IN CONVERSATION WITH is a series from Archetype where we interview artists in/at the edges of crypto across music, visual art, design, curation, and more.

Ayaka Ohira is an independent animator and video director based in Tokyo. Ohira has worked with Japanese and American music artists including JP THE WAVY, Hatsune Miku, and Tove Lo. Her work has been featured by publications including Hypebeast, WWD Japan, Ginza Magazine, GQ Japan, and more.

In 2022, Ayaka launched Shinsei Galverse, a generative NFT project of 8,888 “Gals,” inspired by 1980s-90s cyberpunk anime aesthetic, with co-founders Jack Baldwin and Devin Mancuso. The project has evolved to become Japan’s first crypto-powered anime studio, and is currently working on its first anime pilot to be released later this year.

Over a video call, I chatted with Ayaka about the music scene in Japan, the origin of “Gals,” communicating with global audiences, and more.

The following interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Original answers were given by Ayaka in Japanese and interpreted in English by Ren Stern.

Katie Chiou: For those unfamiliar with your work, can you share more about your background as an artist? In particular, being self taught.

Ayaka Ohira: Originally, I actually wanted to be a real-world, live-action music video or video director. That's where I initially started, but despite this early dream, during my teenage years, I wasn't particularly serious about academics and was busy being a "gal"—which is a term associated with rebellious teenage life.

As I entered my 20s and started taking my career more seriously, I realized that becoming a video director, especially without coming from a formal art school, was going to be tough. Since I liked drawing from a young age, I thought that animation could be a way to combine my love for video and film with my enjoyment of art. That's how I started learning animation on my own. I began experimenting with live-action videos that included some animation elements, but I really fell in love with the animation side of things. Eventually, I decided to focus 100% on animation. I started making music videos for friends, and as people saw and liked my work, it slowly turned into real job opportunities.

KC: On the schooling side, I’m curious how common it is in Japan to be self-taught versus having a formal degree in order to build a creative career?

AO: Over the last few years, things have definitely started to change, especially with how big social media has become. The proliferation of social media has made it much more viable for independent freelance creators to get noticed and eventually land bigger professional jobs. This shift has really started taking place in recent years, but when I was first getting started, that wasn't the case.

Back then, going to a prestigious school and using those connections—or being part of a big production studio and getting introduced to larger projects—was the standard path. The industry had a very top-down, relationship-driven culture, and while that dynamic has shifted in recent years, it was definitely much more pronounced in the past.

KC: A lot of your work has been in the music industry specifically, what is it like working with music artists as compared to working in traditional industries?

AO: Within music—especially since I’ve worked a lot in and around hip hop—there’s a strong, established scene. It’s much easier for independent artists and directors to break into those spaces as compared to industries like big commercial jobs or major animation projects, where they aren’t likely to take a chance on someone without a well-established name.

Because of this scene, which is very interdisciplinary—bringing together music artists, fashion designers, video directors—it’s easier to collaborate even if you don’t have a huge reputation. Especially in places like Tokyo, if an artist wants to work with someone, they’re more likely to do it regardless of how big that person’s name is. That’s a major difference between the dynamics of the music video industry and other broader video work.

KC: Moving into the crypto side of things, what was your path into NFTs like?

AO: Before I got into NFTs, I was doing a lot of work-for-hire projects, where all the IP goes back to the client. I had always wanted to create my own IP and was trying to figure out how to make that happen. At the same time, from a commercial perspective, work-for-hire projects are just spot income. I felt that owning my own IP would be a way to create recurring revenue for myself, instead of just relying on one-off jobs.

At the time, a person I had made music videos with, Emi Kusano, approached me mentioning this thing called NFTs that seemed to be gaining popularity in America. We started researching and learning more, and through that process, we got connected with Devin and Jack, who were much more knowledgeable about crypto and NFTs.

One thing that stood out to me during our initial research was the idea that revenue could come directly to the creator, without the layers of bureaucracy and gatekeepers that typically block independent creators like myself. That was really appealing to me. Devin and Jack helped us understand the space better, and we saw that many people were putting out roadmaps for their projects. So, we decided that our roadmap would be to create an anime.

