Rumiko Takahashi facts for kids

Rumiko Takahashi (高橋 留美子, Takahashi Rumiko, born October 10, 1957) is a super famous Japanese manga artist. She creates amazing comic books and stories. Her career started in 1978 with Urusei Yatsura. Since then, she has become one of Japan's most well-known and successful manga artists.

Her works are popular all over the world. They have been translated into many languages. More than 230 million copies of her manga have been sold! This makes her one of the best-selling authors of all time. She has won many awards, including the Shogakukan Manga Award twice and the Seiun Award twice. In 2019, she won the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême. This is a big award in the world of comics. In 2020, the Japanese government gave her the Medal with Purple Ribbon for her amazing art.

Becoming a Manga Artist

Rumiko Takahashi was born in Niigata, Japan. When she was a kid, she didn't show much interest in manga. But she would sometimes doodle in the margins of her school papers. In high school, she helped start a manga club with her friend Yōko Kondō. Yōko also became a manga artist!

Learning from a Master

Rumiko Takahashi's real interest in drawing manga started later. When she was in college, she joined a manga school called Gekiga Sonjuku. It was started by Kazuo Koike. He was a famous author of manga like Crying Freeman. Koike taught his students to create interesting characters. This advice really helped Rumiko Takahashi in her career. She also worked briefly for horror manga artist Kazuo Umezu.

First Steps in Manga

Her professional career began in 1978. Her first published work was a one-shot story called Katte na Yatsura ^[jp] (Those Selfish Aliens). This story earned her an honorable mention in a comics contest. Later that year, she started her first series in Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine. This was Urusei Yatsura, a funny science fiction story. At first, it was hard for her to meet deadlines. So, chapters were published now and then until 1980.

Popular Manga Series

Rumiko Takahashi has created many popular manga series. These stories are loved by fans around the globe.

Romantic Comedies and Short Stories

In 1980, Takahashi started her second major series, Maison Ikkoku. This manga was for an older audience. It was a romantic comedy story. Takahashi used her own experiences living in an apartment building to create the series. She worked on Maison Ikkoku at the same time as Urusei Yatsura. Both series finished in 1987. Urusei Yatsura had 34 volumes, and Maison Ikkoku had 15.

During the 1980s, Takahashi also wrote many short manga stories. Some of these, like Laughing Target and Fire Tripper, were made into animated videos. In 1984, she began a series called Mermaid Saga. This series was published sometimes in Weekly Shōnen Sunday for 10 years.

Another short work was One-Pound Gospel. This story was about a boxer and a nun. Takahashi finished this series in 2007. It was even made into a live-action TV show!

Martial Arts and Fantasy Adventures

In 1987, Takahashi started her third big series, Ranma ½. This manga was a martial arts story with a fun twist. The main character, Ranma, changes gender when splashed with water! The series ran for almost ten years, ending in 1996 with 38 volumes. Ranma ½ was one of the first manga and anime to become very popular in the United States.

In the late 1990s, Rumiko Takahashi began her fourth major work, Inuyasha. This series was different because it had a darker tone, like Mermaid Saga. Inuyasha was published in Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1996 to 2008. It is her longest series so far.

After Inuyasha, she started a new manga series called Kyōkai no Rinne in 2009. This story was about a girl who can see ghosts and a boy who helps lost spirits. She finished it in 2017. Her newest manga series, Mao, began in 2019.

Many of her popular works, like Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, Ranma ½, Inuyasha, and RIN-NE, are published in English by Viz Comics.

Animated Adventures

Many of Rumiko Takahashi's manga stories have been turned into animated TV shows and movies.

First Animations

In 1981, Urusei Yatsura was the first of her works to become an anime. It first aired on Japanese TV in October. The TV series had 195 episodes and ended in 1986. But Urusei Yatsura continued with more animated videos and movies until 1991.

The company Kitty Films helped make many of Takahashi's early anime. In 1986, they adapted Maison Ikkoku. This TV series had 96 episodes, plus movies and other animated specials.

Some of her short stories were also made into animated videos:

• Maris the Chojo (1986)
• Fire Tripper (1985)
• Laughing Target (1987)
• Mermaid's Forest (1991)
• Mermaid's Scar (1993)

All these animated titles were later released in English.

Ranma ½ was the last big series made by Kitty Films. The anime had 161 episodes and two movies. It was very popular, but the animation was stopped before the manga finished.

Later, the studio Sunrise animated Inuyasha. This anime ran from 2000 to 2004 with 167 episodes. It also had four movies. The first Inuyasha anime ended before the manga was finished. So, a second series, Inuyasha the Final Act, was made in 2009 to finish the story.

Special Exhibitions

In 2008, there was a special exhibition called It's a Rumic World. This celebrated 30 years since Urusei Yatsura was first published. The exhibit showed new animated videos for Ranma ½ and Inuyasha. It also had a fun intro with characters from Urusei Yatsura, Ranma, and Inuyasha.

Rumiko Takahashi Anthology is another anime series. It brings many of her short stories to life. Also, a TV series of Mermaid Saga was made in 2003.

Rumiko Takahashi's Impact

Rumiko Takahashi's works are very popular around the world. Many of her manga have been translated into English and other languages. She once said that she wasn't sure why her works were so popular with English speakers. She thought there might be cultural differences. But she felt confident that her stories were fun for everyone, no matter their background.

Her work has even inspired others! A Scottish rock band named themselves Urusei Yatsura after her first manga. The creator of the Shantae video game series, Matt Bozon, said Ranma ½ was a big influence on his games.

Rumiko Takahashi has received many important awards for her contributions to comics:

• In 1994, she won the Inkpot Award at the San Diego Comic-Con.
• In 2017, she was added to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.
• In July 2018, she was inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame. This is a very high honor in the comic book world.
• In January 2019, she won the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême. She was only the second woman and second manga artist to win this award.
• In 2020, the Japanese government gave her the Medal with Purple Ribbon. This award is for people who have made great contributions to art and culture.
• In October 2021, she was inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame.
• In April 2023, the French government gave her the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. This is a special award for her work in arts and literature.

Major Works Table

Here is a table showing some of Rumiko Takahashi's most important manga series:

See also

In Spanish: Rumiko Takahashi para niños