Takahashi Rumiko
From Wiki.theppn
Takahashi Rumiko (高橋 留美子) is world famous, Japanese manga-ka. She is responsible for several popular manga series including: Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkoku and Inu Yasha. She has a large following across the world and has become one of the wealthiest women in Japan.
Profile
Information
Takahashi made her debut during her high school years in Shonen Sunday and has since spanned over 20 years in the manga business. Her first major success was in Urusei Yatsura, which ran for an amazing 9 years beginning in 1978, running at the very same time with Maison Ikkoku. Needless to say, she has taken on a ridiculous amount of work in a very short time.
She is most popular for her sense of humor and endearing characters that seem real and intangible at the same time; the emotions and relationships conveyed in her work are appealing and empathetic for most people, yet her characters endure a lot of silly situations from minor contests to chasing giant birds stuck to peoples' heads. Moreover, Takahashi is credited as one of the first female artists to work on shonen manga.
However, a steady progression to more mature work is obvious when tracing the chronology of each title produced. A collection of shorts called Mermaid Saga (Mermaid's Scar was available in North America for a short while) is a clear cut example of this mature work, though the lighthearted side of Takahashi has never truly disappeared.
Although often accused of dragging out stories longer than they need to (Ranma 1/2 ran for 38 volumes), there is no denying that Takahashi's mark has been made in the manga and anime world. Her most successful works have all been adapted in some form or another to anime. Whether it be an excerpt or an ambitious attempt to encompass her longer works (Inu Yasha and Ranma 1/2 being notable entries into the latter), she probably enjoys one of the most successful manga-to-anime conversion rates in the world.
She has been an influence on many major players in the world and will continue to do so long after her pen has run out of ink.
