{"id":423,"date":"2025-10-22T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/?p=423"},"modified":"2025-11-07T14:29:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T05:29:41","slug":"interview-cute-and-vibrant-discovering-coalowls-hidden-side-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.boundless-art.com\/?p=423","title":{"rendered":"[Interview] Cute and Vibrant – Discovering coalowl\u2019s Hidden Side (Part 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

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\n

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Summer has come!<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From 9-to-5 to No Job?! The Unexpected Twist in Career <\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the previous part, you shared the story of when you quit your job. Quitting so suddenly must have left you with nothing certain ahead. How did you manage your life after that?<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

coalowl: Back then, I really couldn\u2019t see what was ahead. Of course, I had that fear of, \u201cAm I going to be okay? Can I really survive like this?\u201d I worked part-time at a convenience store, and when I got home, I spent all my time building up my illustration portfolio.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Was there a turning point for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

coalowl: Yes – definitely in 2020, when I received a commission from Nijisanji\u2019s VTuber Hakase Fuyuki to create an illustration for a music video. At the time, I only had around 500 followers on social media, so I was genuinely thrilled to be discovered like that. It also introduced me to VTubers I now love, like Mito Tsukino, so it was a really memorable moment for me.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How long did it take before you could make a living from your art?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

coalowl: About two years after quitting my job.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two years?! That\u2019s incredibly fast. In the early days, when your work wasn\u2019t getting much response, how did you stay motivated?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

coalowl: Honestly, at first, there was almost no response whatsoever from the world, and it was tough! But I kind of had no choice – I\u2019d already quit my job, so it was all or nothing. Still, the simple act of drawing made me happy. That feeling surely kept me going.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Non-Credit Ending from Chainsaw Man Episode 4 \u2502 TOOBOE, \u201cJ\u014dzai\u201d<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the beginning, it sounds like you were in what we might call a \u201ctraining period.\u201d As you went through trial and error, did you ever change your drawing style?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

coalowl: When I decided to pursue illustration as a career, I spent a lot of time exploring what kind of style and expression I truly liked. So yes, the way I draw now is quite different from the way I used to before that journey. The fundamentals haven\u2019t really changed, but I\u2019ve always been conscious of what I love. Even now, I keep questioning my own sense of \u201cwhat I like.\u201d I think staying critical of that is important.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the Things I Love – All in One Place<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Were there any artists or works that directly influenced you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

coalowl: I\u2019ve always loved series like HUNTER\u00d7HUNTER, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Narutaru. I think I\u2019ve been influenced by many different manga artists since I was a kid.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does music, or other forms of art, find its way into your creative process?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

coalowl: I think films have had the biggest influence on me. This particular piece, for example, was inspired by the idea of a movie poster.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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1997<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Does the title \u201c1997\u201d have any particular meaning?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

coalowl: This illustration itself is actually a poster for a fictional movie called 1997<\/em>. I really love films from the \u201990s – road movies, stories about people on the run\u2026 those kinds of themes just speak to me. I gathered all the elements that made me think, \u201cThis feels right.\u201d There\u2019s something bittersweet about the \u201990s.. almost a sense of an ending in the air.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the lyrics of PEOPLE 1\u2019s \u201cJ\u014dyat\u014d,\u201d there\u2019s a line that goes, \u201cI wonder if there\u2019s a school in heaven \/ With unsteady steps I found \/ The sad ending of an old movie.\u201d The scene in the MV is said to be inspired by \u201cLife Is Beautiful\u201d, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

coalowl: That\u2019s right. I think that particular scene was part of a commission from PEOPLE 1. I sometimes include what you might call \u201chomages\u201d in my work as well. When I do, I make sure to tell the client, \u201cThis part is a reference to this specific work.\u201d Though, to be honest, I usually mention it afterward, once the piece is done!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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