Naoko Takeuchi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Naoko Takeuchi
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| 武内 直子 | |
Takeuchi at the 1998 San Diego Comic-Con
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| Born | March 15, 1967 |
| Other names | Sumire Shirobara |
| Occupation | Manga artist |
| Years active | 1986–present |
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Notable work
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| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Kodansha Manga Award (1993) |
Naoko Takeuchi (Japanese: 武内 直子, Hepburn: Takeuchi Naoko, born March 15, 1967) is a famous Japanese manga artist. She is best known for creating Sailor Moon, one of the most popular manga series ever. She has won many awards, including the 1993 Kodansha Manga Award for Sailor Moon.
Takeuchi is married to Yoshihiro Togashi. He is also a manga artist, known for YuYu Hakusho and Hunter × Hunter.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Naoko Takeuchi was born in Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan. Her parents are Kenji and Ikuko Takeuchi. She also has a younger brother named Shingo. Interestingly, she used the names of her family members for some of the characters in Sailor Moon.
She went to Kofu Ichi High School. There, she wore a sailor uniform, just like the characters in her future manga! She was also part of the astronomy and manga clubs. These experiences greatly influenced her work, especially Sailor Moon. Her father encouraged her to study something else too, in case being an artist didn't work out. So, she went to university to study chemistry.
Takeuchi graduated from the Kyoritsu College of Pharmacy. She earned a degree in chemistry and became a licensed pharmacist.
Her Amazing Career
Starting Out and Big Success (1986–1997)
After finishing university at age 19, Takeuchi started her manga career. She sent her work Love Call to Kodansha, a big publishing company. She won an award for new artists for Love Call. She then worked on several short stories. Her first serialized comic, Maria, was published from 1990 to 1991. This story was inspired by the book Daddy-Long-Legs.
Next, she worked on The Cherry Project, a manga about ice skating. While working on it, she had an idea for a manga about girl fighters in outer space. Her editor suggested they wear sailor suits. This idea became a short story called Codename: Sailor V. Later, when Toei Animation wanted to make an anime, she added four more superheroines.
In December 1991, Nakayoshi magazine started publishing Sailor Moon. It became an instant hit! Takeuchi worked on both Sailor Moon and Sailor V until 1997. During these six years, she created 60 chapters of Sailor Moon. These were collected into 18 books. The manga's huge success led to a 200-episode anime show, three animated movies, video games, and lots of merchandise.
After Sailor Moon ended, Takeuchi worked on PQ Angels. This series was popular but was canceled because Kodansha lost some of her manuscript pages.
Takeuchi has her own studio called "Princess Naoko Planning" (PNP). She created PNP to manage her works, especially Sailor Moon. This studio also helps with her husband's works, like Hunter × Hunter.
New Projects and Family Life (1998–2009)
In 1998, Takeuchi visited the United States for the first time at San Diego Comic-Con. That same year, she released a new Sailor Moon artbook.
While working on a short comic strip, Takeuchi met Yoshihiro Togashi, another famous manga artist. They got married in 1999. They have two children: a son born in 2001 and a daughter born in 2009.
After her previous publisher's rights to Sailor Moon ended, Takeuchi returned to Kodansha in 1999. She worked on reprinting Sailor Moon and Sailor V. She also started a new series called Love Witch, but it was canceled.
In 2003, Takeuchi was very involved in making Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. This was a live-action TV show based on her manga. She wanted to learn more about the anime industry. The show followed the manga closely and explored many themes.
After the live-action show finished in 2004, Takeuchi continued working on her manga Toki☆Meca!. She also wrote a children's book called Oboo-nu- to Chiboo-nu- for her son's birthday. Her husband, Yoshihiro Togashi, drew the pictures for the book.
Recent Works (2010–Present)
In 2012, it was announced that a new Sailor Moon anime was being made. Takeuchi also started a special "Kanzenban" version of the manga. This version fixes old mistakes and has new covers.
