Nami Sano (Japanese: 佐野 菜見, Hepburn: Sano Nami; 17 April 1987 – 5 August 2023) was a Japanese manga artist. She made…Nami Sano (Japanese: 佐野 菜見, Hepburn: Sano Nami; 17 April 1987 – 5 August 2023) was a Japanese manga artist. She made her debut in 2010 with the one-shot title Non-Sugar Coffee. She later published two series, Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto (2012–2015) and Migi & Dali (2017–2021), which were both adapted into anime series.
Bkub Okawa (Japanese: 大川ぶくぶ, Hepburn: Ōkawa Bukubu; born October 3, 1986) is a Japanese illustrator and manga artist.…Bkub Okawa (Japanese: 大川ぶくぶ, Hepburn: Ōkawa Bukubu; born October 3, 1986) is a Japanese illustrator and manga artist. With his work consisting of 4-panel comics, Okawa debuted professionally in 2008 with the manga series Super Elegant and rose to popularity with his 2014 series Pop Team Epic. Okawa is also a regular contributing artist for the Ensemble Stars! media franchise.
Ryūsui Seiryōin (清涼院 流水, Seiryōin Ryūsui; born August 9, 1974) is a Japanese novelist, active in mystery and various…Ryūsui Seiryōin (清涼院 流水, Seiryōin Ryūsui; born August 9, 1974) is a Japanese novelist, active in mystery and various other fields. He was born in 1974, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. He won the 2nd Mephisto Prize in 1996 while in Kyoto University, and started to work as a novelist. After that, Ryusui published over 60 novels. His works are always controversial. The JDC (Japan Detectives Club) series has inspired tribute novels by authors like Ōtarō Maijō and Nisio Isin. In 2007, he achieved the publication of the series, "What a perfect world!", for 12 consecutive months. In the same year, he carried out "Doumo tour", the autograph sessions for 12 consecutive months held in Japanese major cities, and made a great success. On May 1, 2009, he launched "bbbcircle", his official website, with Kai Chamberlain, a Canadian cartoonist.
Rando Ayamine (綾峰欄人, Ayamine Rando; born 1974) is a Japanese manga artist known for illustrating the GetBackers series.…Rando Ayamine (綾峰欄人, Ayamine Rando; born 1974) is a Japanese manga artist known for illustrating the GetBackers series. Since the completion of Get Backers, he has been working on a new manga series called Holy Talker.
Nagaru Tanigawa (谷川 流, Tanigawa Nagaru; born December 19, 1970) is a Japanese author. He is a graduate of the law…Nagaru Tanigawa (谷川 流, Tanigawa Nagaru; born December 19, 1970) is a Japanese author. He is a graduate of the law school at Kwansei Gakuin University. He is best known as the creator of the Haruhi Suzumiya light novel series, which was adapted into an anime television series and film, and for which he won the Grand Prize at the eighth annual Sneaker Awards. While Tanigawa was on hiatus from writing his light novel series, he wrote the manga series Amnesia Labyrinth, which was serialized in Dengeki Bunko Magazine.
Yū Yabūchi (やぶうち 優, Yabūchi Yū; born 1 December 1969 in Nishinomiya) is a Japanese manga artist who specializes in…Yū Yabūchi (やぶうち 優, Yabūchi Yū; born 1 December 1969 in Nishinomiya) is a Japanese manga artist who specializes in shōjo manga. Yū Yabuchi's most famous works are Mizuiro Jidai, Shōjo-Shōnen, and Naisho no Tsubomi. The main focus of her manga are the emotional and psychological growth of preteen girls and boys and early romances between them. Her works are popular among preteen and teenage girls. She received the 2009 Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga for Naisho no Tsubomi. Her favorites subjects to draw are trains and birds (especially the Java sparrow).
Mitsue Aoki (青木 光恵, Aoki Mitsue; born February 24, 1969) is a Japanese manga artist best known for the manga series…Mitsue Aoki (青木 光恵, Aoki Mitsue; born February 24, 1969) is a Japanese manga artist best known for the manga series Koume-chan ga Iku! (小梅ちゃんが行く!!, Here Comes Koume!!) which was adapted into a 12 episode anime series by the studio Gainax. Her works include short gag manga, story manga, yonkoma and essays.
