Part 6: Bonus Update 1

Bonus Update 1

Official Artwork

Sophie OA (NOCO)
Young Plachta OA (Yuugen)
Doll Plachta OA (Yuugen) (from Sophie 1)
Ramizel OA (NOCO)
Alette OA (Yuugen)
Olias OA (NOCO)
Diebold OA (Yuugen)
Pirka OA (NOCO)
Katrina OA (Yuugen)
Gnome OA (Yuugen)
Elvira OA (NOCO)

The OG Mysterious trilogy’s two artists, NOCO and Yuugen, came back for Sophie 2! Well, I guess Gust really likes working with NOCO, since she stayed on an extra year after L&S to do Nelke, the 20th anniversary game featuring protagonists from Marie all the way through Lydie and Sue. You can tell who drew who from the characters' eyes; NOCO characters have solid-colored eyes while Yuugen characters have glimmery eyes. Like with the OG Mysterious trilogy, this even shows up in the 3D character models.

Also, we’re only five updates in, and literally the entire named cast has been introduced. Like I said in the OP, the game has a very small cast and is relatively short.

Key visuals

Atelier Sophie 2 boxart/key visual
Atelier Sophie 2 key visual: Sophie, Ramizel and Elvira
Atelier Sophie 2 key visual: Sophie and Ramizel in town
Atelier Sophie 2 key visual: Sophie, Ramizel and Elvira (again)
Atelier Sophie 2 key visual: Plachta the Young

Sophie 2 Concept Art

Sophie
Plachta
Ramizel
Alette
Olias
Diebold
Pirka
Katrina
Gnome
Elvira

Sophie and Plachta's Atelier
Sophie and Plachta's Atelier (2)
Roytale
Roytale (Residential District)
Roytale (Commercial District)
Grasslands
Nearby Forest
Flower Bank Ruins
Azura's Pier

25th Anniversary Arise collab: For the Atelier series' 25th anniversary, Gust and Bandai Namco did a collab between Sophie 2 and Tales of Arise! Here's the promo art that came out of it, also featuring Ao, the protagonist of Blue Reflection Second Light!

More concept art posted on Gust's twitter:
A23 Sophie Concept Art
A23 Plachta Concept Art

From KT Europe's Twitter: Commemorative release art from NOCO, featuring Sophie, Ramizel, Elvira and Olias

CGs

Synthesis Complete: Sophie 1
Synthesis Complete: Sophie 2
Synthesis Complete: Sophie 3
Synthesis Complete: Sophie 4
Rest: Sophie
Synthesis Complete: Plachta 1
Synthesis Complete: Plachta 2
Synthesis Complete: Plachta 3
Synthesis Complete: Plachta 4
Rest: Plachta

Concert Hall

Avant Opening: Syndetos (Tatsuya Yano, with Suzuyu on vocal)

Character Themes
Sophie: One More Time! (From Let’s Try It!) (Daisuke Achiwa)
Plachta (young): Thread of Dreams (Achiwa)
Ramizel: Warmth (Achiwa)
Alette: Jumping With Joy (Achiwa)
Olias: Brandished Blade (Achiwa)
Diebold: Hidden Pride (Achiwa)
Pirka: Kerria Yamabuki (Achiwa)
Kati: A Serving of Rest (Achiwa)
Gnome: Painted Emotions (Achiwa)
Elvira: Chick's Lullaby (Achiwa)

Map themes
Roytale (day): Somewhere In Between (Kazuki Yanagawa, with Yuka Yuka on chorus)
Roytale (night): Sometime In Between (Yanagawa, with Yuka Yuka on chorus)
Grasslands (day): Radiant Dew (Yanagawa)
Grasslands (night): Dreamy Dew (Yanagawa)
Forests (day): Sewing Sunbeams (Yanagawa)
Forests (night): Sewing Starlight (Yanagawa)
Flower Bank Ruins: Water Reflected in the Sky (Yanagawa, with Haruka Shimotsuki on chorus)
Swamp (day): Sinking into Hyphae (Yanagawa)
Swamp (night): Sleeping on Mycelium (Yanagawa)
Dream Cradle: Chained Dreams (Yanagawa)
(See Part 7): Snow Melting in Your Palm (Yanagawa, with Haruka Shimotsuki on chorus)

Battle themes
(Mini-)Bosses: Warbler (Yanagawa)
Earlygame battles: Whisp (Yanagawa)
Early-midgame battles: Sail on Sunlight (Achiwa)
Elvira and her guardians: Destructive Disruption (Achiwa)
Victory: Winning Streak! (Achiwa)

Gameplay tracks
In the atelier: Sunny Piacere (Achiwa, with Yuka Yuka on chorus)
Shopping: On Sale Today (Achiwa)
New party member: Nice to Meet You! (Yanagawa)

Event tracks
A Familiar Scent (Yanagawa)
So Much Fun (Yanagawa)
The Truth’s Key (Yanagawa)
Headwind (Yanagawa)
When The Sun Comes Out (Yanagawa)
Searching (Yanagawa)
Casting Shadows (Yanagawa)
Premonitions (Yanagawa)
Take It Easy (Yanagawa)
Bam! (Yanagawa)
Like When We Were Kids (Yanagawa)
Even if the stars disappear after dawn (Yanagawa)
Anywhere, Anytime (Yanagawa)
Whichever Way (Yanagawa)

Okay, that was a lot of songs, but not a word of creative commentary. If you’ve followed any previous Atelier SSLP by myself or Sylphid, you probably remember our bonus updates logging composer notes for each track. Gust stopped having its composers do that starting with the Ryza games. It’s a shame, but it also means I have much less to transcribe.

