Wikipedia / Akimi Yoshida
Wikipedia / Akimi Yoshida
is a Japanese manga artist.
Career
She is a graduate of Musashino Art University. She made her professional debut in 1977 with the short story , published in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic magazine. Her following series were critical successes. Her series Sakura no Sono was adapted as a live-action film in 1992.
Yoshida is best known for the crime thriller series Banana Fish, which she published between 1985 and 1994. The series was reprinted many times and received an anime adaptation produced by MAPPA in 2018.
Style
While publishing mainly in ja-Latnshōjoy manga magazines, her drawing style has often been compared to the aesthetics of shōnen manga. Yoshida herself reacted to this in an interview with a magazine in 1982: "Being a secret shojo manga artist suits me just fine. Hidden in some little corner of the world, staying out of people's way, I can actually do some pretty outrageous things. Which is really great. [...] So, yeah, you men can just shut up. Girls, let's just have our own fun right here."
Reception
She is a three time recipient of the Shogakukan Manga Award – for Kisshō Tennyo in 1983 and for Yasha in 2001, both in the manga category, and for Umimachi Diary in 2015 in the general manga category. In 2002, Yasha was among the jury-selected works at the Japan Media Arts Festival 2002. In 2007, she received an Excellence Award for manga at the 11th Japan Media Arts Festival for Umimachi Diary, which was later adapted into a feature film titled Our Little Sister. In 2013, she was awarded the 6th Manga Taishō, again for Umimachi Diary.
Despite her work being solely published in shōjo manga magazines, she also has a broad readership among fans of shōnen manga.
Awards
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Notes |
1983 | and | Results announced in early 1984 | |||
2001 | 47th Shogakukan Manga Award | Results announced in early 2002 | |||
2002 | 6th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards, Manga Division | Jury Selections | Yasha | Recommended by the jury | |
2006 | Grand Prize | Eve no Nemuri | Came in seventh place in the initial vote | ||
2007 | 11th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards, Manga Division | Excellence Award | |||
2008 | 1st Manga Taishō | Umimachi Diary | Came in third place with 42 points | ||
12th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize | Grand Prize | Umimachi Diary | Came in second place in the initial vote | ||
2009 | 13th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize | Grand Prize | Umimachi Diary | Tied for first place in the initial vote | |
2011 | 15th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize | Grand Prize | Umimachi Diary | Tied for first place in the initial vote; Yoshida declined the nomination | |
2013 | 6th Manga Taishō | Umimachi Diary | |||
2015 | 61st Shogakukan Manga Award | General | Umimachi Diary | Results announced in January 2016 | |
2019 | 23rd Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize | Grand Prize | Umimachi Diary | Came in second place in the initial vote |
List of Akimi Yoshida's awards and nominations
Works
Series
Title | Year | Notes | Refs |
1978–1981 | Serialized in Bessatsu Shōjo ComicPublished by Shogakukan in 8 vol. | ||
1983–1985 | Serialized in Petit FlowerPublished by Shogakukan in 2 vol. | ||
1983–1984 | Serialized in Bessatsu Shōjo ComicPublished by Shogakukan in 4 vol. | ||
1985–1986 | Serialized in LaLaPublished by Hakusensha in 1 vol. | ||
1985–1994 | Serialized in Bessatsu Shōjo ComicPublished by Shogakukan in 19 vol. | ||
1988–1994 | Published in 1 vol. | ||
1995–1996 | Serialized in Bessatsu Shōjo ComicPublished by Shogakukan in 2 vol. | ||
1996–2002 | Serialized in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic and FlowersPublished by Shogakukan in 12 vol. | ||
2003–2005 | Serialized in FlowersPublished by Shogakukan in 5 vol. | ||
2006–2018 | Serialized in FlowersPublished by Shogakukan in 9 vol. | ||
2019–present | Serialized in FlowersPublished by Shogakukan in 4 vol. (as of December 2025) |
Short story collections
, 1983
Anime
, 1985, character designer
Art books
California Tuning, 1982
The Making of Bobby's Girl, 1985
Angel Eyes: Illustration Book Banana Fish, 1994 (1st ed.), 2018 (reprint)
Double Helix: Illustration Book Yasha, 2003
References
Literature
External links