Kiyohiko Azuma (あずまきよひこ, Azuma Kiyohiko; born May 27, 1968) is a Japanese manga artist. From 1999 to 2002, he authored…Kiyohiko Azuma (あずまきよひこ, Azuma Kiyohiko; born May 27, 1968) is a Japanese manga artist. From 1999 to 2002, he authored the yonkoma comedy manga series Azumanga Daioh, which was later adapted as an anime series by J.C.Staff. In 2003, he began Yotsuba&!, a slice-of-life manga series about the adventures of a five-year-old girl; it is serialized in the monthly magazine Dengeki Daioh. Both the manga and anime of Azumanga Daioh have been praised for their humor driven by eccentric characters, with Azuma acclaimed as a "master of the four-panel form" for both his art style and comic timing. Yotsuba&! has received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences due to Azuma's artistic talent, writing, and the creation and development of the titular character, with the manga earning multiple awards and nominations.
Taku Kitazaki (北崎拓, Kitazaki Taku; born July 27, 1966 in Hyougo, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. His major works…Taku Kitazaki (北崎拓, Kitazaki Taku; born July 27, 1966 in Hyougo, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. His major works include Angel Cop, which was made into an anime series, and Tatoeba Konna Love Song. In 2006, his manga Cupid No Itazura Nijidama was made into a TV drama. He also did some work to support an Ultraman dojinshi as well as work for Nana to Kaoru: Black Label. Masahito Soda, Motohiro Katou, Honna Wakou (creator of Nozoki Ana) and Taro Nogizaka (illustrator of Team Medical Dragon) are all his former assistants.
Masanori Ota (太田正典, Ōta Masanori; born November 23, 1961), better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow (士郎 正宗, Shirō…Masanori Ota (太田正典, Ōta Masanori; born November 23, 1961), better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow (士郎 正宗, Shirō Masamune), is a Japanese manga artist and designer for video games and anime productions. Shirow is best known for his award-winning debut work, Appleseed, and his widely known manga, Ghost in the Shell. Both series have been adapted into theatrical or television anime films, anime television series, OVA or ONA productions, and several video games. Ghost in the Shell was additionally adapted into a Hollywood live-action film. He is a key figure in the development of cyberpunk aesthetics and themes in Japan during the 1980s and 1990s. In addition to his mainstream manga and design work, Shirow has produced erotic and hentai manga and illustrations since the 1990s, under his regular pen name, with numerous art books and a 2025 exhibition dedicated to this work. These share the same canon as his interconnected mainstream publications.
Hidenori Hara (原秀則, Hara Hidenori; born June 14, 1961 in Akashi, Hyōgo, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He won the…Hidenori Hara (原秀則, Hara Hidenori; born June 14, 1961 in Akashi, Hyōgo, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He won the 1988 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen for his manga Just Meet and Fuyu Monogatari.
Akira Sasō (Japanese: さそう あきら, Hepburn: Sasō Akira; born 1961) is a Japanese manga artist and educator. He has won a…Akira Sasō (Japanese: さそう あきら, Hepburn: Sasō Akira; born 1961) is a Japanese manga artist and educator. He has won a Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and two Japan Media Arts Awards, the latter for his manga Shindō (1997–98) and Maestro (2003–07).
Natsumi Itsuki (樹なつみ, Itsuki Natsumi; born 5 February 1960 in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan) is a Japanese shōjo manga artist best…Natsumi Itsuki (樹なつみ, Itsuki Natsumi; born 5 February 1960 in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan) is a Japanese shōjo manga artist best known for writing science fiction manga. She debuted in 1979 with Megumi-chan ni Sasageru Comedy in LaLa. She won the 1993 Seiun Award for best science fiction manga for Oz and the 1997 Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo manga for Eight Clouds Rising. Several of her works have been adapted as anime, including Jyu Oh Sei, Oz, Eight Clouds Rising, and Hanasakeru Seishōnen. Her series Demon Sacred and Jyu Oh Sei are licensed in North America by Tokyopop, and the anime of Jyu Oh Sei is distributed in English by Funimation.
Daisuke Terasawa (寺沢大介, Terasawa Daisuke; born 10 June 1959 in Kobe, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best…Daisuke Terasawa (寺沢大介, Terasawa Daisuke; born 10 June 1959 in Kobe, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for writing cooking manga series such as Mister Ajikko and Shōta no Sushi, which earned him twice the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen in 1988 and 1996 respectively. Both series have been adapted as dramas, the latter as a live-action television series, the former as the first cooking anime television series.
Keiko Tobe (戸部 けいこ, Tobe Keiko; 30 July 1957 – 28 January 2010) was a Japanese manga artist who wrote primarily josei…Keiko Tobe (戸部 けいこ, Tobe Keiko; 30 July 1957 – 28 January 2010) was a Japanese manga artist who wrote primarily josei manga. She was best known for creating With the Light, which won an Excellence Prize in the Japan Media Arts Festival Awards in 2004 from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and inspired a television drama.