The concept felt similar to conventional crowdfunding, but with the added element that the community could actively participate in the process. It flips the existing anime establishment on its head. Our goal was to use this model to create an anime. Traditionally, indie creators like myself are kept from producing big anime projects, but now, with this model, I have the ability to go into a studio with a budget and say, "Let's make this." That kind of power shift is completely unheard of in the industry.

I often refer to the anime industry as its own little "village," and disrupting that traditional world by having the financial control as an independent creator is incredibly empowering. It's a concept that remains rare in the industry today.

At the time, there were people around me who questioned NFTs, thinking they were a bit sketchy. But I believed strongly in the idea of flipping the role of the creator, putting us at the top of the food chain through this direct-to-consumer relationship. Being able to crowdfund myself felt incredibly empowering, and it still does today. That’s really how the journey into crypto and NFTs began for me, and it ultimately led to Galverse.

KC: What was the experience and process like creating and launching a generative art collection?

AO: Creating a generative art collection was a major learning experience. To give some context, Galverse has around 2,400 traits, whereas other projects like Azuki have 500 traits, and many projects have less than 100. Starting with almost 5x the traits of most other generative art projects was a massive challenge, especially since I was new to using these tools.

One of the biggest hurdles was managing language barriers and figuring out how to structure and combine the traits correctly. It was tough in the beginning, especially with making sure everything matched up—things like the right eyebrow color with the right hair color, and ensuring the hair flowed properly with all the different elements. Each iteration of the generative art had a cost associated with it, so we went through the process three times to get it just right.

There was a lot of back-and-forth with the team, where we’d ask, "Is this okay?" But as an artist, I had a specific vision of how I wanted the Gals to look. Some had really elaborate headpieces, and I wanted them to appear as if they were carrying a lot on their heads. Making sure all those details, like the back of the hair and every little piece of the character, aligned perfectly was a learning curve. At one point, we actually broke the tool we were using because of the sheer number of traits, which ended up leading to some product feature improvements.

Once we finished creating the collection after the third try, we pushed it to OpenSea, and we ended up breaking OpenSea too, earning the nickname "BrokenSea" for a little while because of the complexity of the traits. But I had a very clear image in my head of what I wanted, and despite the technical challenges, I was determined to bring that vision to life.

It was a lot of learning and trial and error, taking my vision and plugging it into generative tools. But eventually, it all came together, and we were able to release Galverse, which has a total of 8,888 Gals. Working with those tools was definitely a valuable experience.

KC: What was your initial vision for the Galverse community and its participation and how has it changed over time?

AO: When we launched the project, we had this vision of creating an anime, but I had never made a full anime before. So, it was a bit of a rough concept at the time. I knew I wanted to make an anime, but what that anime would look like wasn’t fully realized at that point. Now, though, we’re very close to releasing the animation, and the quality of the product—both in terms of the cast and the overall execution—has far exceeded what I initially imagined.

A lot of that is due to the community’s involvement. While I’m very much the director of the anime and the community understands that I have the final say, especially when it comes to the high-level story, there are countless small details—the clothing, the planets, the weapons—where the community’s input has been invaluable. It’s just not feasible for me to think of every little element on my own, both from a physics and an imagination perspective.

If I were to make every single decision myself, the anime would end up being very specific to my style. But by involving the community, the anime has expanded in ways I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. There have been times when someone’s idea came up, and I thought, "This isn’t something I would have come up with, but I love it—let’s use it." This kind of collaboration has allowed the anime to grow and stretch in ways that go beyond my original vision.

Long story short, the quality of the project is deeply influenced by the diversity of ideas that have contributed to it, while I still lead the overall art and creative direction. The community’s participation has been essential in making the anime something bigger and more imaginative than I could have achieved alone.

KC: What does that community participation look like tangibly?

AO: I’ll often ask the community for feedback, like, "Hey, what do you think of this?" Sometimes we run polls, but the community participation goes beyond that. For example, I might come up with a base character design, like the face and body, and then ask the community, "What would you do with this character's backstory? What would you have them wear?" We’ve got some really creative folks in the community who use their 3D modeling skills or AI art tools to propose different ideas for the character’s look and feel.

