{"id":413,"date":"2025-10-16T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/?p=413"},"modified":"2025-10-16T09:10:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T00:10:50","slug":"interview-cute-and-vibrant-discovering-coalowls-hidden-side-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/?p=413","title":{"rendered":"[Interview] Cute and Vibrant &#8211; Discovering coalowl\u2019s Hidden Side (Part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Illustrator and animation artist coalowl has made a remarkable mark on the creative scene, contributing to some of the most striking visual works of recent years \u2014 from the ending animation of the TV anime Chainsaw Man, to PEOPLE1\u2019s J\u014dyat\u014d music video, and the package illustrations for Kanro\u2019s gummy brand Marosh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although she has long been active at the forefront of her field, coalowl has rarely spoken publicly about herself\u2026 until now. On the occasion of her first solo exhibition, we had the opportunity to hear her story firsthand. In this exclusive two-part interview, she opens up about her creative journey, the inspirations behind her works, and the hidden layers of imagination that define her distinctive world of animation.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" src=\"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u30c1\u30a7-deuSNS\u7528.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u30c1\u30a7-deuSNS\u7528.jpg 600w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u30c1\u30a7-deuSNS\u7528-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a0Non-Credit Ending from <strong>Chainsaw Man<\/strong> Episode 4 \u2502 TOOBOE, \u201cJ\u014dzai\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. Since you\u2019ve rarely given interviews in the past, may I ask what inspired you to do so this time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: Thank you for having me! Until now, most of my work has been making animations for artists or companies. For those projects, I\u2019m always thinking about how to express <em>their<\/em> vision &#8211; for example, in a music video, it\u2019s about the song, and in a commercial, it\u2019s about the product. So I never really felt the need to talk about myself.<br>But this time, since it\u2019s my first solo exhibition under my own name, I thought it would be a good chance to share a bit of my own story.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We really appreciate this rare opportunity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u3010MV\u3011\u4eba\u3063\u3066\u305f\u3060\u306e\u7b52\u3058\u3083\u306a\u3044\u3067\u3059\u304b \/ \u6708\u30ce\u7f8e\u514e\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/skOU8kDB0Xw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>&#8220;People are just hollow tubes, aren\u2019t they?&#8221;<\/em> \u2502 Tsukino Mito<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Her Childhood Days Drawing the Original Powerpuff Girls<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your illustrations are known for their distinctive \u201ccute\u201d aesthetic. Has that always been part of your style?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: Yes! I think I\u2019ve always drawn in that style since I was a child. Back then, I spent hours drawing the Powerpuff Girls. I\u2019d experiment with changing their hairstyles or outfits, and I also created my own imaginary characters that didn\u2019t exist. I remember really enjoying making up and drawing those original ideas.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you ever post your drawings online or show them to other people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: Yes, I used to post them on online forums. There were boards where people could comment and give feedback on the illustrations, and I think having that kind of space made it fun to keep drawing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you join the art club in high school? By then, you were probably starting to think about your future. Did you imagine yourself making a living from art?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: I kept drawing even while doing rhythmic gymnastics in high school. But I didn\u2019t really think I could make a career out of it. Of course, it would have been great, but I felt it was unlikely &#8211; so I thought it would be nice if I could draw on the side, as a kind of secondary job.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A side job! That\u2019s pretty unusual to think that way from the start I think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: Yes, that\u2019s true. That\u2019s why I focused on my studies and prepared for university.\u00a0 I wanted to have a stable path I could fall back on in the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u30de\u30a6\u30b9\u30d1\u30c3\u30c92-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-416\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u30de\u30a6\u30b9\u30d1\u30c3\u30c92-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u30de\u30a6\u30b9\u30d1\u30c3\u30c92-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u30de\u30a6\u30b9\u30d1\u30c3\u30c92-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u30de\u30a6\u30b9\u30d1\u30c3\u30c92-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u30de\u30a6\u30b9\u30d1\u30c3\u30c92-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u30de\u30a6\u30b9\u30d1\u30c3\u30c92-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u30de\u30a6\u30b9\u30d1\u30c3\u30c92.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a0Illustration for AIM \u00d7 coalowl Collaboration Mousepad: \u201cPico Pico Pata Pata\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More Than Just Cute: A Teenage Obsession with Horror and Splatter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you continue drawing in college?