Self Portrait

Nobuhiro Watsuki (和月伸宏, Watsuki Nobuhiro^?, born May 26, 1970) is a Japanese mangaka, best known for his samurai-themed series Rurouni Kenshin. He once worked as an assistant for his favorite author Takeshi Obata, and is influenced by Marvel comics such as the X-Men, Spider-Man, Hulk, and Spawn when making his characters. Self Portrait of Nobuhiro Watsuki. ... Self Portrait of Nobuhiro Watsuki. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Mangaka ) is the Japanese word for a comic artist. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... It has been suggested that Sakabato be merged into this article or section. ... An assistant mangaka is an artist who works, usually uncredited, for the mangaka of a weekly manga. ... Takeshi Obata , born February 11, 1969) is a Japanese mangaka. ...

Biography

Nobuhiro Watsuki was born in Nagaoka, Niigata prefecture, Japan. When Watsuki was a young boy, his brother, who was three years older, drew manga. Watsuki’s older brother was his role model so he started drawing Manga as well. Watsuki was also inspired by a variety of early Manga artists such as Osamu Tezuka and Fujiko F. Fujio. Later on, his brother stopped drawing manga but, “Because Mr. Watsuki was dumb, he kept drawing it (manga) for a while.” Nagaoka (長岡市; -shi) is a city located in Niigata, Japan. ... Niigata Prefecture ) is located on HonshÅ« island on the coast of the Sea of Japan. ... This article is about the manga artist and animator. ... Fujiko Fujio (藤子 不二雄, SAMPA: p MdZiko p MdZio) was the pen name of a Japanese cartoon artist (manga-ka) duo. ...

When Watsuki was in middle school, he practiced the art of fighting with wooden swords known as Kendo. He still drew Manga but also enjoyed sports. Watsuki admits that he was very weak. “So weak in fact,” says Watsuki, “That I was an embarrassment to my 183 centimeters of height.” (RK vol. 1) Watsuki never won a kendo match. Although he was once chosen to be a starter after a teammate was suspended for causing an uproar. Watsuki grew frustrated with kendo, and eventually quit. When he was challenged to come up with a new character for Rurouni Kenshin, he used his outlook on kendo for a base of Myōjin Yahiko. Kendo ), or way of the sword, is the martial art of Japanese fencing. ... Myōjin Yahiko. ...

Nobuhiro Watsuki has had many works in the past. In high school he won the Hop Step award for his work on his comic sleeve he called Podmark. Not much is known about Podmark because it has not been translated to English. Later on, Watsuki was an assistant in the work of Arabian Lamp-Lamp. The model for Sagara Sanosuke was based on a different version of Lamp. In 1994 a new sleeve was created and published in Shonen Jump Weekly. It seems that this was the first sleeve about Rurouni Kenshin. His most recent work, Buso Renkin (Arms Alchemy) was published on June 2003, also in Jump. Sagara Sanosuke (相楽佐之助), known in Western order (Sanosuke Sagara) in the English anime, is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X. The character model for Sagara Sanosuke is the 10th unit captain of the Shinsengumi, Harada Sanosuke. ... Buso Renkin , literally Arms Alchemy) is a manga series written and drawn by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator of Rurouni Kenshin. ...

When not working on manga, Watsuki enjoys playing video games, reading other manga, and watching television. His favorite American comic book is X-Men because he likes the action. His favorite Anime (other than his own) is Neon Genesis Evangelion. He likes video games like Samurai Spirits and things of that sort. He also enjoys action movies like Die Hard and The Matrix. An American comic book is a small magazine containing a narrative in the comics form. ... The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... Original run October 4, 1995 – March 27, 1996 No. ... Samurai Shodown (Samurai Spirits in Japan), or SS for short, is the name of a fighting game series by SNK. It is considered to be the premier 2D weapons fighter, and is one of the best-known video games created by SNK. This series also started SNKs reputation for... Die Hard is a Hollywood action film released in 1988. ... The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano and Hugo Weaving. ...

Real-World Inspirations

Watsuki bases many of his characters on historical figures and characters from other anime/manga series. For example, Himura Kenshin was based on Kawakami Gensai, one of the hitokiri (assassins) during the Bakumatsu (Japanese revolution). He was the master of the sword style called shiranui-ryu. Gensai is famous for felling the famous idealist Sakuma Shozan. Four years after the revolution ended, Gensai was falsely accused of a crime and was executed. Watsuki admires Kenshin for his desire to do good in honor of those whom he had to kill so the Meiji government could exist. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Kawakami Gensai (河上彦斎, 1834-1871), one of the four great hitokiri of the Bakumatsu period of 19th century Japan. ... Furanui Kenjutsu (also known as the Shiranui-ryu) was a possible fictional style of swordsmanship which hitokiri Kawakami Gensai created. ...

In addition, Saitō Hajime was based on the historical Saito, a member of the Shinsengumi. Several other characters, most notably Sagara Sanosuke, Shinomori Aoshi, and Seta Sojiro, are also loosely based on certain figures among the Shinsengumi. Okita Soji, Okubo Toshimichi, and Katsura Kogoro were among numerous other historical figures who made appearances in the story. Saito Hajime (Fujita Goro) Saitō Hajime (æ–Žè—¤ 一) (February 18, 1844 - September 28, 1915) was the captain of the third troop of the Shinsengumi, and one of the few core members who survived the numerous wars of the late shogunate period, // Saito was born in Edo, Musashi Province (now Tokyo). ... Sagara Sanosuke (相楽佐之助), known in Western order (Sanosuke Sagara) in the English anime, is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X. The character model for Sagara Sanosuke is the 10th unit captain of the Shinsengumi, Harada Sanosuke. ... Shinomori Aoshi (四乃森蒼紫), known as Aoshi Shinomori in the English version of the anime, is a fictional Okashira, or leader, of the Oniwabanshu in the anime and manga series Rurouni Kenshin. ... Okita Sōji (æ²–ç”° 総司 Okita Sōji, also Okita Sōshi), (1844 - July 19, 1868) was captain of the first troop of the Shinsengumi, an armed special security team in Kyoto during the late shogunate period. ... Ōkubo Toshimichi (大久保 利通 Ōkubo Toshimichi, 10 August 1830 - 14 May 1878), Japanese statesman, a samurai of Satsuma, is one of the five great nobles who led the revolution in 1868 against the shogunate. ... Kido Takayoshi (木戸孝允), also referred as Kido Koin (1833-77) was a Japanese politician during the Late Tokugawa shogunate and the Meiji Restoration. ...

