ANIFTY and NFTGo.io Hosted an AMA Session with Certified Artists
We held a text AMA session on January 25.
Louis(NFTGo):Hello everyone, I am Louis from NFTGo and I will be the host for the AMA event today!
Today’s AMA we focus on a topic that is often not taken seriously, NFT from ACGN. This is a topic the project ANIFTY is supporting, and today we are very thrilled to have the artists Nao Yukai & Hina Yuzuki and Marketing lead of ANIFTY, Joanna here with us today.
Joanna(ANIFTY): Hello Louis! Hello everyone~
Hina Yuzuki(Hina-sensei): Hello everyone! Nice to meet you.✨
Nao Yukai(Hina-sensei): Hello everyone!✨
Louis: Joanna, could you please give us a brief introduction to this wonderful team of ANIFTY!
Joanna: Sure!
ANIFTY is the world’s first NFT marketplace which focuses on anime art and character. The name ‘ANIFTY’ stands for Anime and NFT. We started ANIFTY in July 2021, and it is built on Ethereum mainnet with a gas-less minting feature.
Also, we are a Japanese startup company which was established with the support of the University of Tokyo.
Our mission is to revolutionize the centralized ecosystem of anime art & characters by bridging the gap between fans and creators. With fans and artists who are at the forefront of pop culture, ANIFTY builds a decentralized NFT platform that rewards anime character communities and showcases what Japan has to offer to the world.
Louis: Thanks! That sounds promising! I really love those pieces of art by ANIFTY! Hina-sensei, Nao-sensei, could you please introduce and give us some background story to your artwork?
Hina-sensei: My name is Hina Yuzuki. Please call me Hina.
I’m a Japanese illustrator. I draw mainly moe and anime art. I love to draw girls and illustrations full of cuteness. I often draw characters wearing outfits that look like a combination of kimono and clothes, or outfits with frills like in fairy tales.
In the past, my work has included character design and original drawings for bishojo games, goods production commissioned by companies, and I have also illustrated for magazines.
I found out about NFT Art in September of 2021, and exhibited my work for the first time in November of 2021! I’m glad to be here!
Nao-sensei: Nice to meet you all. My name is Nao Yukai.
I’m a Japanese illustrator, but I usually work in a job that has nothing to do with illustration, and I use the rest of my time to create anime art.
I am preparing to become an illustrator as my main career. I started NFT because I thought it would be a shortcut for that. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to verbalize my thoughts well, but I’m looking forward to working with you today！✨
Louis: Thanks for your introduction! Welcome to today’s AMA again! We’ll move onto some general questions:
Q1: We can often see those billboards on top of the buildings in Japan, how is the Japanese NFT market at the moment?
Nao-sensei: This is a story centered on animation art, but to begin with, it has not yet gained widespread recognition.
The advertisement you mentioned is one of the beginnings.
I think it’s penetrating very slowly.
Hina-sensei: The other day, thanks to a person named Fao who organized the event to let people know about NFT, I was able to participate in the video of NFT advertisement that was played on the big screen at the scramble crossing in Shibuya.
It made me very happy to see my work played on the screen in Shibuya over and over again on video! It was like a dream.
In Japan, people still don’t know about the NFT and there are still negative opinions about it. However, I believe that the NFT will become better known and more popular in Japan through the creators and collectors who are brave enough to take the first step. There are many proactive and attractive creators.
Anyway, I want to continue NFT for another year, and it’s important to continue! That’s what I think.
Louis: Wow, that’s very impressive, I’d love to see the advertisement in question! For the second question,
Q2: I saw some of your work on ANIFTY before, which is your favorite creation? Why do you like it the most?
Hina-sensei: This is “Hydrangea and Girl”.
I drew this work after seeing hydrangeas blooming in my house.
Originally, I drew this picture for a seasonal letter to my fans, and it is my very favorite piece.
