Naoko Takeuchi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Naoko Takeuchi
武内 直子
Takeuchi at the 1998 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1967-03-15) March 15, 1967 (age 58) Kōfu, Yamanashi, Japan
Other names	Sumire Shirobara
Occupation	Manga artist
Years active	1986–present
Notable work	Sailor Moon Codename: Sailor V
Spouse(s)	Yoshihiro Togashi ​ (m. 1999)​
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. Her work has won several awards, including the 1993 Kodansha Manga Award for Sailor Moon.

Naoko Takeuchi is married to Yoshihiro Togashi. He is also a well-known manga artist, famous for YuYu Hakusho and Hunter × Hunter.

Early Life and Education

Naoko Takeuchi was born in Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan. Her parents are Kenji and Ikuko Takeuchi, and she has a younger brother named Shingo. She often used the names of her family members for characters in Sailor Moon.

Takeuchi went to Kofu Ichi High School. There, she wore a sailor uniform, which later inspired the outfits in Sailor Moon. She was also part of the astronomy and manga clubs. These experiences greatly influenced her future work. Her father encouraged her to study something practical, so she went to university to study chemistry.

She graduated from the Kyoritsu College of Pharmacy. She earned a degree in chemistry and became a licensed pharmacist.

Naoko Takeuchi's Career

Starting as a Manga Artist (1986–1997)

After college, at 19, Naoko Takeuchi started her manga career. She submitted her work Love Call to Kodansha, a big publishing company. She won an award for new artists for Love Call. She then worked on short stories before creating Maria. This was her first series, published in Nakayoshi magazine in 1990. Maria was inspired by the book Daddy-Long-Legs and her friend Marie Koizumi.

After Maria, Takeuchi worked on The Cherry Project, a manga about ice skating. While working on it, she wanted to create a story about girl fighters in space. Her editor suggested they wear sailor suits. This idea became a one-shot story called Codename: Sailor V.

When Toei Animation wanted to make an anime from Sailor V, Takeuchi expanded her idea. She added four more superheroines, and this led to Sailor Moon.

In December 1991, Nakayoshi began publishing Sailor Moon. It became an instant success. Takeuchi worked on both Sailor Moon and Sailor V until 1997. Sailor Moon became a huge hit, leading to a 200-episode anime show, three animated movies, video games, and lots of merchandise.

After Sailor Moon ended, Takeuchi started PQ Angels. This series was popular but was canceled because Kodansha lost some of her manuscript pages. Takeuchi also created her own studio called "Princess Naoko Planning" (PNP). This studio helps manage her works, especially Sailor Moon. It also helps with her husband's works, like Hunter × Hunter.

Later Works and Family Life (1998–2009)

After the issue with PQ Angels, Takeuchi left Kodansha and moved to Shueisha. In 1998, she visited the United States for the first time at San Diego Comic-Con.

She met her future husband, Yoshihiro Togashi, at a meeting for manga artists. They got married in 1999. They have two children: a son born in 2001 and a daughter born in 2009.

Takeuchi later returned to Kodansha. She worked on new editions of Sailor Moon and Sailor V. She also published Toki☆Meca in Nakayoshi. In 2003, she was very involved in creating Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. This was a live-action TV show based on her manga. She wanted to learn more about the anime industry.

After the live-action show finished in 2004, Takeuchi continued 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.

New Sailor Moon Projects (2010–Present)

In 2012, it was announced that a new Sailor Moon anime was being made. Takeuchi also started a new Kanzenban version of the manga. This version fixed old mistakes and had new covers and color pages.

The new anime, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal, started in July 2014. It retold the Sailor Moon story from the beginning. Takeuchi wrote the ending theme song, "Moonbow", using her penname "Sumire Shirobara". The series continued with new seasons, covering different parts of the manga.

In 2020, special "All Colored Eternal Edition" versions of the Sailor Moon manga were released. Takeuchi drew new pictures for the covers. In 2021, she was the chief supervisor for Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie. This two-part anime movie adapted the "Dream" arc of the manga. She also wrote the lyrics for the theme song, "Moon Color Chainon".

In 2022, Takeuchi also supervised Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie. This two-part film covered the "Stars" arc of the manga. Both films were released in June 2023.

Naoko Takeuchi's Works

Manga Series

Anime Series and Films

Sailor Moon (1990s Anime)

Sailor Moon Crystal (2014 Reboot)

Illustrations for Books

• Maria (novelization of Takeuchi's manga, 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

Written Books

• Oboo-nu- to Chiboo-nu- (illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi)
  • A children's book she wrote for her son's birthday.

Song Lyrics

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.

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