Marutto Aimi Yoshikawa |verified| -

| Year | Project / Position | Description & Impact | |------|-------------------|----------------------| | | Freelance Illustrator for Shueisha 's Weekly Shōnen Jump (short story covers). | First mainstream exposure; her cover for “ Kaze no Hōkago ” broke the magazine’s circulation record that month. | | 2015 | Co‑founder of “Kōrō Studios” , a collective of illustrators, sound designers, and AR developers. | Pioneered collaborative, cross‑disciplinary works that combined print, projection mapping, and interactive mobile experiences. | | 2017 | “Mizu‑Sora” Graphic Novel (Self‑published via Kickstarter). | A lyrical sci‑fi romance set in a flooded Tokyo. Raised ¥12 million (≈ US$95 k), earned the Japan Media Arts Festival Excellence Award . | | 2018 | “Sora‑no‑Kabe” (Sky‑Wall) AR Installation – Osaka Castle Park. | Visitors used a smartphone app to see animated murals appear on the castle walls, merging history with speculative futures. Over 150 k interactions in the first month. | | 2020 | Illustrator for “NHK’s Future Lens Documentary Series”. | Created title sequences and infographics that visualised complex climate data with a hand‑drawn aesthetic, praised for making science “feel personal”. | | 2021 | “Marutto’s Manga‑Bootcamp” – Online masterclass series (partnered with Udemy). | Over 30 k students worldwide; curriculum focuses on narrative pacing, composition, and integrating traditional Japanese art principles into modern comics. | | 2022‑2023 | “Eternal Neon” – Graphic Novel Series (Kodansha). | A cyber‑punk epic exploring identity in a world where memories are uploaded as NFTs. The series topped the Oricon graphic novel chart for three consecutive weeks and was translated into 12 languages. | | 2024 | “Kumo‑no‑Uta” (Song of the Clouds) – Animated Short (Studio Ghibli co‑production). | Served as visual director; the film debuted at Cannes Critics’ Week, winning the Prix du Jury for Best Animation. | | 2025 | “Marutto AI” – Generative Art Platform (launched with tech startup PixelForge ). | Allows artists to feed hand‑drawn brushstrokes into an AI model that expands them into full‑page manga panels while preserving the creator’s unique style. Recognised as a “Responsible AI” project by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. |