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: Not as intensely as before. I did a little bit of illustration work, but I definitely drew more in middle and high school. In college, I got really into movies and watched all kinds. I\u2019d look up famous films online, like <em>Pulp Fiction<\/em> or <em>Knockin\u2019 on Heaven\u2019s Door,<\/em> searching for lists like \u201cmovies you must see before you die.\u201d For some reason, I also craved a strong emotional jolt, so there was a period when I was watching a lot of dark or horror films, like <em>The Shining<\/em> and <em>Requiem for a Dream<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did all that input influence the illustrations you were creating at the time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: Surprisingly, I don\u2019t think it had much impact back then. I did doodle a few horror-inspired illustrations here and there, but I never posted them online. Looking back, that period of inspiration may actually be influencing the way I create music videos now.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you have any criteria for what you would post online?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: Even now, I only post work which I feel satisfied with in terms of quality. Another big factor was whether it felt \u201cembarrassing\u201d or not. There was a time when I drew bloody or gory images, but I was aware that I\u2019d be creating a kind of \u201cliving black history,\u201d so I avoided posting those\u2026\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blood!? That\u2019s surprising, given your current style!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: Most of the work I posted was \u201ccute\u201d. But honestly, I really enjoyed drawing the darker, more twisted stuff too!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_53909-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-417\" style=\"width:400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_53909-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_53909-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_53909-768x1364.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_53909-865x1536.jpg 865w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_53909-1153x2048.jpg 1153w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_53909-300x533.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_53909.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Zutomayo \u00d7 Marosh Animation Collaboration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Out of curiosity.. Was there any reason for your drawing pace slowing down in college, compared to middle and high school days?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: I did rhythmic gymnastics in middle and high school, and it was really tough &#8211; I wanted to quit so badly, but I couldn\u2019t because of pressure from my surroundings. I think I used drawing as a way to let out that frustration. When I got to college and finally quit gymnastics, that built-up tension went away, and my drawing naturally slowed down a bit. I don\u2019t really remember how I was feeling at the time, but looking back, that\u2019s how it seems.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Space Shower TV Station ID: \u201cMeeting Spot _ Yuki Edition\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What did you do after graduating from college?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: I got a regular office job, doing typical administrative work. It was so busy that I hardly had any time to draw. Back in high school, I had thought about drawing as a side job, but at that point, I wasn\u2019t able to make that happen. It took some courage, but I eventually decided to quit the company.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you decide to commit yourself to making a living through your art?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>coalowl: I\u2019ve always wanted to make a living from my art, but when I quit my job, I didn\u2019t have any clear plan at all. It was more like, \u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen next, but for now, I\u2019m just going to quit!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the \u201ccute\u201d image of her work, coalowl left her office job on a whim. The idea she had in high school of drawing as a side job never came to fruition. Yet even without a clear path ahead, taking that first step would shape the future in ways she couldn\u2019t have imagined.<br>In the second part of this interview, we trace the journey from the setbacks she experienced at a young age to becoming a full-time professional illustrator, far beyond the \u201cside job\u201d she once envisioned. We\u2019ll also reveal behind-the-scenes stories from her upcoming solo exhibition. Stay tuned!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Illustrator and animation artist coalowl has made a remarkable mark on the creative scene, contributing to som &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_block_theme_hide_title":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,4],"tags":[162,161,99],"editor":[78],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-413","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-event","8":"category-illustration","9":"tag-animation","10":"tag-coalowl","11":"tag-illustrator","12":"editor-ryo-kobayashi","14":"with-featured-image"},"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GpBSQwOawAAJi3P-600x400.jpeg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GpBSQwOawAAJi3P-600x600.jpeg","author_info":{"display_name":"\u5c0f\u6797","author_link":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/?author=8"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=413"},{"taxonomy":"editor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Feditor&post=413"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}