Ai Yazawa facts for kids

Ai Yazawa (矢沢 あい, Yazawa Ai, born March 7, 1967) is a famous Japanese manga artist and illustrator. She creates popular comic books and drawings. Ai Yazawa first started drawing manga professionally in 1985 with a short story called Ano Natsu.

She became very well-known in the 1990s and 2000s. Her popular series include Tenshi Nanka ja Nai (1991), Neighborhood Story (1995), Paradise Kiss (1999), and Nana (2000). Nana is one of the best-selling manga series ever. Since June 2009, Ai Yazawa has focused on creating illustrations because of health issues.

Ai Yazawa's Early Life

Ai Yazawa began reading manga magazines when she was 10 years old. At age 12, she tried drawing manga and sent it to a special school called Ribon Manga School. She started in the lowest class there.

Around age 15, Yazawa began training and sending in her drawings more seriously. She eventually moved up to a higher class. When she was a student, she admired a singer named Eikichi Yazawa. She later used his last name as her own artist name.

Becoming a Manga Artist

When Ai Yazawa first started her manga career, she was 17 years old. She was also in her last year of high school. She wasn't sure if she could make a living just by drawing manga. So, she decided to attend Osaka Mode Gakuen [ja] to learn how to be a stylist.

However, the Ribon magazine decided to publish her manga regularly. Because of this, Yazawa left school to focus on drawing. She described this decision as "disappointing" and "painful" at the time.

Ai Yazawa's Career Journey

Early Works and First Success

In 1985, Ai Yazawa made her official debut as a manga artist. This happened after she sent her drawings to Ribon magazine for the tenth time. Her first published work was a short story called Ano Natsu. An editor helped her get started.

Becoming a Mainstream Manga Star

From 1991 to 1995, Ai Yazawa published Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai in Ribon magazine. This series became her first big success. After Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai, she went on to create Neighborhood Story. Once Neighborhood Story finished, Yazawa then drew Last Quarter.

Later, she was asked to draw two short stories for a new magazine called Cookie. This led to the creation of Nana. She decided to connect the two stories to make them easier to read if they became a full series. In 2003, Nana won the Shogakukan Manga Award, a very important prize.

Ai Yazawa also illustrated the cover for singer Rumi Shishido's 2003 album, Rumi Roll. They had been friends since Shishido played the character Mikako in the cartoon version of Neighborhood Story.

Health Break and Return

In June 2009, Ai Yazawa became sick and had to go to the hospital. This caused her popular manga series Nana to stop being published for a while. She left the hospital in April 2010. In 2022, Yazawa shared that she was still getting better from her illness. She also said she hopes to continue drawing Nana in the future.

Illustration Work and Art Exhibits

Since Nana went on hold, Ai Yazawa has focused on creating illustrations. She drew artwork for singer Juju's song "Iiwake" in 2017. In 2020, she created a special drawing for a video game called Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash.

In 2016, she drew a small manga featuring characters from Tenshi Nanka ja Nai and Neighborhood Story. She also added new pictures to the 2015 Nana calendar. In 2013, she published a new chapter of "Junko's Room," which was her first new manga in over three years.

From July 20 to August 8, 2022, Ai Yazawa held an art show called "All Time Best." This exhibit showed original manga pages and drawings from Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai and her other series. On January 31, 2024, Yazawa created a special drawing for a fashion brand called Lulu Felice. This brand made wedding dresses inspired by her manga Nana and Neighborhood Story.

Ai Yazawa's Artistic Style

Ai Yazawa gets her ideas from other manga artists like Fuyumi Ogura [ja] and Ryo Ikuemi. She also finds inspiration in music from singers Miyuki Nakajima and Yumi Matsutoya. Experts have noted that Yazawa's works often show her unique sense of humor. She sometimes even draws herself in her own manga stories.

Drawing Tools and Techniques

When Ai Yazawa first started drawing manga, she used traditional tools like dip pens and brushes. After finishing Neighborhood Story in 1996, she began using drawing pens, oil pastels, and markers. However, she returned to using dip pens and brushes for Last Quarter. She felt these tools helped her show the right mood for that series.

For her colored drawings, Yazawa used color ink until she worked on Marine Blue no Kaze ni Dakarete. After Tenshi Nanka ja Nai, she started using digital tools. Today, she uses an iPad and a MacBook to create her illustrations.

Fashion in Her Art

Ai Yazawa's work is well-known for showing Japanese alternative fashion. From 1998 to 1999, a fashion magazine called Kera [ja] featured Mikako Komatsu, a character from Neighborhood Story. The magazine even provided patterns so people could sew clothes like those from Happy Berry, a made-up fashion brand in the story.

Yazawa also prominently features the fashion brand Vivienne Westwood in her manga Nana. Some clothes shown in Nana are even based on items from her own personal clothing collection. In 2024, a survey by TV Maga asked 100 people about fashionable manga. Nana was voted the most fashionable manga. Yazawa's other works, Paradise Kiss and Neighborhood Story, were also ranked highly.

Ai Yazawa's Works

Manga Series

Short Stories and Other Works

• Ano Natsu (1985)
• 15-nenme (1986)
• Kaze ni Nare! (1988)
• Escape (1988)
• Usubeni no Arashi (1992)

Character Design

• Princess Ai (2004–2005) – 3 volumes

See also

In Spanish: Ai Yazawa para niños