Vtuber Maruma Discusses the God Artist Role
A scene from a video being streamed by Maruma sensei. The content includes a variety of things such as self-introduction, casual talk, streaming a wide range of games without genre restrictions, and live streaming while drawing illustrations, a skill unique to an artist.An emerging trend is the discovery of interesting talents by companies, with professional gamers turning into VTubers, resulting in the rapid rise of new stars. Among these are the so-called god-level artists, highly popular illustrators. These artists transform the illustrations they design into avatars, becoming VTubers themselves, and gain popularity through game streaming, various projects, and live drawing sessions that showcase their artistic skills.
One such artist is maruma, a popular illustrator known for having a wall circle at Comiket (a term for highly sought-after circles, whose books generate long lines, leading them to be positioned along the walls to allow smoother traffic flow). With 292,000 followers on X and continuing to make strides, such as releasing an art book this year, maruma is a prominent figure in both the god-level artist and VTuber scenes. We asked maruma about the current state of god-level artists and VTubers.
God-level artists discuss the roots of their activities.
――What kind of person is maruma?
“I am a freelance illustrator, and I create illustrations for light novel covers, card games, and for VTubers. I love beautiful girls, and I love drawing cute gestures, shy expressions, uniforms, and maid outfits. maruma in parentheses is my pen name.”
――What made you decide to pursue a career as an illustrator, which is a profession admired by many?
“When I was a child, I drew a picture of my mother, and she was incredibly happy about it, which made me feel so good. I can’t remember exactly how she showed her happiness, but she expressed her thanks in a way that even a child could understand. The picture I drew back then is still hanging in our house.
From there, I started to think that drawing is fun. Later, I saw the cover of a light novel from the ‘Suzumiya Haruhi’ series, and I thought it was really cute. That got me into anime, and I gradually became an otaku (laughs). I started to love drawing cute girls.”
――It seems rare for a female illustrator to draw cute girls, which might seem more aimed at a male audience.
“I think it has a lot to do with how much I’ve loved cute girls since I was a child. As I watched various manga and anime from the latest to the older works, I fell in love at first sight with a character named ‘Nomi Kudryavka’ from the visual novel ‘Little Busters!,’ who has long, amber-colored hair and is small and cute. That was a big turning point in my journey of drawing cute girls. I think the charm of drawing is being able to freely express cute, cool, and favorite things!”
――I see. So, you drew cute girls out of your love for them, and gradually, you started thinking about pursuing a professional career?
“Actually, I never intended to become an illustrator.”
Better to give up.
――What do you mean by “I wasn’t planning on it”?
“I’ve always wanted to be an illustrator, and I even considered going to a specialized art school, but my teacher told me, ‘Only a handful of people can make a living from something they love. It’s better to give up.’ When I think about it now, I realize that those words were meant to help me think about my future. But at the time, it really affected me.
I didn’t have any teachers who supported my dream of becoming an illustrator, so I thought, ‘I’ll give up on becoming an illustrator.’ Then I decided to become a pet groomer, so I could work with my favorite animals. By the way, I really respect that teacher, and as a postscript, when I became an illustrator, I reported it to them, and they praised me a lot and even gave me some work.”
――What made you shift from wanting to be a groomer to pursuing illustration again?
“One day, I fell and cut the tendons in both my hands. When I showed it to the doctor, they told me, ‘It won’t heal, surgery is necessary, and after that, you won’t be able to lift heavy things.’
Since being a pet groomer requires a lot of arm strength to lift various dogs, I had to give up on that career as well. After that, I had nothing left.So I thought, ‘At least I’ll heal my dominant hand and start drawing again, the thing I love.'”
――It must have been really tough until you could start drawing again after the surgery.
“Even while my right hand was bandaged and I couldn’t use it, I didn’t want to forget the sensation of drawing, so I kept drawing with my left hand. After the bandage came off, even though it was my dominant hand, I couldn’t hold the pen as I wanted, and I couldn’t draw. But little by little, I continued drawing while doing rehabilitation, and eventually, I was able to draw again.”
――That’s a lot of passion. So, why did you decide to start VTuber activities?
“A long time ago, I saw a wonderful work created using Live2D by a creator I respect, and I was really impressed by it. From the knowledge I gained at that time, I thought, ‘I want to try it too.’
As the VTuber world became more fun, and I saw an illustrator I respected debut as a VTuber, I thought, ‘If I could draw, design a character with all the elements I love, and make it move, that would be amazing,’ so I wanted to try it. But I couldn’t quite muster the courage at first (laughs).”
――What made you finally take the leap despite not having the courage at first?
“The VTuber design I created was finally up to my satisfaction, so I wanted to share it. I wanted to increase the opportunities for people to see my artwork. It felt like starting VTubing was one way to get my art known.
Another reason was that I wanted to express myself not just through illustrations but also through other things (like games). As for the courage part, I was self-conscious about my voice, but after a lot of hesitation, I decided to take the plunge. And once I started, I realized it was so much more fun than worrying about it.”