So, it’s not just about sharing the initial designs—it goes deeper. We involve the audience in shaping the characters and their stories by asking for their opinions and input, and it’s something we’ve integrated into the process. It’s been great to have them actively contribute to the creation of the project.

KC: What is your experience like talking about crypto and Galverse with Japanese communities and audiences versus western ones? Are there strong cultural differences you consider when you switch between global audiences?

AO: I've noticed a big difference when speaking with Western crypto communities compared to the Japanese audience. The things that get the Western community excited are quite different from what resonates in Japan, and it’s made me more aware of Japan’s ethnic homogeneity and its more isolated cultural perspective. Japan has its own distinct culture, which feels separate from the rest of the world in some ways. For example, while interacting with the NFT community, I’ve met Black women who are big fans of Galverse. They love the idea that the Gals come in all different skin tones and that characters who look like them can become the main characters in the story. That’s something you don’t typically see in anime, where characters almost always have light skin.

In the U.S., there’s a real appreciation for diversity because the country itself is so multicultural. People from all over the world live there, and they value representation in the media they consume. That’s not something the Japanese audiences generally really care about. Anime in Japan is deeply rooted in the culture, and there’s this unspoken assumption that the characters will have light skin, reflecting Japan’s ethnic makeup. It’s not a big consideration for them. However, creating diverse characters is something that’s been important to me, and I appreciate how people around the world have embraced that aspect of Galverse.

There’s another important element that might not be immediately apparent in the collection right now: the play on traditional gender roles. In Galverse, you can have a strong, heartbroken woman and a protective, nurturing male character, which is a deliberate reversal of typical roles. This kind of representation, along with the diversity of skin tones, is something that resonates with international audiences, especially in places like the U.S.

On the other hand, in Japan, the reception has been more focused on the nostalgic and stylistic elements of the anime. Japanese audiences seem to connect with the retro, cute, yet cyberpunk-cool vibe of Galverse. They’re drawn to the overall aesthetic and the way it blends these elements, rather than the deeper social undertones. Since anime is such a big part of Japanese culture, Galverse taps into that nostalgia for them.

So, to sum it up, Western audiences tend to appreciate Galverse for its social and cultural undertones, while the Japanese audience focuses more on the style and aesthetic.

KC: How does working with emerging technologies like crypto and AI impact your art practice, both in terms of workflows and artistic sensibilities.

AO: When I first started hearing about AI, there was a lot of fear around it—people saying AI would take over jobs, that taxi drivers and artists alike would lose their livelihoods. I completely understand why people feel that way. It’s unsettling to think that something you’ve spent years honing could be replaced by technology. For artists especially, seeing your craft devalued or taken over by a machine is a scary and even insulting thought.

However, in the context of Galverse, Devin—who’s always ahead of the curve in technology—asked me, "Would you be comfortable integrating your work into an AI model?" I approached it with an open-source mentality. I believe we’re living in a generation of sharing, and if anyone can have fun with my art, that just means it can spread further. As long as I’m still me, and my personal touch remains unique, I see it as a way to grow the brand. Plus, nobody had really done it before, and the idea of being one of the first to explore that space was exciting to me.

When it comes to my actual creative process, AI has been a big help. For example, the background art in Galverse was created by a top-tier studio that’s worked on projects like Akira and Ghost in the Shell, but the initial rough sketch was something I generated using AI, based on my own model. AI allows me to quickly spit out the ideas in my head, almost like expanding my mind 10x. It’s as if my artistic capacity has grown tremendously because of this tool.

While a lot of people around me view AI as something to work against, I see it as something to collaborate with. It has extended my creative abilities, and I feel it’s had a positive impact on my career overall. Instead of being threatened by AI, I’ve found ways to use it to enhance my artistic process.

KC: Do you have any particularly favorite anime/manga? Do you have any theories as to why anime has become so popular in the West?

