Naoko Takeuchi

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Naoko Takeuchi (武内直子 Takeuchi Naoko), born March 15, 1967, is a manga artist who lives in Tokyo, Japan. She is the original creator of the famous manga and anime series Sailor Moon. Takeuchi is currently living in Tokyo with her husband, Yoshihiro Togashi, creator of YuYu Hakusho and Hunter × Hunter.

Ms. Takeuchi graduated from Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy, where she received a degree in chemistry. She became a licensed pharmacist. Her senior thesis was entitled "Heightened Effects of Thrombolytic Actions Due to Ultrasound."

Ms. Takeuchi's works are widely admired by anime/manga fans. She is a well-known mangaka in the United States. Her most popular work, Sailor Moon, has been widely reprinted and marketed in North America. Takeuchi is an avid traveler and has visited the United States many times. She attended San Diego Comic-Con in 1998.

Contents

Manga Creations

The following is a list of Naoko Takeuchi's works, both major and minor, since her debut (from Takeuchi-Naoko.com and The Manga of Takeuchi Naoko):

  • Chocolate Christmas (チョコレート・クリスマス Chokorēto Kurisumasu, 1987-1988):
    • A story about a girl that falls in love with a DJ over Christmas. It was collected into a single tankobon volume.
  • Maria (ま・り・あ Ma-ri-a, 1989-1990):
    • A story loosely based on the book Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster.
  • The Cherry Project (Theチェリープロジェクト The Cherī Purojekuto, 1990-1991):
    • A figure skating-themed manga, spanning 3 volumes, involving the young skater Cherry's quest to become a professional skater and win the heart of a boy. The series was released in 3 collected volumes between 1991 and 1992.
  • Codename: Sailor V (コードネームはセーラーV Kōdonēmu wa Sērā Bui, 1991-1997):
    • This series follows the adventures of costumed "magical girl" Sailor V. It was the direct predecessor to (and something of a prototype for) Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, and introduced Minako Aino, alias "Sailor V," who would become a supporting character in the latter series. The series was concluded after the author had already finished Sailor Moon, and featured an ending that tied the two series together. Originally released in 3 volumes, Codename: Sailor V was re-released in 2004 in a deluxe two-volume "Renewal Edition" (新装版 Shinzōban) format.
  • Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (美少女戦士セーラームーン Bishōjo Senshi Sērāmūn, 1992-1997)
    • Known to American audiences simply as Sailor Moon, this manga is Naoko Takeuchi's most famous work, which spawned an anime, several films, stage musicals, and a live-action television series. A fusion of styles between the mahō shōjo and sentai genres, Sailor Moon tells the story of Usagi Tsukino, a girl who discovered one day that she was the reincarnation of a celestial heroine fighting for love and justice. This series was largely responsible for the late-1990s resurgence of "magical girl" anime and manga. The series was originally released in 18 volumes, but was re-released in 2003 and 2004 in a deluxe 12-volume "Renewal Edition" (新装版 Shinzōban) format, with two supplementary volumes containing side stories to the main work.
  • Miss Rain (ミス・レイン Misu Rein, 1993):
    • A collection of 5 short manga, including the title work.
  • Prism Time (プリズム・タイム Purizumu Taimu, 1986-1997):
    • A collection of one-shot stories from early works to those from the late 1990s. It is available in 2 volumes, released in 1995 and 1997, respectively.
  • PQ Angels (PQエンジェルス PQ Enjerusu, 1997):
    • Features two alien girls, who can turn into cockroaches, who are searching for their princess. The series was a complete disaster for Ms. Takeuchi: it was discontinued abruptly after only 4 chapters, and Kodansha lost the proofs of the portion that had been written. For obvious reasons, it has only appeared in its original serialization, from September to December of 1997.
  • Princess Naoko Takeuchi's Return-to-Society Punch!! (1998-?):
    • A collection of short strips detailing what Ms. Takeuchi did after Sailor Moon. It ran for a number of years under a changing title, giving details about her post-Sailor Moon slump and recovery, as well as her meeting, marrying, and starting a family with fellow manga creator Yoshihiro Togashi. The comic ran in Shueisha's Young You magazine, rather than a Kodansha publication, and has not been collected since its original serialization. There are similar "____ Punch!" comic strips in the same format at the end of some of the Sailor Moon "Renewal Edition" volumes.
  • Toki☆Meka! (とき☆メカ! Toki☆Meka!, 2001):
    • A one-shot story about a robot (Mecha), her creator, and their adventures. (Please see notes about the romaji of the title in the discussion).
  • Love Witch (ラブ ウィッチ Rabu Witchi, 2002):
    • A story where a girl receives a perfume bottle and becomes a witch, but with a heavy price. It was discontinued after 3 chapters and one side story, with no explanation. It has yet to be reprinted in any sort of compilation.
  • Toki☆Meca! (とき☆めか! Toki☆Meca!, 2005-?):
    • A serialized version of the original one-shot, begun after the completion of the Sailor Moon and Sailor V re-releases. The first portion ran from the January to April 2005 issues of Nakayoshi, after which the author went on hiatus, promising that she would return to the series later. The second phase of the series was begun in November 2005. 1 collected volume, released in August 2005, has been published thus far. (Please see notes about the romaji of the title in the discussion).

Illustrations

  • Mermaid Panic Volumes 1-3 (Written by Marie Koizumi)
  • Atashi no Wagamama (Written by Marie Koizumi)
  • Zettai, Kore o Ubbatte Mizeru (Written by Marie Koizumi)

Written Books

  • Obaa-nu- to Chibaa-nu- (illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi.
    • A children's book written for her son's birthday.

Trivia

External links

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