Shopping Guide
Kuuuu is an illustrator who draws chibi-style characters in a pop style. In this article, we introduce what kind of person he is.
Kuuuu is an illustrator who draws pictures of cute girls with a unique, gentle touch that softens the faces of those who look at them. He is known for the jacket illustration of the Hatsune Miku music album Hatsune Miku Orchestra (HMO) released by the doujin circle Paw Laboratory 1 and the character design of the short movie Petit Gargantia that is currently being released on the official site of the anime Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet.
Although kuuuu hasn’t really exposed himself in the media before, TOM succeeded in approaching him and took action to snag an interview.
Creator Introduction
Name: kuuuu
TOM Portfolio Page
TOM: First, could you tell us about the origin of your penname, “kuuuu”? It’s quite a special name, and I wonder if there’s a story behind it.
kuuuu: Up until seven years ago, I went by the name “Kuro”. But then, my colleagues started abbreviating it and calling me “Kuu-san”. I myself found the name interesting and I liked it, so I started using my current name, “kuuuu.”
TOM: Please tell us how you got into drawing.
kuuuu: I started drawing pictures in primary school. Back then, my mother was striving to be a manga artist, which influenced me to draw pictures myself.
TOM: Did you learn drawing from your mother?
kuuuu: No, nothing like that. I did draw manga with her influence, but I didn’t learn it from her. Although I did learn from looking at my mother’s techniques. By the way, I haven‘t ever learned illustrations as a major in a technical school. I learned it all by myself.
TOM: Are there any artists or illustrators that had an impact on you?
kuuuu: I liked the manga in Weekly Shonen Jump and the anime made from them, and I was especially influenced by Kentaro Yabuki, the mangaka who drew To Love-Ru. I liked his manga Black Cat; I even took it as the basis for the name of my homepage, “Kuroneko no Kanzume (Canned Black Cat).”
TOM: Besides illustrations, do you draw manga as well?
kuuuu: Yes, I do. In primary school, I used to draw manga for my younger brother. By the way, I also draw the original characters I created back then in my current illustrations. Filena is one of those characters, for instance. Sometimes I participate in events with my friends and release a little manga with the same atmosphere as my current illustrations. If I have the chance, I’d like to take not only illustration but manga jobs as well.
TOM: And that was how you thought you would make illustrations your job?
kuuuu: It was only recently that it became my occupation. Although I’ve been constantly drawing original illustrations, after Hatsune Miku appeared on the scene I started drawing Miku illustrations, too. And then, as Miku became more popular I also came to be more valued as an illustrator, and that’s when I seriously started taking on illustrations as a job. Plus I also had this feeling that I didn‘t want the characters I gave birth to until now to end. Because stopping drawing illustrations would mean that the characters born hadn’t even existed. It is because I have such feelings that I work hard part-time.
TOM: Speaking of Hatsune Miku, how did you come to participate in Paw Laboratory, known for Hatsune Miku Orchestra (HMO)?
kuuuu: Some time after I’d started doing Hatsune Miku illustrations, the people who planned HMO offered me the job of making the jacket illustration. We also got to talk about the figure version of the jacket illustration; I was able to gain invaluable experiences through this.
TOM: You are aleso engaged in Petit Gargantia, what experience did that provide you with?
kuuuu: I prepared three possible designs for each character, but I didn’t they would make a proper animation from them, so I was quite surprised when I saw the outcome. I heard that it was released online, but I imagined it to be something simpler. That’s why I was not only surprised when I saw the characters I designed moving around, but also moved.
TOM: Are there any points you’d like your overseas fans to focus on?
kuuuu: The eyes. I draw different eyes for every character. Also, I make different schemes every time, since my inspiration for each time is different, too. To be more specific, let’s see “Happy Halloween” for example, I arranged the witch’s hat in a cute way to look like cat’s ears. I refer to current children’s fashion for my illustrations as a whole to make them cute. Also, in order for the girls’ charm to look more conspicuous, I pay attention to use as gentle and as soft of colors as possible.
TOM: Lastly, a message to your overseas fans, please.
kuuuu: I’ll continue to draw cute illustrations, so please keep looking.
During our talk, kuuuu revealed himself to be a somewhat shy yet positive young man who left a good impression. We look forward to his activities to come.
^1^ Name of a doujin circle that released Hatsune Miku Orchestra(HMO), a cover album of the famous Japanese music group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). They produce songs and videos.
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