For Sophie 2’s soundtrack, Gust’s regular composers Kazuki Yanagawa and Daisuke Achiwa split it down the middle. Tatsuya Yano, who was on the sound team during the OG Mysterious trilogy, only did the opening, Syndetos. ACRYLICSTAB's Ryudai Abe did one track that hasn't appeared yet. And I’ll note when there’s a singer doing the vocals or chorus for a track. I don’t know much about Suzuyu or Yuka Yuka, but it’s good to see longtime friend of Gust Haruka Shimotsuki back after she was on maternity leave during Ryza 2.

Story recaps


All this time, the game’s had chapters right under my nose. It doesn’t make any fanfare about this and there’s no chapter transitions reading CHAPTER 1: WELCOME TO ERDE WIEGE like there was in Shallie, Lydie & Suelle and Lulua, so it’s easy to miss. I’ll post the recaps for each five updates.

Chapter 1
Erde Wiege, the Land of Dreams
Plachta and I were sucked into a mysterious vortex. When I came to, I found myself in Pirka's shop. It seems I was rescued by Pirka and Alette, but … Plachta has vanished! I've got to find her!
Erde Wiege, the land of dreams, and Roytale, its sole town. Apparently that's where I am right now but … this surely can't all be real, can it? Maybe I can find out more if I visit this Dream Tree?
I met a bodyguard named Olias who told me that Plachta owns an atelier here. But that can’t be right, because Plachta can’t do alchemy in her doll body … I should visit that atelier and see for myself.
Is That … Plachta?
In order to prove my alchemy skills to this Plachta, I need to gather materials outside of town … But I can't stop wondering if this Plachta is really unrelated to my Plachta? She seems so familiar … Hmm …
I need to gather Silver Web and Rabbit Fur. Rabbit Fur is collected from monsters, so I'll have to be prepared for a fight. I should also remember to pick up any plants I find around here, along with Silver Web!
I've brought all the necessary materials back to the atelier. Alright, time to make some Cloth!
After inspecting the synthesized Cloth, Plachta acknowledged my skill as an alchemist. It also seems possible that the Plachta here is actually the younger version of the Plachta I know. But I can't be sure until I find my Plachta. I should go to the Crystal Sparkle Pavilion in the Commercial District and speak to a person called Kati.
Helping Out Alette
I spoke with Kati at the Crystal Sparkle Pavilion, and she told me that the quickest way to find my Plachta is to ask Elvira. The problem is, the only person who knows how to contact her is a woman named Ramizel, and she's out of town. While Kati will try to find out where she can be found, I offered to help Alette with a request.
It looks like I've accepted a request! I'd better go and defeat the monster in the Breezy Field and gather some materials!
We defeated the monster and got the requested items. Now we just need to go to Kati’s shop and report back!
Kati told us that Ramizel went to Near-Forest. Now that I’ve got a new map, we can head there right away!