The new anime, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal, started in July 2014. It covered the "Dark Kingdom" and "Black Moon" parts of the manga. Takeuchi wrote the ending theme song, "Moonbow," using her pen name, "Sumire Shirobara." The series continued with a third season in 2016.
In 2020, special "All Colored Eternal Edition" versions of the Sailor Moon manga were released. Takeuchi drew new pictures for the covers.
In 2021, Takeuchi was the chief supervisor for the two-part anime movie, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie. This movie adapted the "Dream" part of the manga. She also wrote the lyrics for the theme song, "Moon Color Chainon," again as "Sumire Shirobara."
In 2022, she also supervised the sequel movie, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie. This two-part film covered the "Stars" part of the manga. It was released in June 2023.
Her Manga Works
| 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 a DJ around Christmas time. It was collected into one book. |
| Maria (ま·り·あ, Ma-ri-a) | 1989–1990 | This story was co-written with her friend, Marie Koizumi. It was inspired by the book Daddy-Long-Legs. |
| The Cherry Project (Theチェリー・プロジェクト, Za Cherī Purojekuto) | 1990–1991 | A manga about figure skating. It follows a young skater named Cherry who wants to become a professional. |
| Codename: Sailor V (コードネームはセーラーV, Kōdonēmu wa Sērā Bui) | 1991–1997 | This series is about a costumed "magical girl" named Sailor V. It was a first version of Sailor Moon. It introduced Minako Aino, who later became a main character in Sailor Moon. |
| Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, later known as Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (美少女戦士セーラームーン, Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn) | 1991–1997 | This is Naoko Takeuchi's most famous work. It mixes "mahō shōjo" and "sentai" styles. Sailor Moon tells the story of Usagi Tsukino. She discovers she is the reincarnation of a hero who fights for love and justice. This series helped make "magical girl" anime and manga popular again in the late 1990s. |
| Miss Rain (ミス・レイン, Misu Rein) | 1993 | A collection of five short manga stories. |
| Prism Time (プリズムタイム, Purizumu Taimu) | 1996–1997 | A collection of one-shot stories from her early career. It was released in two volumes. |
| PQ Angels (PQエンジェルス, PQ Enjerusu) | 1997 | This story features two alien girls who can turn into cockroaches. They are searching for their princess. The series was stopped after only four chapters. |
| Princess Naoko Takeuchi's Return-to-Society Punch!! | 1998–2004 | A collection of short comic strips. They show what Takeuchi did after Sailor Moon. It talks about her meeting and marrying Yoshihiro Togashi. |
| Toki☆Meca! (とき☆メカ!, Toki☆Meca!) | 2001 | A one-shot story about a robot named Mecha, her creator, and their adventures. |
| Love Witch (ラブ・ウィッチ, Rabu Witchi) | 2002 | A story where a girl gets a perfume bottle and becomes a witch. But it comes with a big price. It was stopped after three chapters. |
| Toki☆Meca! (とき☆めか!, Toki☆Meca!) | 2005–2006 | This is a longer, serialized version of the original Toki☆Meca! story. It is the first series Takeuchi finished after Sailor Moon and Codename: Sailor V. |
Anime Series Based on Her Work
The Original Sailor Moon TV Series (1990s)
| Year | Title | Format | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | Sailor Moon | Anime television series | Original Creator (based on her manga Sailor Moon) | Adapted the Dark Kingdom story arc. It had 46 episodes. |
| 1993-94 | Sailor Moon R | Adapted the Black Moon story arc. It had 43 episodes. | ||
| 1993 | Sailor Moon R: The Movie | Anime film | N/A | |
| 1994-95 | Sailor Moon S | Anime television series | Adapted the Infinity story arc. It had 38 episodes. | |
| 1994 | Sailor Moon S: The Movie | Anime film | Adapted the Princess Kaguya's Lover side story. | |
| 1995-96 | Sailor Moon SuperS | Anime television series | Adapted the Dream story arc. It had 39 episodes. | |
| 1996 | Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie | Anime film | N/A | |
