Japanese illustrator Mokowata (@mokowata) makes a living off her artistic ability, but she was surprised when she dug up some of her mum's old drawings from her high school days. The quality was so high and the characters so charming, she just had to share them. Posting the illustrations on Twitter with her mum's permission, she wrote that they are '100 times better' than what she could do in high school.

Drawn fifty years ago, the style and fashion of the characters gives a strong sense of the time. The images charmed many on Twitter and there were outpourings of love from self-proclaimed fans, many said the characters could be used to design cute goods, or even stamps on the messenger app LINE.

It’s hard to believe that these were drawn by a high school student. The manga panels especially look so professional that they could be mistaken for published work.

After the hugely positive reaction, Mokowa revealed her what her mother thought about the whole thing.

While seeming pleased she said, ‘I never submitted my work anywhere, then after I met your dad I thought there will always be someone better than me, so I stopped drawing manga.’

Mokowa added that her dad is also good at drawing.

Mokowa is a professional artist, and comparing her and her mum’s characters is an interesting way to look at how Japanese illustrating styles have changed, but also stayed the same in some aspects (the classic giant sparkly eyes being the most obvious example).

Aside from being a look at how talent is often inherited, the discovery may lead us all to wonder about the many hidden talents our parents may have.