Kuniko Tsurita (つりたくにこ, Tsurita Kuniko; (1947-1985) was a Japanese manga artist. She was the first woman to be…Kuniko Tsurita (つりたくにこ, Tsurita Kuniko; (1947-1985) was a Japanese manga artist. She was the first woman to be published in the manga magazine Garo and its only regular female comic artist.
Maki Sasaki (佐々木 マキ, Sasaki Maki; born October 18, 1946) is a Japanese illustrator, picture book writer, and manga…Maki Sasaki (佐々木 マキ, Sasaki Maki; born October 18, 1946) is a Japanese illustrator, picture book writer, and manga artist. His avant-garde comics are characterized by non-sequiturs and absurd imagery, being called "anti-manga".
Miyako Maki (牧 美也子, Maki Miyako; born July 29, 1935) is a Japanese manga artist, and one of the earliest female manga…Miyako Maki (牧 美也子, Maki Miyako; born July 29, 1935) is a Japanese manga artist, and one of the earliest female manga artists. During the 1960s, Maki contributed significantly to the development of shōjo manga (manga for girls), and became one of the most popular shōjo authors of her generation. She later became a pioneer in manga for adults, producing gekiga and redikomi towards the end of that decade. She is the widow of manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, with whom she has collaborated with on multiple works. Miyako created Licca-chan, a popular Japanese doll manufactured by Takara. Works by Maki have been awarded the Japan Cartoonists Association Award, the Montreal International Comic Contest prize, and the Shogakukan Manga Award.
Osamu Tezuka (手塚 治虫, born 手塚 治, Tezuka Osamu, (1928-11-03)3 November 1928 – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga…Osamu Tezuka (手塚 治虫, born 手塚 治, Tezuka Osamu, (1928-11-03)3 November 1928 – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist and animator. Considered to be among the greatest and most influential cartoonists of all time, his prolific output, pioneering techniques and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such titles as "the Father of Manga" (マンガの父, Manga no Chichi), "the Godfather of Manga" (マンガの教父, Manga no Kyōfu) and "the God of Manga" (マンガの神様, Manga no Kami-sama). Additionally, he is often considered the Japanese equivalent to Walt Disney, who served as a major inspiration during Tezuka's formative years. Though this phrase praises the quality of his early manga works for children and animations, it also blurs the significant influence of his later, more literary, gekiga works. Inspired by the early Chinese animated film Princess Iron Fan, Tezuka began what was known as the manga revolution in Japan with his New Treasure Island published in 1947. His output would spawn some of the most influential, successful and well-received manga series including the children's manga Astro Boy, Princess Knight and Kimba the White Lion, and the adult-oriented series Black Jack, Phoenix and Buddha, all of which won several awards. Tezuka died of stomach cancer in 1989. His death had an immediate impact on the Japanese public and other cartoonists. A museum was constructed in Takarazuka dedicated to his memory and life works, and Tezuka received many posthumous awards. Several animations were in production at the time of his death along with the final chapters of Phoenix, which were never released.
Hiro Fujiwara (藤原 ヒロ, Fujiwara Hiro; born December 23, 1981, in Hyōgo Prefecture) is a Japanese manga artist. The manga…Hiro Fujiwara (藤原 ヒロ, Fujiwara Hiro; born December 23, 1981, in Hyōgo Prefecture) is a Japanese manga artist. The manga artist was once active under her previous pen name, Izumi Hiro (和泉 ヒロ) at the end of the 1990s, but has abandoned the name after she won the Best Rookie award in the LMS for Kaeri Michi, Yuki no Netsu. Her first series, Kaichō wa Maid-sama! (会長はメイド様!, translation Maid Sama!) was serialized in Hakusensha's monthly shōjo manga magazine, LaLa. This series is licensed for North America, and an anime adaptation was broadcast during Spring 2010.
Miwa Ueda (上田 美和, Ueda Miwa) is a Japanese manga artist, known for her works like Peach Girl and Angel Wars. In 1999…Miwa Ueda (上田 美和, Ueda Miwa) is a Japanese manga artist, known for her works like Peach Girl and Angel Wars. In 1999, she received the Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo for Peach Girl. Miwa was born on September 29 in Hyōgo, Japan. She worked for some time with Sailor Moon author Naoko Takeuchi. She started publishing her works in 1985.