Manga Works

• Crescent Moon in the Warring States (first professional work) - Indirectly set in the Rurouni Kenshin world. Tells the tale of a former Hiko Seijūrō. It is collected in Rurouni Kenshin tankōbon volume 6.
• Rurouni: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story - Two short story Rurouni Kenshin pilots that preceded the launching of the ongoing series in Shonen Jump. They are collected in Rurouni Kenshin tankōbon volumes 1 and 3 in Japan and North America.
• Rurouni Kenshin (るろうに剣心)
• Kenshin Kaden - A Rurouni Kenshin guidebook that includes a short story in full color detailing the fates of all of the Rurouni Kenshin characters.
• Yahiko no Sakabatō - Also set in the Rurouni Kenshin universe. Details the final story set in the Rurouni Kenshin universe with Myōjin Yahiko as the main character. Yahiko must save the daughter of a swordsmen teacher from an old lost follower of Shishio.
• Meteor Strike (メテオ ストライク) - Short story done for a Shonen Jump artist competition. About a boy that got a meteor lodged in his head. He gains super-human strength from the meteor in his head and saves a city from being crushed by another meteor headed towards the nuclear reactor.
• GUN BLAZE WEST- Set in America in the 1800s, the 3 main characters look for the gunslingers paradise "Gun Blaze West". It was cancelled after 3 volumes.
• Buso Renkin (武装錬金 Busō Renkin)- finished at 10 volumes. About a boy who risked his life to save a girl from a monster called the homunculus - flesh eating monsters disguised as humans. His heart was replaced by alchemy and he uses it to call his Lance weapon to fight off these monsters.
• Embalming -DEAD BODY and BRIDE- (done for "JUMP the REVOLUTION" 2005 - Short story based on the Frankenstein idea of bringing the dead to life)
• Embalming II -DEAD BODY and LOVER- (done for "Jump the Revolution" 2006 - Another short story taking place in the Embalming universe)
• Embalming -The Another Tale of Frankenstein- (starts November 2007 in Jump Square; based off of his previous one shots)

Crescent Moon in the Warring States is a manga written by Nobuhiro Watsuki back in his days as a manga artist assistant. ... Tankōbon ) is the Japanese term for a compilation volume of a particular series (such as a manga or a novel series, magazine articles, essays, craft patterns, etc. ... Rurouni: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story is the collective name for two manga short stories published by Nobuhiro Watsuki in Shueishas Weekly Shonen Jump Special magazine. ... Weekly Shonen Jump, issue 40 (Japanese version) Weekly Shonen Jump (週刊少年ジャンプ ShÅ«kan Shōnen Janpu), with a circulation of over 3 million, is one of the longest-running, weekly manga compilations in Japan. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... It has been suggested that Sakabato be merged into this article or section. ... A Rurouni Kenshin guidebook with a full color story. ... Also set in the Rurouni Kenshin universe. ... Myōjin Yahiko (明神 弥彦 Myōjin Yahiko), known in Western order (Yahiko Myojin) in the English anime, is a fictional character in the anime and manga Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X. In the Spanish-language version of the anime, he is known as Yoshi. ... Meteor Strike is a short story done by Watsuki for a Shonen Jump artist competition. ... Gun Blaze West is a manga by Nobuhiro Watsuki, before Busō Renkin, and after Rurouni Kenshin . ... Buso Renkin , literally Arms Alchemy) is a manga series written and drawn by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator of Rurouni Kenshin. ... Jump Square (Jump², Jump SQ.) Will debut in November 2, 2007 to replace Monthly Shōnen Jump. ...

Video Game Designs

• Shinsengumi Gunraw Den
• Samurai Shodown V

Caption A video game about the Shinsengumi. ... Samurai Shodown V ) is the eighth game in SNKs Samurai Shodown series of fighting games. ...

Notable Helpers

• Oda Eiichiro - Mangaka of One Piece
• Mashima Hiro - Mangaka of Groove Adventure RAVE
• Takei Hiroyuki - Mangaka of Shaman King
• Kaoru Kurosaki (黒崎薫)

Eiichiro Oda (尾田栄一郎 Oda Eiichirō, January 1, 1975 - ) is the creator of the manga and anime One Piece. ... Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump Monthly Shonen Jump Carlsen-Verlag Original run August 4, 1997 – (ongoing) No. ... Hiro Mashima , born May 3, 1977) is a Japanese manga artist most known for his manga Groove Adventure Rave, published by Kodanshas Weekly Shonen Magazine, from 1998 to 2005. ... RAVE ) or Groove Adventure RAVE, known in the USA as Rave Master, is an anime and manga series by Hiro Mashima. ... Hiroyuki Takei (武井宏之 Takei Hiroyuki) is a manga author. ... Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump Shonen Jump Shonen Jump Banzai! Original run 1998 – 2004 No. ...

External links

• The-OrO// Mangaka More information about Watsuki.