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 started her career in 1985 with a short story called Ano Natsu. Ai Yazawa became very popular in the 1990s and 2000s. Her well-known manga 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 2009, Yazawa has focused on illustration projects due to health reasons.

Becoming a Manga Artist

Early Days and Inspiration

Ai Yazawa began reading manga magazines when she was 10 years old. By age 12, she tried drawing her own manga. She even sent her work to the Ribon Manga School, starting in their lowest class. She got serious about drawing and submitting her manga around age 15. This helped her move up to a higher class at the school. As a student, she admired the singer Eikichi Yazawa. She later chose his last name for her own pen name.

High School and Big Decisions

When Ai Yazawa made her manga debut, she was 17 years old and still in high school. She wasn't sure if she could make a living as a manga artist. So, she decided to attend Osaka Mode Gakuen [ja] to study fashion and become a stylist. However, the Ribon magazine decided to publish her manga as a series. This led her to leave school to focus on drawing. She later said this decision felt "disappointing" and "painful" at the time.

Ai Yazawa's Career Journey

First Steps in Manga (1985–1991)

With help from an editor, Ai Yazawa's tenth submission to Ribon magazine became her first published work. This was the short story Ano Natsu, released in 1985. This marked the start of her exciting career as a manga artist.

Becoming Famous (1991–2009)

From 1991 to 1995, Ai Yazawa published Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai in Ribon. This series became her first big hit. After that, she created Neighborhood Story, which was also very popular. Following Neighborhood Story, she worked on Last Quarter.

Later, she was asked to draw two short stories for the launch of a new magazine called Cookie. This led to the creation of Nana. She made the two stories connected, hoping they would be easier to read if they became a full series. In 2003, Nana won the Shogakukan Manga Award, a very important prize. Yazawa also drew the cover for singer Rumi Shishido's 2003 album, Rumi Roll. They had been friends since Shishido voiced a character in the Neighborhood Story anime.

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

Focus on Illustrations (2009–Present)

Since Nana went on hold, Ai Yazawa has been focusing on creating illustrations. She drew artwork for singer Juju's song "Iiwake" in 2017. In 2020, she created a special illustration for the game Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash. She also drew a short manga featuring characters from Tenshi Nanka ja Nai and Neighborhood Story in 2016. In 2015, she contributed new images for the Nana calendar. Her first new manga in over three years, a "Junko's Room" chapter, was published in 2013.

From July 20 to August 8, 2022, Ai Yazawa held an art show called "All Time Best". This exhibit showed original manga drawings and illustrations 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 Nana and Neighborhood Story.

Ai Yazawa's Artistic Style

Influences and Humor

Ai Yazawa gets inspiration from other manga artists like Fuyumi Ogura [ja] and Ryo Ikuemi. She also enjoys music from singers Miyuki Nakajima and Yumi Matsutoya. Experts have noted that Yazawa's art often plays with depth and layers. Her works are also known for her "bizarre" sense of humor. Yazawa sometimes even draws herself as a small cameo in her own manga stories.

Tools and Techniques

Ai Yazawa first drew manga using traditional dip pens and brushes. After finishing Neighborhood Story in 1996, she started using drawing pens, oil pastels, and markers. However, for Last Quarter, she went back to dip pens and brushes. She felt these tools helped her show the mood of that series better. For colored drawings, Yazawa used color ink for a while. After Tenshi Nanka ja Nai, she began using digital tools. Today, she uses an iPad and a MacBook to create her illustrations.

Fashion in Her Art

Ai Yazawa's manga is famous for showing Japanese alternative fashion. From 1998 to 1999, the fashion magazine Kera [ja] featured Mikako Komatsu, a character from Neighborhood Story. The magazine even made sewing patterns based on "Happy Berry," a made-up fashion brand from the story. Also, Yazawa often features the fashion brand Vivienne Westwood in Nana. Some clothes in the show are even based on items from her own personal collection. In 2024, a survey by TV Maga named Nana the most fashionable manga. Her other works, Paradise Kiss and Neighborhood Story, were also ranked highly.

Ai Yazawa's Works

Manga Series

Short Stories

• 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