Tsugumi Ohba facts for kids

Tsugumi Ohba (Japanese: 大場 つぐみ, Hepburn: Ōba Tsugumi) is the pen name of a Japanese manga writer. A pen name is a fake name used by a writer instead of their real name. Ohba is best known for writing the Death Note manga series. They worked with the artist Takeshi Obata on this series from 2003 to 2006. Over 30 million copies of Death Note books have been sold.

Ohba and Obata also created another successful series called Bakuman. This series was published from 2008 to 2012 and sold over 15 million copies. In 2014, Ohba worked with Robico, who created My Little Monster, on a special one-time comic story called "Skip! Yamada-kun". Ohba and Obata teamed up again for a series called Platinum End, which was published from 2015 to 2021.

Who is Tsugumi Ohba?

Tsugumi Ohba's real identity is a secret. They have kept their true name private. Ohba once said they never planned to become a manga creator. They thought their first story, the pilot for Death Note, would not be chosen by the magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump.

Ohba has mentioned that other famous manga creators like Shotaro Ishinomori, Fujiko Fujio, and Fujio Akatsuka have greatly inspired their work. Even though Ohba is a writer, they do not read many books. Instead, they enjoy watching many movies.

Ohba's Favorite Things

Ohba especially likes movies by famous directors like Akira Kurosawa and Charlie Chaplin. They enjoy comedy movies the most and prefer Japanese films over American ones. Ohba has described themselves as someone who likes things very clean and usually cleans their home every day.

Ohba also likes collecting art prints called lithographs and teacups. When they are thinking of new ideas for manga stories, Ohba often sits on a chair with their knees pulled up. This is similar to a habit of L, one of the main characters in their Death Note series.

The Mystery of Ohba's Identity

Some people believe that Tsugumi Ohba is actually another manga artist named Hiroshi Gamo. This idea has been suggested by people like Toshio Okada. Supporters of this theory point to clues they believe are hidden in Ohba's works.

For example, in the manga Bakuman, a main character's uncle was a manga artist who had only one big hit. This character's story is similar to Hiroshi Gamo's own career with his superhero comedy manga, Tottemo! Luckyman. Also, some people think that the way Ohba draws storyboards looks like the style used in Tottemo! Luckyman.

Tsugumi Ohba's Manga Works

Here are some of the popular manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba:

• Death Note with Takeshi Obata (2003–2006)

  This story is about a high school student named Light Yagami. He finds a special notebook that lets him decide who lives or dies by writing their name in it. Light tries to use this notebook to create a world without bad people. The story shows the challenges he faces from law enforcement and the world's greatest detective, known as "L".

• Bakuman with Takeshi Obata (2008–2012)

  This series follows two high school students who team up to create a successful manga. Their goal is to have their manga turned into an anime TV show. One student, Moritaka Mashiro, wants to keep a promise he made to a girl named Miho Azuki, who dreams of becoming a voice actress for anime. The other student, Akito Takagi, is the writer of the duo and also wants to achieve his dream.

• Skip! Yamada-kun (スキップ！山田くん) with Robico (2014)

• Platinum End with Takeshi Obata (2015–2021)

Awards and Recognition

Tsugumi Ohba's works have received several awards and nominations:

• 2007 Nominated – Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Grand Prize for Death Note
• 2008 Nominated – Angoulême International Comics Festival Official Selection for Death Note
• 2008 Won – Eagle Award for Favourite Manga for Death Note
• 2010 Nominated – Manga Taishō for Bakuman.

See also

In Spanish: Tsugumi Ōba para niños