Naoki Urasawa (浦沢直樹 Urasawa Naoki) is a mangaka born on January 2, 1960 in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. He graduated from Meisei University with a degree in economics. He made his professional manga debut with Beta!! in 1984. Three of his series have been adapted into anime: Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl, Master Keaton, and Monster. Mangaka (漫画家) is the Japanese word for a comic artist. ... January 2 is the second day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... FuchÅ« (府中市 -shi) is a city in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. ... Buyers bargain for good prices while sellers put forth their best front in Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala. ... 2nd English edition of InuYasha Vol. ... A scene from the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) Anime ) is an abbreviation of the Japanese word アニメーション (animÄ“shon), which is based on the English word animation. ... Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl is an anime External links ) Official site This anime/manga-related article is a stub. ... Master Keaton is a Japanese comics (manga) created by Hokusei Katsushika and Naoki Urasawa. ... Monster is a seinen manga by Naoki Urasawa, serialized in Big Comic Original, published by Shogakukan, between 1994 and 2001, and reprinted in 18 tankōbon. ...

Works

• Beta!!: He made his professional debut in 1984 with "Beta!!".
• Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl was Urasawa's first official work and real breakthrough; Published from 1986 to 1993 (serialized on Big Comic Spirits, 1987-93), this manga has 29 volumes in total. This Judo romance comedy is about a female judo champion who wants to have fun just like other girls, but her strict grandfather wants her to triumph in tournaments. Yawara won the 35th Shogakukan Manga Award in 1990.
• Pineapple ARMY: Published by Shogakukan from 1986 to 1988, this is a side-work along with Yawara. Pinneaple Army is composed of 10 volumes in total. The story was written by Kazuya Kudou and the artwork is Urasawa's. The plot is about an ex-military man who trains others to defend themselves on the condition that he never gets involved... but eventually he always does.
• Dancing Policeman: Published by Shogakukan in 1987. This manga is only one volume.
• Master Keaton: Just after Pinneaple Army and while writing Yawara, Urasawa began one of his most famous works, Master Keaton. Master Keaton was published from 1988 to 1994 (serialized on Big Comic Original, 1988-94), and it consists of 18 volumes in total. Hokusei Katsushika created the story line behind Master Keaton, while Urasawa did the art. The story revolves around a boy born to an English woman of noble birth and a Japanese zoologist. After his parents' divorce at the age of 5, Keaton moves to England with his mother. As an adult, he learns archeology at Oxford University, where he meets his future wife with whom he has a daughter (Yuriko). However, they too divorce after five years. Meanwhile, Keaton works as an operative/detective for Lloyds of London where he is known for his abilities he acquired as a master sergeant in the SAS, as a veteran of the Falklands War, and as one of the members of the Iran Embassy incident. These experiences help him carry out his dangerous work as an insurance investigator. Although he works at Lloyds, his dream is to excavate an ancient civilization in a Danube basin.
• NASA: Short story collection published in one volume by Shogakukan in 1988. A fantasy about a middle-aged office worker who trains every day in order to become Japan's first astronaut. This work also includes earlier short stories.
• Happy!: Just after Yawara, Urasawa began writing Happy!, which began in 1993 and ended in 1999. Happy! consists of 23 volumes in total. From the back of the first tankoubon or series reads: "Miyuki Umino was a senior in high-school. Although Miyuki, her two younger brothers and her younger sister were poor, they were happy living together. But, one day all of a sudden her older brother's debt of 250 million yen fell upon them. To pay back the debt Miyuki quit school. What was the incredible choice she took to do this?".
• Monster : In 1994, after finishing Master Keaton, Urasawa began writing the manga which would become his most famous work: Monster. He wrote Monster along with Happy!, but Monster ended in 2001. Monster consists of 18 volumes in total and was serialized on Big Comic (1995-2001). Monster is licensed by Viz, and appears to be on a quarterly release schedule. The text on the cover of the first tankoubon or series reads: "Dusseldorf, West-Germany in 1986. One day, Dr. Kenzo Tenma ignored his boss's order and executed humanitarian rescue of a man's child. That's how this horrible story begins!!".
• Jigoro!: Short story collection published in one volume by Shogakukan in 1994. It features four stories about Jigorou, Yawara's grandfather (from the Yawara series) during his younger years. It also includes a samurai and a baseball story not related to the Yawara series.
• 20th Century Boys(Nijuuseiki Shounen): In 1999, after finishing Happy!, Urasawa began the all-popular 20th Century Boys. He wrote 20th Century Boys along with Monster for 2 years (Monster ended in 2001). 20th Century Boys is still running strong in Japan, and currently has 21 volumes so far. It seems to have been inspired in parts of the story by the works of Stephen King, containing allusions to It and The Stand. It was recently licensed by Viz (2005), however at Urasawa's request it has been rescheduled for release after Monster finishes its English serialization due to a change in art style over time.
• PLUTO: His most recent project, Pluto, began being serialized late in 2003. It’s a joint manga by him and the late Osamu Tezuka. Pluto is based on a story arc of the original Tetsuwan Atom manga by Tezuka, that’s why it’s referred as a “joint manga” by Urasawa and Tezuka. So far, 2 volumes have been published.

Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl is an anime External links ) Official site This anime/manga-related article is a stub. ... The Shogakukan Manga Award is one of Japans major manga awards sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. ... Shogakukan ) is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, nonfiction, childrens DVDs, and other media in Japan. ... Master Keaton is a Japanese comics (manga) created by Hokusei Katsushika and Naoki Urasawa. ... Monster is a seinen manga by Naoki Urasawa, serialized in Big Comic Original, published by Shogakukan, between 1994 and 2001, and reprinted in 18 tankōbon. ... Kenji and others 20th Century Boys is a Sci-fi/Mystery manga created by Naoki Urasawa. ... Pluto is the title of a manga by Naoki Urasawa which had begun serialisation 2003. ... Osamu Tezuka and his creations commemorated on two stamps Dr. Osamu Tezuka (手塚 治虫 Tezuka Osamu, November 3, 1928 - February 9, 1989) was a Japanese manga artist and animator born in Osaka Prefecture. ...

Awards

• New Manga Artist Award of Shogakukan in 1982.
• Début ; Return(1981).
• The 35th Shogakukan Manga Award in 1990(by Yawara!).
• The 1997 (1st) Media Arts Festival award for Excellence. (For Monster).
• The 3rd TEZUKA Osamu Award in 1999 by Asahi Newspaper, Grand Prix. (For Monster).
• The 2002 (6th) Media Arts Festival award for Excellence. (For 20th Century Boys).

References

• http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=13449 (Posts by Vicious and brightman).
• http://myhome.naver.com/fischer/Urasawa/UrasawaE.htm (1999~ , Youngrok LEE).
• http://users.skynet.be/mangaguide/au2027.html
• http://www.comicbookgalaxy.com/commentary_ak_010305.html