OtomeScape AI Art – The Story Behind It
“This is how I create my OtomeScape AI art — piece by piece, pixel by pixel, with care and love. It’s not perfect. But it’s mine.”
If you’ve browsed OtomeScape recently, you’ve probably noticed the dreamy, pastel visuals scattered across the site — from category banners to blog thumbnails. These illustrations are part of what I’ve come to call the OtomeScape AI art style — a set of visuals created with the help of AI, shaped closely by my direction and my own past drawing style.
And today, I’d like to share the story behind them — to offer context, transparency, and maybe even a little hope.
🌸 From Manga Dreams to Otome Blogging: A Personal Journey
As a teenager, I enrolled in a five-year graphic design programme — not because I was aiming for a career in design, but because I loved shoujo manga and initially dreamed of becoming a mangaka. I had wanted to attend an art school, but my father didn’t allow it. “Nice drawings don’t put food on the plate,” he said — so I chose a school that would still teach me some art while giving me a fallback profession in case I couldn’t continue my studies afterwards.
Unbeknownst to me, the neuropathy I had inherited was already setting in. By the time I graduated, I was beginning to experience limitations that made drawing difficult. After spending a couple of years working as a graphic designer, I decided to pivot toward what had always been my true strengths: writing and languages.
I couldn’t become a mangaka, so I chose to study Japanese and other languages at university. Thanks to the unwavering support of my grandmother — the only person in my family who truly believed in me — I was able to enter Cà Foscari University in Venice, one of the most prestigious in Italy.
Sadly, she passed away shortly after I enrolled. I tried to carry on, working to pay my rent, bills, and tuition, as I lived far from home and faced strong opposition from other family members about my academic choices. Eventually, I had to drop out before completing my degree. But I never stopped learning. I continued to study on my own, and still do.
Today, I work as a private ESL tutor by day and a blogger by night. OtomeScape is a new project, but I’m committed to it. I’ve always given my best to everything I do, within the limits of my health and circumstances — and this will be no different.
🎨 How I Create OtomeScape AI Art (and What Makes It Different)
Every visual you see on OtomeScape has been created manually using ChatGPT’s built-in image generation tool (Wall-E). This tool, unlike many popular AI art generators, is not trained on unlicensed artist portfolios scraped from the web. That distinction is important to me.
I don’t use WordPress plugins, automated generators, or mass-produced images. I write each prompt by hand — sometimes dozens of them — and refine the result until it reflects the kind of illustrations I used to make, in my own imperfect style. It often takes me hours to get it right.
It’s not perfect. But it’s mine.
And more importantly: it’s a temporary solution.
💖 My Promise to Artists
As soon as I’m in a position to do so financially, I plan to commission real illustrators for custom art across the site. OtomeScape is still new, and I’m not earning anything from it yet — but I hope to change that with time, effort, and a little community magic.
I’m already drafting a list of potential artists whose styles I admire. And when I can afford to hire them, I will — joyfully.
Until then, I ask for your understanding. I know there are serious ethical and environmental concerns around the use of AI-generated art — and I share them. I wouldn’t be using it at all if I still had the physical ability to draw.
Using AI art isn’t about replacing artists. It’s simply one of the tools I’ve turned to while I focus on what truly drives this blog — sharing heartfelt writing and spreading love for otome games and stories that soothe the heart and comfort the soul.
🌱 Building OtomeScape With Heart
If you’ve made it this far, thank you. Thank you for caring enough to read, and to listen.
I’m here because I love otome games. Because I believe indie devs deserve more spotlight. And because even in a difficult body, I still want to tell beautiful stories — with words, with visuals, and with joy.
If you’re an artist, developer, or player and have thoughts to share, my inbox is always open.
With love and binkies,
Shara
OtomeScape Founder
