Quily

Description
Quily is a manga artist and illustrator recognized as the original creator behind the Mini Van series of anime and manga works. This body of work is directly connected to the larger Cardfight!! Vanguard franchise, a popular Japanese collectible card game. Quily is specifically known for the comedy spin-off series Mini Van, which began as a manga and was later adapted into multiple anime productions, including the original Mini Van, its sequel, and mini vanguard Large.

The core of Quily's creative identity lies in the Mini Van manga, which was serialized in the少年向け漫画杂志 Kero-kero Ace published by Kadokawa Shoten. This manga is a derivative work of the main Cardfight!! Vanguard series, and it distinguishes itself through its artistic style, portraying the characters as two-head-tall, super-deformed, or Q版 figures. This chibi aesthetic gives the series a notably cute and comedic tone compared to the original, more serious card battle drama. The decision to adapt this specific manga into an anime was announced in December 2012 at a production press conference for the third television season of the main Cardfight!! Vanguard anime.

The anime adaptation history of Quily's work is defined by two primary productions. The earlier anime, simply titled Mini Van, was produced by the animation studio DLE, a company famous for its work on the Flash-animated series The Secret Society of Eagle Talon. The more recent production, mini vanguard Large, also known as Mini Van Large, premiered as an original net animation in June 2021 and concluded in May 2022, spanning twenty-six episodes. For this later series, Quily is officially credited not only as the original creator but also for character design, indicating a direct hand in the visual translation of the work from page to screen. The animation production for mini vanguard Large was handled by OLM, a studio known for long-running franchises like Pokémon. Each episode of this series runs approximately three minutes, a format typical for comedic, slice-of-life spin-offs.

Beyond the animated series, Quily's artistic contributions to the Cardfight!! Vanguard universe extend to the card game itself. Quily has provided illustration work for several promotional cards in the game. Some of these cards include CEO Amaterasu, Tampopo no Jūshi Mirukka, and Honō no Ryōrinin Dī. This involvement as a card illustrator demonstrates a direct and ongoing relationship with the franchise's core product, further solidifying Quily's role within the larger creative ecosystem of Bushiroad, the company that develops and markets the card game.

While Quily is most prominently associated with the family-friendly and comedic world of Cardfight!! Vanguard, other published works reveal a different facet of their artistic range. Quily has also created manga in the romance genre for an adult audience. These works include a title from 2015 for which Quily provided the art based on a story by the writer Yamasaki Semiko, and a standalone title from 2016. This body of work shows that Quily is capable of moving between the licensed, comedic parody of an established franchise and the creation of original, character-driven romance stories. The artistic identity that emerges is one of a versatile illustrator comfortable with both super-deformed comedy and more conventional manga storytelling, with a recurring professional focus on the Cardfight!! Vanguard franchise through multiple projects across different media.
Works