Chapter 2
After Ramizel
I should gather some materials while I'm out looking for Ramizel … Who knows, I might even come up with a new recipe or two!
We walked as far as we could, but our path forward is blocked by a river. I did notice a strange rock nearby, and Alette said she saw Ramizel use it to change the weather … No, to make the world go "shwoom!" … What kind of power could that be? Maybe Kati knows something about it.
I borrowed a pair of weather-changing tools from Olias, but they're currently out of power. It looks like I'll have to use alchemy to charge them. I also realized that Ramizel might be my grandma, but when she was young … Still, for now I'd better go back to the atelier and charge these tools. Ah, but maybe I should drop by Pirka's shop first.
It might prove kind of tricky to charge these weather-changing tools … but coming up with recipes is one of the most important alchemy skills! I'm going to give it my best shot!
I actually figured out how to make a Sunlight Heliodor. After that, we'll also need to charge it … Well, it's no use to worry now, just need to do it!
Changing the Weather
After seeing me craft a Sunlight Heliodor, Plachta asked if she could work on the tool needed to make it rain. If this Plachta really is the past version of the Plachta I know, I guess she's always been intensely competitive.
Plachta came up with the recipe for a tool to make it rain called a Cloudburst Hydrite. She seemed nervous about it earlier, but now it's like she's full of determination … I know she can do this!
Plachta completed the Cloudburst Hydrite, so now we have the tools we need to make it sunny or rainy. We'd better hurry to the Dreamspace Stone in Near-Forest!
Proceed through the forest in search of Ramizel. Once we used the Sunlight Heliodor, not only did the weather change, but the whole forest changed, too! It all went "shwoom", just like Alette said! Now that the river is gone, we can continue on ahead!
The Mysterious Dimension
Deep in the forest, we stumbled across what looked like a tear in the sky. Journeying inside, it was like we were floating through the night sky, with only a single light source up ahead to guide us. Is it an exit? Where could it possibly lead …
Passing through the gateway, we've found ourselves in some sort of ancient ruins. This can't be a normal place for people to visit, but there are signs that someone has passed through. Maybe Ramizel is here.
We found a Dreamspace Stone inside the ruins as well. Maybe we need to change the weather here, too? I've got no idea what's going to happen, but let's give it a try!
A monster appeared to block our path. It looks pretty strong, but we can't afford to lose!
We took a break, and I got a chance to talk about a lot of things with Plachta. I'm feeling more and more sure that this Plachta is the past version of my Plachta. I wish we could chat more, but right now we have to keep looking for Ramizel.
A Reunion? Or First Encounter?
I heard Plachta's voice deep in the ruins, but I couldn't find her. And what's more, we were attacked by a massive dragon! But nothing's going to get between me and finding Plachta!
We were saved at the last second by the very person we were looking for, Ramizel! An alchemist with the same name as my grandmother … But, she's so much younger … I guess we should head back to Roytale for now.

Chapter 3
Ramizel the Alchemist
Ramizel the alchemist, hmm … Even now that we've met in person, I still don't know if she's really my grandma … Well, we'd better just head back to Kati's store for now.
Ramizel went to ask Elvira about Plachta, so I took on Ramizel's work in exchange. I need to go see Diebold in the Residential District.
Special Request 1
Diebold has requested that I craft new swords for him. I've made weapons before, but never swords like these! To be honest, I'm a little nervous. Time to head back to the atelier and come up with a recipe.
I've come up with a recipe for Diebold's swords. Now I just need to check if I have enough materials, and then I can start synthesizing!
Diebold liked the swords I made so much that he offered to help me look for Plachta as thanks. It’s perfect timing, since I could definitely use his help defeating the monsters in the marsh.
We met up with Olias and Alette on our way out of town. Our destination is the marsh known as Azura’s Pier. Let’s go!
Special Request 2
We found the monster we were searching for, but it was so cautious that it fled the second it spotted us. There's no way we can get close to it right now, so we'll need to head back to the atelier and come up with a plan.
Plachta is coming up with a bait to lure even the extra cautious monsters. I wonder what sort of recipe she'll make …?
The completed recipe sounds … impressive. I’m kind of having trouble picturing how this bait will turn out, though … Well, I guess we’ve just gotta make it and see!
We've made some bait with a very distinct smell. Olias and Diebold said it's exactly the kind of smell that monsters can't resist, so that's a good sign … Now we need to head back to Azura's Pier.
The bait is super effective! Alright, let's defeat the monsters before they escape!
And that concludes Ramizel's requests! All we need to do now is wait for her return, so I should head back to the atelier for now.
Dwelling of the Dream Goddess
When Ramizel came back from visiting Elvira, she seemed a little out of sorts. There must be something wrong, because she's asked us to come to the Dream Tree.
Ramizel told us that Elvira is in a different dimension, but the entrance isn't opening. I'll need to go back to the atelier to think of a way to get it to open.
It seems the entrance to Elvira's realm is always in the same place. So, since the location is fixed, there might be a solution! Now I just need to come up with a recipe.
The recipe's finished. If I make this, I should be able to open the entrance to Elvira's dimension! There's no time to waste!
The Dimensional Solvent is ready to go. If I use this in front of the Dream Tree, we should be able to enter Elvira's realm!
Thanks to the Dimensional Solvent, the entrance to Elvira's realm has opened up. We need to go inside right away and ask her about Plachta!
Elvira, the Goddess of Dreams
Plachta was with Elvira, who refused to let her go. And then she attacked us! I don't care if she's a goddess, I'm not going to let her keep Plachta!
Even though I managed to reunite with Plachta, it seems her soul has been separated from her body and is somewhere else in Erde Wiege. I wish I could go and look for it right now, but I really need to rest. I'll go back to the atelier, get some sleep, and then think of a plan …

Bestiary notes









When it comes to witty comments on monsters and items, anyone will pipe up in Sophie 2! Well, mostly Sophie and Plachta pipe up, anyway.

Voice Actor comments

These have always been a thing in Atelier games’ bonus menus, but they’ve only been translated starting from Lulua onward. I’ll hold off on posting those until the end of the LP, since a good deal of them will touch on events and character beats yet to come. Still though, there are some VAs who worked on this game whom I wouldn’t have pegged as being longtime fans of the Atelier series.