QP:flapper | Today's AI Wiki

1. Overview

QP:flapper is a Japanese illustrator duo composed of Tometa Ohara and Koharu Sakura. Active since 2001, they are widely recognized for their contributions to character design in anime and light novels, as well as for their extensive doujinshi production. They made their professional debut as character designers in Leaf's 2005 video game, Kusari. Their career encompasses a diverse range of projects, from visual novels and social games to idol groups and various anime-related illustrations, showcasing their distinctive artistic style and comedic sensibility.

2. Formation and Background

The formation of QP:flapper stems from an unconventional meeting between its two members and evolved through their early collaborative efforts, eventually leading to the adoption of their current professional pseudonyms.

2.1. Meeting and Early Activities

The members, Tometa Ohara and Koharu Sakura, first met through a communication notebook at Taishōromandō, a specialty store in Ikebukuro dedicated to merchandise from Sega's Sakura Wars franchise. Following their initial encounter, the duo formed a unit and began actively producing doujinshi (self-published works), primarily focusing on intellectual properties from game developer Leaf, such as To Heart. Their prolific doujinshi production garnered a significant fanbase. Their professional debut as external artists was for Leaf's game Kusari, where they were responsible for the original art and character designs. The duo is also noted for their unique comedic sense, which is highly praised, particularly in their doujinshi work and at fan events.

2.2. Pseudonym Changes

Initially, the members used the pseudonyms Tometa (for Tometa Ohara) and Pimeko (for Koharu Sakura). However, due to frequent misspellings of "Pimeko" in magazines and other publications, Pimeko officially changed her pseudonym to Koharu Sakura in October 2006. In response to this change, Tometa subsequently added "Ohara" as a surname to his pseudonym, adopting the full name Tometa Ohara. Despite these official changes, they continued to use their original aliases, Tometa and Pimeko, when working on certain visual novel projects.

3. Members

The QP:flapper unit consists of two distinct artists, each contributing to the duo's unique style and body of work.

3.1. Tometa Ohara

Tometa Ohara (小原トメ太_{Ohara Tometa}^Japanese), also known simply as Tometa, is one half of the QP:flapper duo. He contributes to various character design and illustration projects. For instance, in the idol group 22/7, he was responsible for the character design of Akane Maruyama. Similarly, for the Onsen Musume project, he designed the character Kanade Baden Yufuin. He also provided the ending animation character concept for Joshi ga Kataru Anime Hanashi "Kore Suki! Nanka Imo Mitai!!" and the episode 11 ending back illustration for Sasami-san@Ganbaranai.

3.2. Koharu Sakura

Koharu Sakura (さくら小春_{Sakura Koharu}^Japanese), originally known as Pimeko (ぴめこ_Pimeko^Japanese), is the other member of QP:flapper. She is also a key contributor to the duo's character design and illustration work. Her contributions include the character design for Ayaka Tachikawa in the idol group 22/7 and Fuuka Arima for the Onsen Musume project. She also designed the character Isuzu Ren and Amaryllis for Magia Record and contributed to some of the Memoria illustrations. Additionally, she provided the episode 8 end card for Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor and the character design for Black Queen Tessa (Parallel) in Fantasia Rebuild. She is also credited for the character design of Millie Parfait, a member of Nijisanji EN.

4. Works

QP:flapper has contributed to a wide array of projects across various media, including character design for anime and games, as well as illustrations for light novels and other anime-related productions.

4.1. Character Design

QP:flapper has played a significant role in shaping the visual identity of characters across different types of media, particularly in the gaming industry.

4.1.1. Games

QP:flapper has provided character designs for a variety of video games, ranging from visual novels to social and arcade games.

4.1.2. Other Projects

Beyond traditional anime and games, QP:flapper has provided original character designs for other multimedia franchises and idol groups:

22/7 (2016-present) - Original character designs for Ayaka Tachikawa (by Koharu Sakura) and Akane Maruyama (by Tometa Ohara).
Onsen Musume (2017) - Original character designs for Fuuka Arima (by Koharu Sakura) and Kanade Baden Yufuin (by Tometa Ohara).
Idoly Pride - Original character concept.
Nijisanji EN - Character design for Millie Parfait.

4.2. Illustrations

QP:flapper's illustrative work spans across various media, primarily focusing on light novel series and visual art related to anime productions.

4.2.1. Light Novels

The duo has provided illustrations for numerous light novel series, contributing significantly to their visual presentation:

Bokutachi no Paradox (2007, Fujimi Mystery Bunko)
MM! (2007, MF Bunko J)
Lucky Chance! (2007, Dengeki Bunko)
Gadget Girl (2006, Super Dash Bunko) - Credited under their respective names, Tometa Ohara and Koharu Sakura.
Boku no Kawaii Ojōsama (2012, Fujimi Fantasia Bunko)
Rock Paper Scissors (2013, Fujimi Fantasia Bunko)
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Universe (anthology light novel) (2015, MF Bunko J)
Girlish Number (2016, Dengeki G's Magazine) - Contributed character designs and colored illustrations.

5. Activities

Beyond their specific contributions to character design and illustration, QP:flapper engages in broader creative and professional activities, particularly in the doujinshi scene and fan events.

5.1. Doujinshi Production and Fan Event Participation

QP:flapper has a robust history of creating doujinshi, with a particular focus on works based on Leaf's intellectual property, such as To Heart. Their active production of these self-published works has attracted a large following. The duo frequently participates in doujinshi direct sales events, notably at Comiket, a major fan convention in Japan. At these events, their unique comedic sensibility is highly regarded and contributes to their popularity among fans.