history.
As noted by VGDensetsu, Ozaki designed the characters and drew many of the manual illustrations, working alongside the game's art director, Masaki Segawa, who would later become her husband.
Her other video game credits include Clutch Hitter, Golden Axe II, Ozaki Naomichi no Super Masters / Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf, Super League / Tommy Lasorda Baseball and Hokuto no Ken: Shin Seikimatsu Kyuuseishu Densetsu / Fist of the North Star / Last Battle.
She effectively retired from games in 1992 after marrying Segawa and becoming a housewife but continued to create amazing artwork under her aforementioned pseudonyms. In 1997, she worked with Segawa—who, by this point, had left Sega to focus on creating manga—on a self-published Phantasy Star III "dōjinshi".
Ozaki passed away in July 2024 after a long illness. "Her friends and family were asked not to announce her death publicly until 49 days later, which coincided with her birthday," adds VGDensetsu.
At that time, Segawa posted the following message on his now-deleted Twitter account:
She had been fighting an illness for some time, but no medicine could help her and she passed away in July.
She was a good wife and a good partner who always supported me.
Though it is a little late, I would like to report this with gratitude to everyone who interacted with her during her lifetime
...I feel just lonely and sad now...
What's sad about all of this is that Ozaki's incredible contribution to Phantasy Star III and Sega's history is in danger of being lost altogether. "Her three known Twitter accounts have since been deleted, while her website and forum (on which Phantasy Star III composer Izuho Numata sometimes posted) were closed down several years ago," VGDensetsu explains. Thank goodness, then, that the site has been able to create such a moving and detailed tribute to the artist.
You can visit VGDensetsu's profile on Ozaki to see more of her work, and hopefully, this will encourage you to seek out her art and perhaps even boot up Phantasy Star III or one of her other games to celebrate her memory.