AO: In terms of visual style, I'm really inspired by cyberpunk aesthetics, so works like Akira and Ghost in the Shell have had a big impact on me. When it comes to storytelling, though, I really admire Phoenix by Osamu Tezuka. The depth of the storytelling, with the Phoenix traveling through different generations, is something I find incredibly inspiring. The breadth and detail of the narrative is something that really resonates with me.

As for why global audiences are so drawn to Japanese anime, I think it's partly because of the sheer level of care and attention to detail that goes into it. Both Japanese fans and creators have this craftsman-like mindset. In Japan, the term "otaku" often gets thrown around—it technically just means "nerd," and it can apply to anything, whether you're a basketball nerd or an anime nerd. But the key thing is the immense respect and dedication from the fans, paired with the creators' fierce attention to detail.

Japanese creators put so much care into every aspect of storytelling and art, and that meticulous attention to detail is something that global audiences have come to appreciate. It's one of the things that makes anime so unique and distinct from other forms of media produced overseas. The fans expect that level of craftsmanship, and the creators deliver it. That’s what I believe sets anime apart and makes it so special to audiences worldwide.

KC: How do you imagine the vision for Galverse, and what’s next?

AO: When it comes to the anime, especially as we are one of the first truly web3 anime projects, the vision is about fully embracing that identity. Traditional anime studios are often very strict about rights, but our approach is to be as open as possible.

For example, we'll be sharing every animation cell in Galverse with our community, meaning people can download them, remix them, make memes from them and build on top of them. The same goes for the music we create—people will be able to remix and expand on the Galverse soundtrack. This is part of truly embracing the decentralized, web3 philosophy. It’s about being as accessible and open as possible, letting the community take part in ways that traditional anime wouldn’t allow.

At the same time, because Galverse is rooted in technology, we want to leverage that to the fullest extent as we push this anime and IP forward. When we think about commercializing the Galverse IP, we’re always thinking technology-first. That’s something I’m really excited about as we move forward—continuing to innovate and use technology to expand the project in ways that traditional studios might not even consider.

KC: To you, what exactly is a “gal”––both in general and in the context of Galverse.

AO: The term "gal" comes from the 90s and was originally about fashion—overly tanned skin, loud clothing, and a bold aesthetic. But in terms of Gals in Galverse, it's more about a mindset. Being a gal is about feeling cute and confident, regardless of what others think—especially in Japan, where societal norms often place more importance on outward appearance and conformity. Gals don't care what guys think or what society expects; it's about how I feel, and that "me first" mentality is very un-Japanese in a way.

I’ve even referred to it as "battle gear"—going out into the world, fully armored in confidence, and truly representing myself. While the fashion trend itself has died out, and I even call it an "extinct species" today, the philosophy of being unapologetically yourself is what remains. It’s about believing in yourself and expressing who you are, no matter how others react. But it’s also about the collective "we"—we feel empowered to be ourselves.

I was a gal when I was younger. I used to go tanning three times a week and wore three sets of eyelashes at once—I was very much a gal. When I talk to people now, they often say they were inspired by gals back then but couldn't be one themselves. I tell them, "You’re still a gal today" because it's about the mindset, not just the fashion.

In Galverse, the characters all have this gal mindset. By owning a Gal, you're embracing that confidence, that sense of identity. It doesn't matter how old you are or what gender you identify with—you can have that gal spirit. I’ve even met older men who say, "I'm so excited, I can be a gal now!" because it’s about embracing that mindset, not about fitting into a specific fashion trend.

Ultimately, that's the mentality I want to express through Galverse. Being a gal is about empowerment, self-expression, and confidence, and I hope that’s what people feel when they engage with the Galverse world.

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Disclaimer:

This post is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any investment and should not be used in the evaluation of the merits of making any investment decision. It should not be relied upon for accounting, legal or tax advice or investment recommendations. You should consult your own advisers as to legal, business, tax, and other related matters concerning any investment or legal matters. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by Archetype. This post reflects the current opinions of the authors and is not made on behalf of Archetype or its affiliates and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Archetype, its affiliates or individuals associated with Archetype. The opinions reflected herein are subject to change without being updated.