| Waki Yamato | |
|---|---|
| Born | 一ノ関 和紀 (later 木野 和紀[1]) (1948-03-13)March 13, 1948 (age 77) Sapporo, Japan |
| Nationality | Japan |
| Area(s) | Manga artist |
Notable works | |
| Awards | 1stKodansha Manga Award forshōjo manga -Haikara-san ga Tōru |
Waki Yamato (Japanese:大和 和紀,Hepburn:Yamato Waki, born March 13, 1948)[1] is a Japanesemanga artist. She debuted in 1966 with the short storyDorobō Tenshi.[1][2][3]
Since her debut, Yamato steadily created and published a variety of works in the genre ofshōjo manga.[1] Among her early time works,Mon Cherie CoCo, 1971, was adapted into ananime television series, and her work,Haikara-san ga Tōru, 1975 to 1977, was very successful, winning the 1stKodansha Manga Award forshōjo manga in 1977.[3][4] It was also made into a musical for theTakarazuka Revue, an anime series (which reached an international audience through TV broadcasts in Italy and France), and a live-action film. Through these early works, she established her position as one of the most popular manga artists.
After the success ofHaikara-san ga Tōru, she continued to create many manga, including the comedyAramis '78 (series),Yokohama Monogatari (The Story ofYokohama), andN. Y. Komachi (The Belle of New York). The latter two were historical manga, set during theMeiji period.
The heroines of these stories were active girls who traveled overseas. Yamato's early workReidii Mitsuko (Lady Mitsuko), 1976, was based on the true story ofMitsuko Aoyama, who was the mother ofRichard von Coudenhove-Kalergi.
Similarly, inYokohama Monogatari, Uno visitsCalifornia, marries her Japanese lover there and returns toYokohama, while Mariko visitsLondon to meet her Japanese husband. InN. Y. Komachitomboy Shino travels toNew York and becomes acamerawoman. At the end she settles in America with her husband Danny.
Yamato's major work isAsaki Yume Mishi. Yamato spent 13 years (1980–93) completing this famous long work, based onMurasaki Shikibu'sThe Tale of Genji. Yamato studied the historical details of theHeian period. But she made radical changes to the characters and plot, to fit contemporarymores. Yet her work remains one of the best visualizations of the Heian era.
Book information from Media Arts Database.[5] (in progress, incomplete).
| N | Title | ja-Title | Label | Vol. | Date of Pub. | Publisher | Magazine | Date | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Thief Angel | 泥棒天使 | Teen comics deluxe | 1 | 1972-10-10 | Wakagi shobo | Shojo Friend | 1966 (37th) | Debut short story |
| 02 | Mon Cheri CoCo | モンシェリCoCo | KC | 3 | 1972-08-28 | Kodansha | Shojo Friend | 1968 | adapted into TV anime (1972) |
| 03 | Haikara-san ga Tōru | はいからさんが通る | KC friend | 8 | 1975-1977 | Kodansha | adapted into TV anime (1978-79) | ||
| 04 | Lady Mitsuko | レディーミツコ | KC friend B | 1 | 1977 | Kodansha | |||
| 05 | Killa | Killa | KC friend | 5 | 1978-1979 | Kodansha | |||
| 06 | End of Heaven, Border of Earth | 天の果て地の限り | KC mimi | 1 | 1979-10-15 | Kodansha | |||
| 07 | Aramis ’78 | アラミス’78 | KC friend B | 4 | 1979–1984 | Kodansha | |||
| 08 | Playball in the Year 2600 | 紀元2600年のプレイボール | KC friend | 5 | 1979–1980 | Kodansha | |||
| 09 | The One with Wings | 翼ある者 | KC friend | 1 | 198008-15 | Kodansha | |||
| 10 | Asaki Yume Mishi | あさきゆめみし | KC mimi | 13 | 1980-1993 | Kodansha | based on Murasaki Shikibu'sThe Tale of Genji | ||
| 11 | Moonlight Shining Tree | 月光樹 | KC friend B | 1 | 1980 | Kodansha | |||
| 12 | Myth of Dark-blue Color | あい色神話 | KC friend | 1 | 1980-12-15 | Kodansha | |||
| 13 | The Story of Yokohama | ヨコハマ物語 | KC friend | 8 | 1981-1984 | Kodansha | |||
| 14 | The Belle of New York | NY小町 | KC friend | 8 | 1986-1988 | Kodansha | |||
| 15 | High Hheels Cop | ハイヒールCOP | KC mimi deluxe | 5 | 1990-1993 | Kodansha | |||
| 16 | Wow, He is Prince!? | なんと王子さま!? | KC friend | 1 | 1990-09-13 | Kodansha | |||
| 17 | Fruits of the Angel | 天使の果実 | KC mimi | 3 | 1993-1994 | Kodansha | based on novel by Shizuka Ijuin | ||
| 18 | Natascha of Rainbow | 虹のナターシャ | KC mimi | 5 | 1995-1997 | Kodansha | based on novel byMariko Hayashi | ||
| 19 | Samurai facing to the West | にしむく士 | KC BE LOVE | 5 | 1997-2001 | Kodansha | |||
| 20 | Baby-sitter Gin! | ベビーシッター・ギン! | K Comics kiss | 9 | 1998-2007 | Kodansha | |||
| 21 | The Scent of Crimson | 紅匂ふ | KC BE LOVE | 4 | 1998-2007 | Kodansha | |||
| 22 | The Daughter of Ishtar | イシュタルの娘 | KC BE LOVE | 16 | 2010-2017 | Kodansha | (The Life of Ono no Otsū) |
Yamato's story mangaHaikara-san ga Tōru series had been sold over 10 million copies. Also, the total sales number of her representative workAsaki YUmemishi had been over 12 million, as of 1997.[1]
