METAKAMI / ART DIRECTORSEARCH OR SCROLL TO ENTER ↓
METAKAMI is an anime-inspired NFT project where Japanese fantasy meets a futuristic world.
As art director, I shaped its visual direction through expressive characters, bold color contrasts, and atmospheric environments. These elements connect the character artwork and promotional graphics, giving the project a distinct visual identity.
I led an eight-person team across illustration, motion, manga, and web development, directly supervising three illustration assistants while also creating character assets myself. Our production scope covered hundreds of modular elements, including clothing, hairstyles, animal features, and accessories, designed to work together across the character collection.
Over an intensive three-month production period, I combined hands-on illustration with art direction, team guidance, story development, and negotiations. I produced a large volume of artwork while reviewing the team’s work and coordinating creative decisions.
The project also faced significant pressure from ETH market conditions. With a compressed timeline and multiple responsibilities, production time varied considerably between pieces.
I continually balanced deadlines, available resources, and the level of detail each piece could receive while maintaining a cohesive visual direction.
I explored METAKAMI’s mix of Japanese fantasy and sci-fi through logo concepts ranging from playful lettering with animal ears and tails to sharper, futuristic wordmarks.
The main logo combines bold, slanted letterforms, a heavy black outline, and small katakana details. Its compact, stacked composition gives it a strong visual presence alongside the project’s colorful character artwork.
I developed METAKAMI’s world through character illustrations and atmospheric environments, combining Japanese fantasy and sci-fi with my own retro, lo-fi sensibility. Neon lighting and nostalgic details bring a sense of everyday life to the futuristic setting.
I created these dark, cyberpunk environments within a tight production schedule. Glowing neon signs, rain-soaked streets, and deep shadows give METAKAMI’s futuristic city a mysterious late-night atmosphere with a nostalgic, lo-fi feel.
THE SHRINE
Art Direction, Character Briefing & Production Coordination — Rena Kubota
Animation Production — External Studio
BRINGING DIFFERENT WORLDS TOGETHER.
Illustration / Character Art / Animation
For METAKAMI’s collaboration with ESION, I created a cinematic group illustration bringing characters from both projects into one scene. Dramatic perspective, luminous effects, and deep purple and blue tones give the composition a sense of motion and tension.
Playful character expressions meet a darker fantasy atmosphere, connecting the two projects through my own illustration style.
Illustration / Character Art / Animation
For METAKAMI’s collaboration with KARAFURU, I brought characters from both projects together through vibrant illustrations and animated visuals.
Bold colors, playful compositions, and expressive character details connect KARAFURU’s cartoon energy with METAKAMI’s anime-inspired world, giving the collaboration a visual identity of its own.
Illustration / Environment Art / Event Graphics
For METAKAMI’s collaboration with ISEKAI META, I created a gentle fantasy scene where characters from both worlds meet in a field of daisies.
Soft light, open skies, and nostalgic colors reflect my love of calm, lo-fi atmospheres. The artwork also extends into promotional graphics for a shared community event.
Illustration / Character Art
I brought METAKAMI’s anime-inspired characters together with an ape character in a bright, playful composition. Pink skies, banana motifs, and branded ribbons connect the two visual worlds, while the shopping-cart setting gives the illustration a mischievous sense of movement.
Artwork by Rena Kubota for METAKAMI.
I shaped the website’s visual direction and created illustrated assets, working with the web development team to bring METAKAMI’s characters and retro-futuristic world to life online.
