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Naoko Takeuchi | |
|---|---|
| 武内 直子 | |
 Takeuchi at the 1998San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | (1967-03-15)March 15, 1967 (age 58) |
| Other names | Sumire Shirobara[1] |
| Occupation | Manga artist |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Notable work | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Kodansha Manga Award (1993) |
| Part of a series on |
| Anime andmanga |
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 Anime and manga portal |
Naoko Takeuchi (Japanese:武内 直子,Hepburn:Takeuchi Naoko; born March 15, 1967) is a Japanesemanga artist. She is best known as the author ofSailor Moon, one of the most popular manga series of all time.[2] She has won several awards, including the 1993Kodansha Manga Award forSailor Moon.[3]
Takeuchi is married toYoshihiro Togashi, the author ofYuYu Hakusho andHunter × Hunter.
Takeuchi was born inKofu,Yamanashi, Japan to Kenji and Ikuko Takeuchi. She has a younger brother, Shingo. She gave the names of her relatives to the characters she created forSailor Moon, and mentions this in interviews and in several comic strips she produced, in place of author notes.
Takeuchi attended Kofu Ichi High School, where she wore asailor uniform and joined theastronomy and manga clubs.[4][5] These experiences influenced her work forSailor Moon, in addition to her other pieces, such asLove Call andRain Kiss. Her formative high school experiences influenced her trajectory to become a manga artist. Takeuchi's father encouraged her to pursue other career paths, in case she wouldn't find success as a professional artist, which is why she attended university to study chemistry.
Takeuchi graduated from theKyoritsu College of Pharmacy, where she received a degree in chemistry and became a licensedpharmacist. Her senior thesis was called "Heightened Effects of Thrombolytic Actions Due to Ultrasound".[6]
After graduating from theKyoritsu College of Pharmacy, at the age of 19, Takeuchi entered the manga industry by submitting her workLove Call toKodansha; Takeuchi received Nakayoshi's New Artist award forLove Call. She worked steadily onone-shot pieces until writingMaria, which was published inNakayoshi from early to mid-1990. This work, Takeuchi's first serial comic, was loosely based onJean Webster's 1912 novelDaddy-Long-Legs and on her friendMarie Koizumi, who helped write it.
After completingMaria, Takeuchi worked on the ice-skating seriesThe Cherry Project, which was serialized inNakayoshi from late 1990 to 1991. While working onThe Cherry Project, Takeuchi wanted to do a manga on outer space and girl fighters. Her editor, Fumio Osano, asked her to put the fighters in sailor suits. This concept would later become a one-shot calledCodename: Sailor V, which would later begin serialization inRunRun. WhenToei Animation planned to adapt her manga into an anime series, she reworkedSailor V and added four other superheroines.
In December 1991,Nakayoshi began serializingSailor Moon, which became an instant hit. The success encouraged Takeuchi to work on bothSailor Moon andSailor V from 1991 to 1997. However,RunRun was canceled with the November 1997 issue, and the plannedSailor V anime adaptation was canceled along with it.[7] During that six-year period, she produced 60 chapters, which were collected in 18 volumes. The success of the manga led toa 200-episode anime adaptation, three animated films, numerous video games, and wide-ranging merchandising.
She had an interview withSilent Möbius creator, Kia Asamiya.[8]
At the series' end, Takeuchi worked onPQ Angels forNakayoshi. This gained a fair amount of popularity, but was canceled due to Kodansha losing seven pages of her manuscript. Takeuchi said that Toei Animation had the manuscript, therefore it would have been possible to create an anime adaptation of the series.[9]
Takeuchi's own studio is called "Princess Naoko Planning" (PNP). Takeuchi established PNP to manage her properties, mainlySailor Moon. The studio later encompassedYoshihiro Togashi's work as well and appeared in the credits for such anime asLevel E andHunter × Hunter. Its name also appears on the musical credits forShin Kaguya Shima Densetsu and other projects.
Following the loss of seven pages of Takeuchi'sPQ Angels manuscript, Osano departed Kodansha and the plans for theMaterials Collection were canceled.[9] Takeuchi departed Kodansha forShueisha.[9]
On August 13, 1998, Takeuchi made her first appearance in the United States atSan Diego Comic-Con for three days.[10] That same year, she published the firstSailor Moon artbook since her departure from Kodansha,Sailor Moon Infinity Collection Art Book with limited releases.
While working on her short comic stripPrincess Naoko Takeuchi Back-to-Work Punch!!, Takeuchi metYoshihiro Togashi at aWeekly Shōnen Jump meeting hosted byKazushi Hagiwara, and had a meeting arranged between them by voice actressMegumi Ogata.[11][12] She collaborated with Togashi as an assistant (doingscreentone) and as a manager on volume 1 ofHunter × Hunter. However, the work and the demands proved more than she had expected, and as a result, Takeuchi left Shueisha.