| 1996-97 | Sailor Moon Sailor Stars | Anime television series | Adapted the Stars story arc. It had 34 episodes. |
The Sailor Moon Crystal Reboot Series (2014)
| Year | Title | Format | Credit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Season I | Original net animation | Original Work (based on her manga Sailor Moon) | Adapted the Dark Kingdom arc. It had 14 episodes. |
| 2015 | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Season II | Adapted the Black Moon arc. It had 12 episodes. | ||
| 2016 | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Season III | Anime television series | Adapted the Infinity arc. It had 13 episodes. | |
| 2021 | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie | Two-part anime film | Original Work (based on her manga Sailor Moon), Chief Supervisor | Adapted the Dream arc. |
| 2023 | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie | Adapted the Stars arc. |
Other Works
Illustrations for Books
- Maria (novelization of Takeuchi's manga, with words by Marie Koizumi), 1994
- Mermaid Panic Volumes 1–4 (written by Marie Koizumi), 1996-1997
- Atashi no Wagamama wo Kiite... (written by Marie Koizumi), 1998
- Zettai, Kare w Ubatte Miseru! (written by Marie Koizumi), 1998
Books She Wrote
- Oboo-nu- to Chiboo-nu- (illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi)
- This is a children's book she wrote for her son's birthday.
Song Lyrics She Wrote
Naoko Takeuchi wrote the lyrics for many songs in the Sailor Moon anime and live-action series. These include character songs and some theme songs.
- Ai wo Shinjiteru ("Believe in Love") – for Sailor Moon
- Chikara wo Awasete ("Combining Power") – for Kō Taiki/Sailor Star Maker
- Futtemo Haretemo -come rain or come shine- – for Usagi Tsukino (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal) (as "Sumire Shirobara")
- Gekkō ("Moonbow") – ending theme of the first two seasons of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal (as "Sumire Shirobara")
- Ginga Ichi Mibun Chigai na Kataomoi ("Unrequited Love a Station Apart in the Galaxy") – for Kō Seiya/Sailor Star Fighter
- Honoo no Sogekimono ("Flame Sniper") – for Sailor Mars
- Initial U – for Sailor Uranus
- Katagoshi ni Kinsei ("Venus Over My Shoulder") – for Sailor Venus (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon)
- Kirari*SailorDream! ("Sparkling Sailor Dream!") – theme song of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
- Luna! – for Luna
- Maboroshi no Ginzuisho ("Illusionary Silver Crystal") – song in the first season of Sailor Moon
- Mayonaka Hitori ("Alone at Midnight") – for Kō Yaten/Sailor Star Healer
- Moon Color Chainon – theme song of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie (as "Sumire Shirobara")
- Nagareboshi He ("To the Shooting Star") - song by the Sailor Starlights (Sailor Moon Sailor Stars and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie)
- Over Rainbow Tour – for Sailor Moon (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon)
- Princess Moon – second ending theme of the first season of Sailor Moon
- "Rashiku" Ikimasho ("I'll Be As I Am") – second ending theme of Sailor Moon SuperS and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie
- Route Venus – for Sailor Venus (Sailor Moon R)
- Sailor Star Song – opening theme song of Sailor Moon Sailor Stars and second opening song of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie
- Sērā Team no Theme ("Sailor Team's Theme") - song in Sailor Moon SuperS
- Senshi no Omoi ("Feelings of a Soldier") – for Sailor Neptune
- Todokanu Omoi ("My Friend's Love") – song for Three Lights (a.k.a. Sailor Starlights)
- We Believe You – for Sailor Jupiter
Awards and Recognition
Naoko Takeuchi has received several awards for her work. In 1985, she won the 2nd Nakayoshi Comic Prize for Newcomers for her work Yume ja Nai no Ne. She also won the Nakayoshi's New Artist award for Love Call in 1986. In 1993, she won the 17th Kodansha Manga Award in the shōjo (girls' manga) category for Sailor Moon.
See also
In Spanish: Naoko Takeuchi para niños
