For the 2026–2027 season, the main visual was created by illustrator Senei. The project was organized by the company one’s glory, which commissioned Senei for this work.

Composition: creating space and character together

This is the author loves the most. Feel like friendly situation with her from the composition.

When starting the project, Senei found the most interesting part was the differences between the four characters and how they relate to each other. These characters represent different fields of KYOTO CMEX and serve as important faces of the project. Each character has a different role and personality, even though they belong to the KYOTO CMEX’s world.

Senei explains: “I first thought about the direction and angle of each character. Then I created the situation and pose to match them. After that, I designed the costumes and adjusted expressions and movement.” The illustration had to work both as individual images and as one combined visual. To achieve this, the characters needed to look natural together.

“I wanted to avoid a simple front-facing composition because it felt boring. Instead, I aimed for a dynamic composition that would catch people’s attention,” Senei says. The result is a unique illustration that combines the official CMEX characters with Senei’s quiet and distinctive style.

Four KYOTO CMEX’s fields and four personalities

Senei’s favorite character is the game girl, but during the process, the cross-media boy became especially memorable. “The game girl is energetic and talented, and I find that very appealing. The cross-media boy looks cool, but he also has a silly side, which I found interesting. I tried to show both his coolness and his friendly, playful personality.”

Each character is not only visually interesting but also expresses their personality through props, background, and composition. Now let’s look at each character.

Game (Rena)

She is a game-loving girl. She is Senei’s favorite, and her expression is especially charming. Small details such as cherry blossoms and butterfly shapes on the floor are also carefully drawn.

Manga & Anime (Tsukasa)

A boy who loves manga and anime. Instead of directly showing manga or anime, the illustration uses elements like manuscript pages and a pen tablet to represent this field.

Movie & Video (Yuzuki)

A member of a film club. Film and camera motifs are used as visual symbols, clearly expressing what this character loves. The chair decoration is also noteworthy.

Cross-Media (Akito)

 He very enjoys cosplaying. The strong top-down composition and traditional tatami room create a distinctly Japanese atmosphere. The cosplay props are also detailed and carefully designed.

How to express the “Kyoto-ness”?

A very detailed texture, expressing the Kyoto-ness.

One request from KYOTO CMEX was to express “Kyoto-like” elements. This is an abstract concept, but Senei carefully reflected it in the artwork.

Small details appear throughout each illustration. For example, in the game illustration, Rena wears a mix of a hoodie and kimono with traditional hair accessories (kanzashi). In the cross-media illustration, a tatami room is combined with cosplay to create a unique contrast.

Senei says: “I tried to add Kyoto elements to costumes, props, and backgrounds, so both a futuristic feeling and the traditional atmosphere of Kyoto can be felt.”

“Drawing is my form of emotional expression”

For Senei, drawing is not just a technical process. It is also a way to connect with the world and other people. “I always feel like I am having a conversation with my artwork when I draw.” Since childhood, drawing has been a way to express feelings that cannot be put into words. This has shaped Senei’s current style.

The artwork combines a quiet, dark atmosphere with small elements of unreality within everyday scenes. These allow the viewer to enter the world of the artist. Even though this CMEX illustration is brighter than usual, it still feels like part of Senei’s world. “Finding the right balance between my personal style and commercial work is something I am still exploring.”

Senei explains that expressing thoughts in words is difficult, but drawing makes it possible. “I feel like I can talk anything through drawing, even feelings that cannot be put into words.”

Art becomes a way to share those feelings with others. When viewers connect with those images, then the artwork gains deeper meaning.

Freelance illustrator. Being good at creating works featuring girls and a preference for dark, quiet atmospheres. Works include VTuber illustrations, game-related art, and personal commissions.

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one’s glory

A creative company based in Kyoto, specializing in content planning and production, focusing on illustration and scenario writing. They are characterized by their integrated production system, handling from character design to world-building. They also actively support and nurture young creators.

They have developed the original story for the Kyoto street character content “~Hannari Kyoto~ Otori Danshi” (～はんなり京都～お通り男史) and produced short animated works for the Danish National War Museum’s exhibition “Samuraiens Sjæl” (The Soul of the Samurai).