――Did you make any strategies when starting VTuber activities?
“Even now, I just think about doing fun things as an illustrator, and that’s all I focus on!”
――What kind of activities are you doing as a VTuber now?
“I mainly do game streams. Sometimes I also do illustration streams. I’m also thinking of using an ASMR microphone that picks up sounds like the sound of drawing or typing during live streams, so I’m thinking about trying that in the future.”
――You must really like games too.
“Yes, I love them! Monster Hunter, Pokémon, all types of horror games, and of course, I love the Legend of Zelda series.”
She has illustrated many light novel covers and is active across various media, including print, online, and video streaming, which truly gives off the vibe of a contemporary illustrator in the Reiwa era.I was inspired by my own character, Nekomiya-san, to find courage.
――What is necessary for streaming?
“For chatting streams, you need a camera (either a smartphone or a webcam), an account on a streaming site (YouTube or Twitch), a microphone, and OBS (a software for streaming). Nowadays, many guides on how to get started are available on social media.
For game streams, if you’re using a Nintendo Switch or mobile games, you’ll need a capture board as well. I’m not sure if that’s right, since it’s not my main job! Also, the power of your PC might be necessary. I use a fairly high-performance PC for drawing, but during streams, it gets even heavier.
I’m thinking about streaming ‘Monster Hunter Wilds’ which will be released at the start of next year, and the game alone requires quite a bit of performance, so I’m considering upgrading my PC, but the recommended specs are crazy. (laughs).”
――How do you come up with ideas for drawing?
“For me, things I want to draw come to my mind in a vague way, and then I quickly sketch it out, add lines, color it, and turn it into a drawing. When I’m thinking about drawing, ideas don’t usually come to me, but when I’m doing other things, like walking or sleeping, that’s when the ideas pop up.
It’s always when I’m too sleepy to stay awake or don’t have a notepad that I get great ideas (laughs). I quickly sketch them out. I love analog methods, so I’ll jot them down in a planner and then turn them into drawings. The frustrating thing is that the drawings I see in my dreams are way better than what I can draw in reality. If I can imagine them in my head, I should be able to do it in real life, but it’s difficult (laughs). I want to catch up to those dreams.”
――You’ve gained significant recognition now, but have there been any setbacks or turning points along the way?
“There have been many setbacks. At one point, I tried drawing an original character, and it was a huge failure, like getting beaten up (laughs).”
――You now actively draw originals, but was there a turning point there as well?
“Yes. One time, during Christmas, I drew and posted an original character called ‘Nekomiya-san.’ I hadn’t really drawn many original characters before, but I thought, ‘I want to draw it, so I’ll draw it!’ It was very well received, and my first original character saw the light of day! That event was really big for me, and it gave me a lot of courage.”
“Maruma sensei’s original character, ‘Nekomia-san,’ is considered her flagship character among her original creations. Drawing her gave maruma a great sense of confidence, as it showed that her original works could also be appreciated.”Receiving support from the self within one’s heart
――When did you feel, “I can make it as an illustrator”?
“I still don’t have confidence, but when my character, Nekomiya-san, was appreciated, I received a lot of courage from that. If my original character had a voice and could move around. I’d be happy if it were animated.
There are also many things I want to do, like singing covers as a VTuber, getting my original character turned into a figure, and having plush toys made.”
――Do you have any advice for those who want to be both illustrators and VTubers like you?
“‘Stay strong mentally and be positive!’ That’s the main advice. It’s really hard to start, but continuing is even harder. I think the most important and beautiful thing is to genuinely keep going with anything.
As for illustration, there are times when the drawings don’t go the way I want, and trying to figure out how to improve can feel lonely and a bit painful. But when I overcome this, I can become even stronger! I cheer myself on in my heart and find joy in continuing to draw.”
――What do you think is the best part of being an illustrator?
“The happiest moment is when I hand over a drawing, and someone says, ‘I’m so glad I asked you, maruma!’ It’s truly heartwarming. Illustrations don’t just let people see my expression, but through them, they bring connections and emotions. I’m always saved by illustrations.”
――What are the benefits of balancing both being a god-tier illustrator and a VTuber, and what struggles come with it?
“I’ve never done either for the sake of seeking benefits. If I start thinking that way, the activities would stop being fun. I enjoy both activities without thinking too much about the benefits.
One small struggle I have is when I’m drawing, I can’t stream! That’s something I really struggle with. I wish I could stream more! It’s frustrating that I only have one body.”
――Finally, a message for the readers of Friday Digital.
“Thank you for reading up until now. I’m active in several places, so I’d be happy if you check them out! This year, I had my journey of drawings compiled into one book, and it was published as an artbook titled ‘Koi Palette.’
In addition to Nekomiya-san, there are three other original characters. Each has detailed profiles, so I’d love for you to see it. If you’re interested, I’d be happy if you pick it up!”
MARUMA
X: ID
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@maruma_Ch
FANBOX
Art book: “Koi Pallette
Interview and text by： Miyu Kurusu
