Ai Yazawa

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox writer Template:Nihongo is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator. Yazawa debuted as a manga artist with her short story Ano Natsu (1985). She gained mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s with her series Tenshi Nanka ja Nai (1991), Neighborhood Story (1995), Paradise Kiss (1999), and Nana (2000),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> the latter being one of the best-selling manga series. Since June 2009, Yazawa has been focusing on illustration projects due to health concerns.

Early life

Yazawa started reading manga magazines when she was 10 years old, and when she was 12 years old, she attempted to draw manga and submitted it to Ribon Manga School, making it into the lowest class.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-05 3">Template:Cite news</ref> Yazawa began training and submitting her works seriously around age 15, eventually making it into a higher class.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-05 3"/> As a student, she was a fan of Eikichi Yazawa, whose surname she adopted for her pseudonym.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-03">Template:Cite news</ref>

At the time of her manga debut, Yazawa was 17 years old<ref name="ntv 2022-07-21"/> and in her final year of high school.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-05 3"/> Unsure of whether she would be able to make a living off of being a manga artist, Yazawa wound up attending Template:Ill<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> to become a stylist.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-05 3"/> However, once Ribon decided to serialize her works, Yazawa dropped out of school to focus on drawing manga, a decision she describes as "disappointing" and "painful" at the time.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-05 3"/>

Career

1985–1991: Debut and early works

With the help of an editor, Yazawa debuted as a manga artist on her 10th submission to Ribon in 1985 with the short story Ano Natsu.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-05 3"/><ref name="ntv 2022-07-21">Template:Cite news</ref>

1991–2009: Mainstream breakthrough

From 1991 to 1995, Yazawa published Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai in Ribon, which became her breakthrough series.<ref name="diabo 2002"/> Following Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai, Yazawa went onto publish Neighborhood Story.<ref name="diabo 2002"/> After the end of Neighborhood Story, Yazawa created Last Quarter.<ref name="diabo 2002"/>

Yazawa was later requested to draw two short stories to accompany the launch of Cookie.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-04">Template:Cite news</ref> This led to the creation of Nana, as she decided to make the two stories related to each other so that they would be easier to read if they were later picked up for serialization.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-04"/> In 2003, Yazawa was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award for Nana.<ref name="ShogakukanAward">Template:Cite web</ref> Yazawa illustrated the cover of Rumi Shishido's 2003 album Rumi Roll, who she had been friends with since Shishido was cast as Mikako in the anime adaptation of Neighborhood Story.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In June 2009, Yazawa became hospitalized after contracting an illness, putting Nana on indefinite hiatus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She returned from the hospital in April 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2022, Yazawa stated she was still recovering from her illness and expressed interest in continuing Nana in the future.<ref name="ntv 2022-07-21"/>

2009–present: Nana hiatus and illustration work

Yazawa has focused on illustration work since putting Nana on hold.<ref name="ntv 2022-07-21"/> She provided artwork for singer Juju's single "Iiwake" in 2017 and a celebratory illustration for Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash in 2020, drew a mini-manga featuring characters from Tenshi Nanka ja Nai and Neighborhood Story in 2016, contributed new images to the 2015 Nana calendar, and published a new "Junko's Room" chapter,<ref name="natalie 2013-01-16">Template:Cite web</ref> her first new manga in over three years, in 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

From July 20, 2022, to August 8, 2022, Yazawa held an art exhibit titled "All Time Best", featuring original manga manuscripts and illustrations for Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai and her other series.<ref name="ntv 2022-07-21"/>

On January 31, 2024, Yazawa illustrated a promotional visual as part of a collaboration with fashion brand Lulu Felice, who created wedding dresses based on Nana and Neighborhood Story.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Yazawa became hospitalized in June 2009 for an unspecified illness, which caused her to put Nana on hiatus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was discharged in April 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Artistry and themes

Yazawa cites manga artists Template:Ill and Ryo Ikuemi as her inspirations, as well as music from the singers Miyuki Nakajima and Yumi Matsutoya.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-05 3"/> In 2008, Japanese Visual Culture: Explorations in the World of Manga and Anime compared her to manga artist Taku Tsumugi for her play with depth and layering.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Animefringe columnist Steve Diabo noted that Yazawa's works feature her "bizarre" sense of humor, with Yazawa often making cameos in her own works.<ref name="diabo 2002">Template:Cite book</ref>

While Yazawa initially started drawing manga using dip pens and brushes, after the conclusion of Neighborhood Story in 1996, she began using drawing pens, oil pastels and markers.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-05 3"/> However, Yazawa also stated that she would return to use dip pens and brushes for Last Quarter as the tools helped her convey the mood of the series.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-05 3"/> For color manuscripts, Yazawa used color ink until working on Marine Blue no Kaze ni Dakarete, and after Tenshi Nanka ja Nai, Yazawa began using digital tools.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-05 3"/> Currently, she uses an iPad and MacBook to illustrate.<ref name="yomiuri 2022-08-05 3"/>

Yazawa's work has been highlighted for its focus on Japanese alternative fashion; from 1998 to 1999, fashion magazine Template:Ill ran features on Mikako Komatsu, the main character of Neighborhood Story, and produced sewing patterns based on Happy Berry, a fictional fashion brand by the character.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In addition, Yazawa prominently features Vivienne Westwood in Nana, and some clothing featured in the show are based on clothing from her own personal collection.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2024, through a survey of 100 people by TV Maga (a web magazine operated by Template:Ill), Nana was voted no. 1 for most fashionable manga, along with Yazawa's other works Paradise Kiss and Neighborhood Story following at no. 2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Works

Series

Year	Title	Magazine	Notes
1986	Love Letter Template:Nihongo	Ribon
1988	Ballad Made Soba ni Ite Template:Nihongo	Ribon
1989	Template:Ill Template:Nihongo	Ribon
1991	Template:Nihongo	Ribon
1995	Neighborhood Story Template:Nihongo	Ribon
1998	Last Quarter Template:Nihongo	Ribon
1999	Paradise Kiss	Template:Ill
2000	Nana	Cookie

Short stories

• Ano Natsu (1985)
• 15-nenme (1986)
• Kaze ni Nare! (1988)
• Escape (1988)
• Usubeni no Arashi (1992)

Character design:

• Princess Ai (2004–2005) – 3 volumes

External links

• Template:Anime News Network
• Template:IMDb name
• Profile Template:Webarchive at The Ultimate Manga Guide