The pages are filled with intricate etchings of everything from talk-show guests to Shadow of the Colossus to Coraline.
Japanese Twitter user @barusu_xxx is a graphic designer and part-time illustrator, but he primarily uses his Twitter account to share his trips out to local art galleries and smaller, personal illustrations like this nengajo (Japanese New Year’s card).
▼ “Happy New Year! Let’s have a good one!”
明けましておめでとうございます!
— barusu (@barusu_xxx) January 1, 2020
本年も宜しくお願いいたします。 pic.twitter.com/hfq2PgpkTt
While @barusu_xxx tweets infrequently, he does mention his wife often. She’s an artist too, and she even decorates the little messages she leaves him:
▼ “I’m in charge of cleaning today, as my wife’s going into work on her day off.”
奥さんが休日出勤したので代わりに掃除当番。。 pic.twitter.com/veSvZJgBHZ
— barusu (@barusu_xxx) April 23, 2016
But those are just little scribbles dashed off to illustrate household chores. @barusu_xxx’s wife is actually much more artistically capable than those pictures let on. And he was taken aback at just how densely she could draw on a single page, too! He uncovered a bunch of high-density detailed doodles in one of her daily planners.
▼ “The doodles my wife drew in her old Hobonichi Techo planner are packed together so tightly…”
嫁さんが昔ほぼ日手帳に描いてたラクガキの密度が高い。。 pic.twitter.com/6c5e4rCdlA
— barusu (@barusu_xxx) February 19, 2020
@barusu_xxx uploaded four shots of two-page spreads in his wife’s planner, taking samples from various days. Hobonichi Techo books offer the capacity to note down your day in any way you like, whether in text and images, and several of his wife’s days are described entirely in sprawling artwork. Even text-heavy days feature cute little pictures of her family laundry or the natto, tomato and avocado rice bowl she ate for dinner.
People got especially excited about her faithfulness in drawing fan art for whatever movie or show she watched that day. Clearly @barusu_xxx’s wife is a fan of stop-motion animation studio Laika, as ParaNorman and Caroline characters show up recreated in ink. Other western animated films featured in her pages include Wreck-It Ralph and The Illusionist. Not only are her drawings plentiful and intricate, but they’re full of cute annotations: “His neck is waaay too long” she writes by her sketch of Caroline’s father, and wonders if Candlehead from Wreck-It Ralph is wearing an Apollo candy atop her head.
Twitter went wild for these beautiful drawings and filled @barusu_xxx’s thread with praise for his wife, both in terms of sheer artistic skill and incredible space-management. Most of these drawing murals don’t even take up half of the page!
“Here’s something else I want to add after reading all your comments,” he replied. “This level of density in her doodles only really happened during 2013… She was too busy in the other years to draw that much. (Sorry to everyone who was expecting more…) I’ll post more if the chance presents itself!”
And he made good on his promise, with two follow-up photo sets:
▼ “First follow-up! Original art doodles. It seems she came to a standstill while trying to craft whatever this was.”
追加のラクガキその1、オリジナル系。
— barusu (@barusu_xxx) February 22, 2020
何か作ろうとして頓挫したらしいです。 pic.twitter.com/FkhBOFztoN
These drawings are filled with lush background and character concepts focusing around a teeny-tiny doll girl, surrounded by anthropomorphic insects. The pages are littered with notes for potential names, perspectives for sense of scale and a cast of cute critters in elaborate outfits.
▼ “Second follow-up, report-style doodles…? This is the last stuff I can post.”
追加のラクガキその2、ルポ系?
— barusu (@barusu_xxx) February 22, 2020
とりあえずこれで最後になります。。 pic.twitter.com/gEEmj5aO1J
These pages are more text-heavy, describing a trip to Tokyo Tower and the Fujio F. Fujio gallery, but we also get full pages dedicated to Takashi Nakamura’s The Portrait Studio and Studio Colorido’s Sonny Boy & Dewdrop Girl, both animated shorts released in 2013. The third page portrays a talk show she attended. Three famous artists, Dice Tsutsumi, Tadahiro Uesugi and Katsuya Terada, were interviewed regarding an art project they participated in, where various illustrators and artists mailed a sketchbook across various countries, each artist drawing a page before sending it to the next one. The final page stars some gorgeous pictures of the boss characters from Shadow of the Colossus.
While lots of people were delighted by Mrs. @barusu_xxx’s doodles, it’s worth mentioning that Studio Laika (makers of Coraline, ParaNorman) themselves were made aware of her fan art and sent their thanks.
Thank you! We love seeing fan art and appreciate you tagging us. Great work @barusu_xxx!
— LAIKA (@LAIKAStudios) February 20, 2020
And don’t worry, she’s still drawing. Remember that cute nengajo @barusu_xxx drew earlier?
▼ “My wife’s take on the nengajo.”
嫁バージョン年賀状 pic.twitter.com/LyUCA0ikNs
— barusu (@barusu_xxx) January 1, 2020
We hope we get to see more of this talented couple’s work in the future… Maybe she might even get a Twitter account of her own!
Source: Twitter/@barusu_xxx via My Game News Flash
Featured image: Twitter/@barusu_xxx
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Student gets a huge surprise when his teachers finds out he doodled anime’s Naruto on his report
Japan’s first fall color forecast for 2026 is here!
Starbucks Japan adds new Sweet Potato Frappuccino and Latte to the menu, but do they deliver the taste of autumn?
A real-world Pokémon Poké Ball hotel is opening in Japan at a still-secret location [Video]
Starbucks Japan reveals new Tsukimi Moon-Viewing drinkware and gifts for autumn 2026
American tourist in Japan arrested on charges of attempted murder and arson
Japan’s revolving sushi restaurant king Sushiro coming to U.S. this fall with high prices, no tipping
Solo travel in Japan: $3 all-you-can-drink deal at this conveyor belt restaurant is a fun time for one
Mini CRT-lookalike Final Fantasy figurines are awesome pixel art music boxes [Video]
Japan Railways announces unlimited-ride train pass for fall travel
Tamagotchi evolves into a ring for its 30th anniversary, preorders now open
Japan’s final Penguin Suica train cards have already shipped, and when they’re gone, they’re gone
Studio Ghibli unveils new anime calendars and diary planners for 2027
Solo travel in Japan: Hidden beer garden in Tokyo is a haven for single visitors
Hobonichi unveils new 2027 planners, diaries and stationery with One Piece, Suica Penguin, Hello Kitty and a must-buy Mini Techo
Farewell Final Ceremony announced for Tokyo’s life-size Gundam statue, will stream live
Family Mart releases new Human Made Cup Noodle in Japan, with freebies for Nigo fans
Japan approves foreign resident visa renewal fee increases of up to 967 percent, starts soon
One Piece Day 2026 brings new art, music, and new cast announcements
Hikaru Utada sings new song in Shinkansen commercial for Japan’s Supreme Class cabins
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】