Chieko Aoki

From Sega Retro

This article needs work

So a lot of you will know much more about Aoki that I will. Can you please add/correct whatever needs to be in this article? And a few more things:

  • Whenever we run into a situation where we've got one alias spelled two ways, we usually list the most 'accurate' or 'least misspelled' one. Which in this case I put down as "Chiemushi" instead of "Chiemshi", but if you know which is more accurate/representative of the actual person, please correct it.
  • According to Black Squirrels' to do page listing Aoki, she left Sega after marrying. Its not too important, but in the goal of being as respectful and accurate with our people articles as possible, it would be nice to note her current surname. Thats a thing in Japanese marriages right? New surnames? (I don't know anything about this. If you do, please see my "List of related coworkers" list on my todo page cause there's 2-3 more Japanese Sega couples I need to determine surnames for.)
  • And anything else really :)

CartridgeCulture (talk) 19:11, 12 December 2021 (EST)

Thank you very much for making this addition to cover this little-known female creator who had such an important role in Phantasy Star! There is sadly almost no trace of Aoki on the Japanese internet now, as she had already left Sega by 1993 at the lastest: The World of Phantasy Star book (pub. in Japan in 1993) already refers to her departure). Here is a Japanese scan, and an English translation: http://www.pscave.com/other/worldofps/images/p103_large.jpg, http://www.pscave.com/other/worldofps/rejectedps2plotoutline.shtml. There is no preference for Chiemushi and Chiemshi, just a nickname which in Japanese is pronounced exactly the same. Sadly, I have not seen anything in Japanese that could totally confirm her marrying or changing her name afterwards. (I have a STRONG suspicion she later returned to Sega as Chieko Nakamura, who worked on many subsequent Sega games, including Phantasy Star Online, but I cannot prove it. Chieko is not an uncommon name, but Sega was pretty small back then and not that many women. Extra interesting: this same Chieko Nakamura is in the Special Thanks section of the Phantasy Star IV credits along with some other very important Phantasy Star alumni like Kotaro Hayashida, who directed the first game.) Tantalyzing but there is nothing in Japanese to confirm it. I will update the main text and add a few other items of interest about here. Zanza (talk) 20:39, 12 December 2021 (EST)