Around this time, Takeuchi conceived the idea for a one-shot calledToki☆Meka, which eventually turned intoToki☆Meca.[13] Togashi had a similar idea at the same time as her, but never fully brought it to fruition. He helped somewhat withToki☆Meka at this point in developing the idea by drawing some concept sketches, which Takeuchi showed inToki☆Meca volume 1.
Togashi and Takeuchi married in 1999. From this marriage, the couple have two children: a son, born in January 2001, and a daughter, born in 2009.[14]
After Kodansha's rights toSailor Moon expired, Takeuchi returned to the publisher in 1999 to develop and publish theMaterials Collection. She also began serializingLove Witch, but it was cancelled. Takeuchi started to work on the reprints ofSailor Moon andSailor V, and publishedToki☆Meca inNakayoshi.
In 2003, Takeuchi became heavily involved in producingPretty Guardian Sailor Moon, atokusatsu television series based onSailor Moon, as she had an interest in learning more about the anime industry.[15] This culminated in the creation ofPretty Guardian Sailor Moon. The series displays a plot that is heavily reliant on the manga and also explores many themes that the manga was unable to explore. She showed up at the official conference with a fist up, meaning "good luck", in Act Zero.
After the production ofPretty Guardian Sailor Moon ended in 2004, Takeuchi continued to work onToki☆Meca. During the manga's serialization, Osano returned as her editor.[13] Takeuchi also worked more closely with managing PNP and gave talks to college students.[16] At the same time, she wrote a children's book titledOboo-nu- to Chiboo-nu- as a birthday present to her son. (Togashi provided illustrations for the book; Takeuchi made mention of this in the back of the first volume ofToki☆Meca.) She still works on the website, updating it about once a month with new flash animations or profiles.[17]
In 2012, it was announced that a newSailor Moon anime adaptation was in development.[18] With it, Takeuchi started aKanzenban version of the manga, which was announced by Osano, and will include fixed past mistakes and new covers for the manga. Color pages are also included for the title pages. There was also an artbook announced, and she has been working on merchandise, which was announced by Osano on his Twitter feed.
The newreboot anime,Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal, debuted in July 2014. It streamed onNiconico bi-weekly, and ended in July 2015, spanning a total of 26 episodes, which cover theDark Kingdom andBlack Moon arc of the manga.[19] Takeuchi wrote the ending theme song, "Moonbow" (月虹,Gekkō), under herpenname, "Sumire Shirobara" (白薔薇sumire,Shirobara Sumire).[1] The series eventually gained its 13-episode third season,Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Season III, covering theInfinity arc of the manga (known asDeath Busters in Japan), and aired weekly on Japanese television from April to June 2016.[20]
In 2020, the two volumes of official "All Colored Eternal Edition" (オールカラー完全版,Ōrukarā Kanzenban) of theSailor Moon manga was released on June 29, with Takeuchi providing new illustrations for both covers.[21]
In 2021, Takeuchi chief supervised the production of the two-part anime film,Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie, which adapted theDream arc of the manga (known asDead Moon in Japan), and acted as a "fourth season" for theSailor Moon Crystal series. Both films were released in 2021 in Japanese theaters, with the first film on January 8, and the second film on February 11.[22] Takeuchi also provided the lyrics for the theme song, "Moon Color Chainon" (月色Chainon,Tsukiiro Chainon), under the name of "Sumire Shirobara".[23]
In 2022, Takeuchi chief supervised the production of the sequel toSailor Moon Eternal, titledPretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie. The two-part film covered theStars arc of the manga (known asShadow Galactica in Japan), and acted as a "fifth and final season" for theSailor Moon Crystal series. Both films were released in June 2023, with the first film on the 9th, and the second film on the 30th.[24]
| Work | Years | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Christmas (チョコレート·クリスマス,Chokorēto Kurisumasu) | 1987–1988 | A story about a girl who falls in love with aDJ over Christmas. It appeared collected into a singletankōbon volume. |
| Maria (ま·り·あ,Ma-ri-a) | 1989–1990 | A story, co-written with her friend,Marie Koizumi, loosely based on the bookDaddy-Long-Legs byJean Webster. She released a pocket edition of the book in 1994. |
| The Cherry Project (Theチェリー・プロジェクト,Za Cherī Purojekuto) | 1990–1991 | Afigure-skating-themed manga, involving the young skater Cherry's quests to become a professional skater and win the heart of a boy. The series was released by Kodansha in three collected volumes between 1991 and 1992. One of its characters,Haruna Sakurada, also appears inSailor Moon. |
| 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 directly preceded (and became something of a prototype for)Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, introducingMinako Aino, alias "Sailor V", who would become a significant character in the latter series. Initially starting as aone-shot in 1991, Takeuchi would later makeSailor V a serialized manga series that ran concurrently withSailor Moon. Takeuchi concluded the series after she had already finishedSailor Moon;Sailor Vfeatured an ending that tied the two series together. Originally released in three volumes,Codename: Sailor V was re-released in 2004 in a deluxe, two-volume "Renewal Edition" (新装版shinzōban) format. In 2014,Codename: Sailor V was published in a two-volume "Eternal Edition" (完全版kanzenban). |
| Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, later known asPretty Guardian Sailor Moon (美少女戦士セーラームーン,Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn) | 1991–1997 | Known to international audiences simply asSailor Moon, this manga became Naoko Takeuchi's most famous work and spawned two anime, several films, stage musicals, a live-action television series, and video games of various genres. A fusion of styles between themahō shōjo andsentai genres,Sailor Moon tells the story ofUsagi Tsukino, a girl who one day discovers her identity as thereincarnation of a celestial heroine who fights 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 eighteen volumes, but was re-released in 2003 and 2004 in a deluxe, twelve-volume "Renewal Edition" (新装版shinzōban) format, with two supplementary volumes containing side stories to the main work. In 2013, the chapters were once again re-released in ten "Eternal Edition" (完全版kanzenban) volumes to commemorate the manga's twentieth anniversary, which includes digitally remastered artwork, new covers and color artwork from its Nakayoshi run. Characters from her previous work,Codename Sailor V, return in this one. |
| Miss Rain (ミス・レイン,Misu Rein) | 1993 | A collection of five short manga, including the title work. |
| Prism Time (プリズムタイム,Purizumu Taimu) | 1996–1997 | A collection ofone-shot stories, from early works to those from the late 1990s. It is available in two volumes, released in 1995 and 1997, respectively. |
| PQ Angels (PQエンジェルス,PQ Enjerusu) | 1997 | Features two alien girls with the ability to turn intocockroaches, who are searching for their princess. The series was a complete disaster for Takeuchi: it was discontinued abruptly after only four chapters, and Kodansha lost the proofs of the portion that had been written. It has therefore only appeared in its original serialization, from September to December 1997. |
| Princess Naoko Takeuchi's Return-to-Society Punch!! | 1998–2004 | A collection of short strips, detailing what Takeuchi did afterSailor 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 creatorYoshihiro Togashi. The comic ran inShueisha'sYoung You, 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 theSailor 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. |
| 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 ran inNakayoshi from April to June 2002, with a side story, "Sister Witch", in September 2002. It was discontinued after three chapters with no explanation. It has yet to be reprinted in any sort of compilation. |
| Toki☆Meca! (とき☆めか!,Toki☆Meca!) | 2005–2006 | A serialized version of the original one-shot, which began after the completion of theSailor Moon andSailor V re-releases. The first portion ran from the January to April 2005 issues ofNakayoshi, after which the author went on hiatus, promising that she would return to the series later. The second phase of the series started in November 2005. One collected volume, released in August 2005, has been published thus far. The serialization officially ended in May 2006. This makesToki☆Meca! the first series that Takeuchi has completed sinceSailor Moon andCodename: Sailor V. |
| Year | Title | Format | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | Sailor Moon | Anime television series | Original Creator (based on her mangaSailor Moon) | AdaptedDark Kingdom arc 46 episodes |
| 1993-94 | Sailor Moon R | AdaptedBlack Moon arc 43 episodes | ||
| 1993 | Sailor Moon R: The Movie | Anime film | N/a | |
| 1994-95 | Sailor Moon S | Anime television series | AdaptedInfinity arc 38 episodes | |
| 1994 | Sailor Moon S: The Movie | Anime film | AdaptedPrincess Kaguya's Lover side story | |
| 1995-96 | Sailor Moon SuperS | Anime television series | AdaptedDream arc 39 episodes | |
| 1995 | Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie | Anime film | N/a | |
| 1996-97 | Sailor Moon Sailor Stars | Anime television series | AdaptedStars arc 34 episodes |
| Year | Title | Format | Credit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Season I | Original net animation | Original Work (based on her mangaSailor Moon) | AdaptedDark Kingdom arc 14 episodes |
| 2015 | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Season II | AdaptedBlack Moon arc 12 episodes | ||
| 2016 | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Season III | Anime television series | AdaptedInfinity arc 13 episodes | |
| 2021 | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie | Two-part anime film | Original Work (based on her mangaSailor Moon), Chief Supervisor | AdaptedDream arc |
| 2023 | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie | AdaptedStars arc |
Takeuchi wrote the lyrics for a number of songs featured in theSailor Moon anime and live-action series. Though mainly character-basedimage songs, they include a fewtheme songs.[25]These include:
Takeuchi has won several awards, including the 2nd Nakayoshi Comic Prize for Newcomers forYume ja Nai no Ne in 1985. She also won for "Love Call", which won Nakayoshi's New Artist award which debuted in the Nakayoshi Deluxe September 1986 issue. In 1993 she won the 17thKodansha Manga Award for shōjo forSailor Moon.[26]
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