I love the hydrangea flower, which looks like a cluster of tiny flowers…
Hydrangea flowers have some negative flower words, but they also have meanings like “family” and “happiness.”
So, I thought it would be the best choice for my first work to be exhibited at ANIFTY, with the hope that people would cherish their bonds with others.
Nao-sensei: This “Into my world” is an illustration that I created when I started to call myself an illustrator and start drawing illustrations. It is filled with the colors, atmosphere, and world view that I want to express
Louis: These looks stunning! I really love the fact that there is such a meaningful background to each of these pieces of art.
To go deeper on the meaning of your drawings;
Q3: Is there a projection of Art on yourself? Is it expressing yourself? What are you trying to tell the world through your NFT?
Hina-sensei: Many of my works are for girls.✨
I have a great admiration for cute costumes and pretty things. I don’t know if it’s a projection of myself, but I try to include what I like in my work.
In the past, my NFT works have focused on cute things, but in the future, I would like to publish works that express the feelings I want to convey through my works.
I would be happy if my NFTs could make you feel happy and make your daily life more enjoyable.🥰
Nao-sensei: I don’t really do that. I create illustrations that are cute, beautiful, sad, etc. I want people to feel the same emotions that I feel.
My goal is to create illustrations that can bring the viewer into my world view.
I hope that by looking at my work, people will be moved to smile, feel sad, or move their emotions!
Louis: Art is indeed very powerful at this.
Q4: Is there any particular NFT artist that you would like to work with? If so, who would it be?
Hina-sensei: There are so many people, I can’t choose the best!💦
Saito Naoki-san. Keigo Inoue-san. Eku Uehara-san. MinMin-san.
Nao-sensei: Naoki saito-sensei!
He’s a well-known artist in Japan, and he’s setting the stage for creators to grow by focusing on disseminating information!
He is also an illustrator that I would like to work with in the future, if not at NFT.
Hina-sensei: Also, Nao Yukai’s work is also very beautiful! I’d love to collaborate with you.💕
Nao-sensei: I knew it!😂
Joanna: Naoki Saito sensei is legend! If he could come to ANIFTY, we will cry in joy😭
Louis: That would be absolutely awesome! I very look forward to this collab!
A last general question before we move to questions from the community.
Q5: How do you see the future of Anime NFT?
Nao-sensei: Many digital illustrations, such as anime and manga, have been consumed quickly and forgotten in an instant. Especially when you are active mainly on Twitter, it takes only a moment for a great illustration to flow through your timeline, and it is very difficult to leave a lasting impression compared to music.
I’m happy that my work will catch the eyes of more people and be seen for a longer time through exhibitions in the Metaverse!
Hina-sensei: In my opinion, Japanese animation art is something to be proud of in the world. I think there are people all over the world who love anime art.
I love anime. I love to draw anime pictures. I hope it will develop more in the future.
However, until now, the illustrations I drew in the past were finished as soon as they were published; at NFT, I can have my past illustrations valued.
I think it will be necessary to challenge not only illustrations but also moving illustrations, etc., but I would be happy if it develops in the future.
Louis: Very insightful answer! It’s absolutely amazing that NFTs and the Metaverse can allow artists like you to express and share your works to the world. Next, there are a few questions from the community!
- Would you consider releasing your works on OpenSea?
Joanna: (With what feelings should I listen to their answer…😂) ANIFTY does not limit our certified artists to mint on multiple platforms though.
Nao-sensei: It is not much, but I have already published my work. Also, I will be starting a new collection on OpenSea soon. It’s a big market, so I thought it would be a good idea to join.
Hina-sensei: OpenSea is presenting mainly mini-characters that could be used for icons. The number of entries is still small.
I also drew a character inspired by Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. In the future, I’m thinking of making a series of collections.
Louis: Great to hear, I’m sure a lot of people on OpenSea would love your NFTs!
