Manga Artists :: Part 1

I've decided that sections I can see myself adding to over time I will simply divide into parts, so if I want to go back and find the same theme I can easily do so. This first section will be on current manga artists that I love and am inspired by: why I like them, what they do that is just so great, how they have helped me thoughout my manga-creating process, where I learned about them, etc.

A list of the artists, in no particular order:

:: Okano Reiko ::

At this point she is probably my favorite manga artist in terms of a mentor on how to become a successful manga artist. She is the manga artist I would most like to pattern myself after, if I had to choose someone. She came to manga from a design background, like me; her musical activities overshadowed somewhat her path as an artist, which I relate to; she is an obsessive researcher like me and includes a lot of her notes in her works, which I think is cool and would like to do myself; she has these lovely, innovative uses of her brushes and tones which I love; she does a lot of historical fiction, which is my favorite genre; and she chose to do manga because it is the best medium in which to present her stories, which is also why my sister and I chose it. So many similarities! Plus, she has a fabulous sense of humor. You can tell from her interviews that she takes her work but not herself seriously, which is refreshing. I have her series "Onmyoji: Master of Yin and Yang, " which is just breathtaking. You can read some interviews she has done in the books "Manga, Masters of the Art" by Timothy Lehmann and "Manga" by Masano Amano (published by Taschen, one of the best art book publishers ever. Not only does this talk about Ms. Okano, it includes a CD containing a live interview! Very Awesome.)

:: Obata Takeshi ::

He is one of my fave manga artists of all time, and has done two of my fave manga series. I've read both "Hikaru no Go" and "Deathnote," and the artwork for both just blows me away. Credit must go to the authors too, obviously, for writing such fascinating stories and characters, but Obata brings them to life so luminously. Of course, it helps that the character of L is my fave manga character of all time. =) I love everything about L, not least of which is his character design and his love of Macs, which are so beautifully drawn in the manga! And who else could help make a static board game like Go so dynamic and interesting? I love Obata's character designs, page layouts, and use of tone. Especially in Deathnote; my eyes are still in training, of course, but it is hard to spot any flaws in the drawings, and he gets such a realistic yet unique style! The short he did featuring Sai from Hikaru no Go, "1000 Year Wanderer," is probably one of the most stunning, well paced, and touching shorts I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I am in awe of Obata, and secretly a little envious of him as well. Here is an interview with him that he also illustrated!

:: Hiromu Arakawa ::

What can I say? "Fullmetal Alchemist" is one of my fave mangas, and one of the most popular in the US. And I think this is in no small part due to Hiromu's glorious skills: the gripping, thought-provoking storylines; the wonderful humor and character relationships; the great character designs; and of course the artwork. In the January 2006 Newtype (which I read at a friend's house but cannot find buy anywhere to buy for myself, sob!), there is a fabulous article about her which talks about her background and her creation process. I love that she comes from an ag background, and because of that she draws herself as a cow. =) Gotta love your roots. And the fact that all of her storylines are inspired by real people she has met over the course of her life (such as parapalegics, homeless people, and Ainu and half Ainu) is fascinating, and helps to explain why those aspects in the manga have always felt so authentic. It makes me wonder which of the people I meet will inspire me as well. It's comforting to remember that life itself, that just living from day to day can be its own research. Plus I got a FMA artbook for Christmas, and in it she is so candid and open about her paintings, willingly pointing out mistakes or which ones she had to rush on, stuff like that. I love her even more now as a result.

:: Masashi Kishimoto ::

What an amazing artist, and "Naruto" is only his first big break! Everything about his work is inspiring: the incredible imagination and pacing of his storylines; the charaters who remain fascinating no matter how often or rarely we see them; the interesting character designs, and of course, his signature unique camera angles of his scenes and characters. My sis bought the Naruto art book and I look at that often, because his line work and copic work is just briliant. The season long filler episodes of the anime made me question the brilliance of the series. That is, until I got caught up on the manga, with Kakashi's backstory, Gaara's kidnapping, and the present arc of Naruto's return to the village. They remain as gripping and fascinating as the first volumes. Kishimoto continues to prove why he is currently one of the best manga artists out there.

:: Natsuki Takaya ::

I'm not a hardened person by any means, but I don't cry all that much any more when I watch movies or read books. So when something does provoke such an unbidden emotional response in me, I sit up and take notice. The storyline in "Fruits Basket," where we learn about Hatori's past for the first time, caused such a response in me, and from both the anime and manga no less. Even now I can't really articulate what about this story can cause such a reaction; is it the pacing, the expressions from the characters, the mood or tone? But there is no doubt in my mind that a master storyteller is at work here: simple yet breathtaking storylines that smoothly transition from lighthearted to heart-wrenching in the same chapter. Her seemingly understated yet charming character designs and smoothly flowing layouts don't hurt, either. It is a manga that for all its darkness always retains that glimmer of sweetness and hope that Tohru embodies, and for that I will remain a joyous and appreciative fan for as long as the series continues.

:: Bisco Hatori ::

My sister has gotten me hopelessly hooked on "Host Club." And even I'm not quite sure why or how. I probably never would have found it on my own, since stories like this rarely appeal to me, but now I can't possibly imagine my life without it. The best way to describe it is a modern take on the classic screwball comedies of old. I don't like a lot of the so-called "shoujo" or "girlie" mangas out there, but this series manages to have that kind of high-school preciousness mixed in with mad-dash humor, class observations, and nuanced character development. I am guaranteed a laugh each time I read it, and I certaintly can't same the same for a lot of the modern sitcoms about there. The pacing is superb, with a light touch in the writing that gives the gender bending such a humorous tone, yet easily gives way to deeper emotions when necessary. The layouts can get complex yet are surprisingly easy to follow, and the character designs and personalities are just lovely.

:: Rumiko Takahashi ::

"Inuyasha" was the first series to plunge me back into the world of anime and manga when I was in college; I watched the first episode on Adult Swim and was hooked thereafter. It is still one of my all-time fave series. I chalk this up to the fact that the story has a mature side to it, yet appeals simultaneously to my love of sweeping historical fantasy epics and humor. The manga is no less superb, of course, and while her style is very different than mine it is a style I would be proud to claim as my own. Her character designs are some of my favorite. I've also seen "Ranma 1/2," and I think it is to her credit that except for the style you could have difficulty recognizing that the two are by the same author. The characters in Ranma are inexplicably outrageous in their actions yet endearing at the same time, and the series is always funny despite the lack of significant character development. Another artist I greatly admire.

And last, but not least for this section:

:: Naoko Takeuchi ::

I owe so much to her brilliant work in creating her manga "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon." I loved watching the show on Toonami when I was in high school, but it wasn't until I saw her original manga that I was truly blown away. It was the first time that I can remember really seeing the elegant, simplistic beauty of Japanese manga as compared to the more defined but embellished style of American comics. I fell in love with the way that Naoko distilled the human body, for example, to its essence with her line work, and the fact that less lines and shading could somehow produce for me a greater sense of beauty and feeling, without making the world of the story feel less complex or interesting. It was a very mind-shifting and iconoclastic period for me. Her beginning volumes are slightly less polished than her later ones in terms of style, naturally, but the final volumes are some of the most visually stunning I have ever seen. Her line work and character designs are superb and interesting, and her storylines continued their creativity all the way through the series. She was the first manga artist I really looked to for inspiration and emulation, and I will always be grateful to her and continue to admire her and read her stories for a long time to come.

That's it for now with this section. Not sure what or when I will post next, as MLK day weekend is coming up, but we'll see.