Takeshi Obata
| Takeshi Obata 小畑 健 |
|
|---|---|
| Born |
February 11, 1969 Niigata, Niigata, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Area(s) | Manga artist, illustrator |
|
Notable works
|
Hikaru no Go, Death Note, Bakuman. |
| Collaborators | Yumi Hotta, Tsugumi Ohba |
| Awards | Tezuka Award (1989), Shogakukan Manga Award (1999), Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize (2003) |
Takeshi Obata (小畑 健 Obata Takeshi?, born February 11, 1969) is a Japanese manga artist that usually works as the illustrator in collaboration with a writer. He first gained international attention for Hikaru no Go (1998–2003) with Yumi Hotta, but is better known for Death Note (2003–2006) and Bakuman. (2008–2012) with Tsugumi Ohba. Obata has mentored several well-known manga artists, including Nobuhiro Watsuki of Rurouni Kenshin fame, Black Cat creator Kentaro Yabuki, and Eyeshield 21 artist Yusuke Murata.
Takeshi Obata chose to be a manga artist because he always loved drawing. As a child he re-read Shotaro Ishinomori's Cyborg 009 over and over. He originally became noticed in 1985 when he took a prize in the Tezuka Award for his one shot 500 Kōnen no Shinwa. Joining the Weekly Shōnen Jump staff, he mentored under Makoto Niwano before starting his first major series, writing and drawing Cyborg Jii-chan G in 1989. After this series, Obata began collaborating with other writers.
Karakurizōshi Ayatsuri Sakon, with author Sharakumaro, became his first work to be adapted into an anime. He then created Hikaru no Go with Yumi Hotta, which received the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1999 and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2003. With 25 million collected volumes in circulation, it was adapted into an anime and became his first work to be released in North America.
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