Nao-sensei: Each marketplace has its own pros and cons 😂
Louis:
2. How do you manage to keep your NFT valuable enough?
Joanna: As a marketer, I sometimes tell our certified artists, don’t fret even if your work doesn't sell immediately, just wait until the right person to appear.
Nao-sensei: We don’t often issue multiple copies, and most of our works are only one copy.
Also, I am conscious of keeping prices above a certain level, and although I want my work to reach a variety of people, I want it to go to collectors who will like it more.
That’s about it, it’s difficult💦
Hina-sensei: I’ve just started NFT, and the number of items I sell is still small. I try not to sell them all at once. I also try not to lower the price of an item because it won’t sell. Even if it doesn’t sell at that time, I believe that it is just because the work and the collector haven’t met yet….
I focus on one-of-a-kind NFT art.
Louis: Yes, there must be a good middleground for that. Each piece of art is waiting for the right person to discover and purchase!
This leads us to the next question:
3. What’s the difference between your NFTs and other NFTs such as BAYC on Opensea?
Louis: In other words, how do your NFTs compare with other popular collections on Opensea? Maybe indicating key differences?
Hina-senei: I’m using a translation tool, so sorry if that didn’t come across well!
I thought that most of the popular collections are series and the message they want to convey is easy to understand. I also think that 3D works are very popular these days. Also, this is not limited to NFT….
I think the key to becoming popular is to send out a lot of information on Twitter, etc., to develop a fan base, and to publish your work properly while maintaining the quality.
I think that popular NFTs are not just minted, but are also works that can attract fans, create works with a message, and so on, and those works become popular collections with high value and rarity.
Nao-sensei: In no small part, I think there is a lot of love from the creators of works like BAYC and Cryptpunks, ete…
However, I think they are more of an investment. In this respect, I think that the anime art we produce is more loved by people who think they like it.
(I don’t want you to talk about uwu or KGF here😂)
Louis: These answers are great! It’s good to see your perspective on other collections too. The next question concerns recent trends in the Cryptocurrency market.
I’m not sure how familiar you are with it, but as the crypto market seems to be bearish, do you have any view on how it will affect the NFT market?
Joanna: Lucky thing is that the sales of ANIFTY is still growing even under such a tough situation😏
Hina-sensei: ANIFTY you are amazing…!
The market for crypto currencies is down.
I am not that familiar with crypto currencies, but my ETH is ……and I’m looking at the chart and crying!😭
Some creators are affected by virtual currency, while others can sell NFT art regardless, so this answer is difficult.
Nao-sensei: As an NFT artist, I don’t think it bothers me much.
Almost most people don’t live solely on the profits of NFT, but see it more as “ETH” than as “jpy,” with distinctions. As for the buyers, I have the impression that many of them buy anime art because they like it, so they are not really affected by it.
Louis: We all hope ETH can recover soon! It seems like a bearish market cannot prevent people from appreciating anime NFTs! Our last question from the community:
Do you think there will be other existing IPs in Japan that will start issuing NFTs? If so, why?
Joanna: I hope all the anime, manga, and games which our certified artists have participated before could join NFT space! With that, we might be able to see a wild-official artworks(野生の公式)😏
Just a personal opinion, doesn't belong to my company lol
Hina-sensei: I can’t say where, but I have heard that some of the companies I do business with are considering issuing NFTs.
Louis: Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Thanks a lot Joanna, Hina-sensei, Nao-sensei for coming today! Hopefully, this event can help ANIFTY gain more attention and interest!
Joanna: Thanks for having me~ that was fun!
Hina-sensei: I was nervous, but it was so much fun! Thanks for a great time.☺️I would be happy to talk with you all again.🥰
Louis: You answered formidably!
Nao-sensei: Thank you very much! It was a very educational time for me.
If you like anime artworks, please visit https://anifty.jp/
Nao Yukai profile: https://anifty.jp/@yukai_nao#created
Hina Yuzuki profile: https://anifty.jp/@hina_yuzuki#created