February 2005 Valentines Special: Romance Mangaka
by Thundersenshi

Miki Aihara
She debuted in 1991 with Lip Konshasu under Bessatsu Comics. She is the author of Hot Gimmick, a shoujo gaining a bit of international attention recently. Like the mentioned title, her works are all shoujo, and mostly involving a high school setting, and her artwork is the classic shoujo type (big, starry eyes, and flowers). Aside from writing and drawing manga, she also enjoys shopping for clothes. Not much else is known about her outside Japan.

Hisakaya Nakajo
She is the author of the ultra-fun, ultra-romantic Hana Kimi (Hanazakari no Kimitachi e). Even as a little girl, she already loved reading, and she also had a talent for drawing. Who'd be surprised that she'd turn out to be a mangaka? She is enjoying quite some fame now for her beloved Hana Kimi series. She also came from an exclsuive girls' high school, which would account for her favorite manga settings.

Yuu Watase
Born in Oasaka, March 5, 1970. She's quite an established author already, having had a series of successful manga that were eventually animated. You would know her from some of her works like Fushigi Yuugi, Ayashi no Ceres and Imadoki. She enjoys writing big-scale stories, and this is apparent from all her famous titles. Fushigi Yuugi and Ayashi no Ceres certainly involved a heavy dose of legend and myth, as well as romance and adventure. Sometimes, a touch of culture and history, which is why her costume designs are always intricate and detailed. She researches them well. All these elements define her formula. She isn't really into classifying works separately as shoujo and shounen, she enjoys an infusion of all elements: romance, comedy and adventure. She also confessed to having idolized legendary Rumiko Takahashi (who wouldn't?).

Ken Akamatsu
Born on Kanagawa prefecture on July 5, 1968. He's the only male in our host of featured mangaka! He is known as the author of Love Hina, the manga that sold over 6 million copies in Japan alone, and took the rest of the animanga world outside Japan by storm. Like Keitaro, his protagonist in the aforementioned title, he took an entrance exam for Tokyo University...and failed. But who cares, he's a successful mangaka now, his latest work being Magister Negi Magi! He graduated instead in Chuo University, with a degree in Literature. He was already winning awards for his shounen stories even before he graduated from college. He also confesses to idolizing Rumiko Takahashi of Ranma 1/2 fame and Tatsuya Egawa of Golden Boy.