I don’t believe all things of childhood need to be exclusive to children. One of my primary goals is to reach out to humanity’s childlike sense of wonder and curiosity. But even if elements of my work may appear childlike, I still aim to appeal to the mature intellect of my audience, and possibly give the occasional reminder of the modern world’s grim reality.
I have been creating original characters and story concepts since childhood, primarily through pencil sketching. Mysticism and futuristic science are frequent aspects in my work, but certain elements are still grounded in reality. Genji Gami, a comic I have published online, involves special powers that bring everyday objects to life. While working as the concept for an action series, these powers also reflect people’s materialistic pleasures. More recently, I have started developing a concept where psychics are forced to use their powers in exact niches, much like misguided social pressure in the real world. Boogiehunters, another story I am planning, questions society’s notions of “maturity”, as childhood imagination mixes with a plot involving evil monsters. In the spirit of these concepts, I strive for my work to allow audiences to feel young, but at the same time mature.
Overall, my work features a mix of realism and exaggeration. I would rather draw characters with bulging eyes and mouths than achieve perfect photorealism in a person’s face, if it means expressing stronger character. When drawing giant robots or other fantastic machines, I find a touch of impracticality may be next to inevitable when going for something stylish. Realism may be in my background, but expression and entertainment are most important to me. This is intended to appeal to imagination, an element of childhood that I consider equally important to adulthood.