Mine Yoshizaki
Mine Yoshizaki | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 2, 1971 |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Occupation | Manga artist |
| Website | Mine Yoshizaki's Homepage |
Mine Yoshizaki (吉崎 観音, Yoshizaki Mine, born December 2, 1971 in Isahaya, Nagasaki) is a Japanese manga creator who first started his career by making dōjinshi based on video games. Yoshizaki also worked as an assistant to manga artist Katsu Aki. His first publication was featured in a compilation book published by Shogakukan in 1989.
Career
Yoshizaki, a graduate student of Nagasaki University, started from drawing his own doujinshi, based on video games that were famous at that time (somewhere in the 1980s). With that doujinshi, he practiced and improved his drawing skills day by day. Yoshizaki said that his experience in drawing doujinshi was the most priceless experience that he ever had. According to him, making doujinshi gave him the opportunity to seek through the world of the manga industry, with all aspects from drawing to producing (meeting with printers, editing process etc.). This allows him to do all the work, rather working in a big-scale production company that lets him work in one particular branch.
He is best known for his manga Keroro Gunso, published as Sgt. Frog in the United States, which was first published in the Japanese manga magazine Shōnen Ace.[1] He is also the creator of Arcade Gamer Fubuki and did character design on the series Seven of Seven. In 2005, Sgt. Frog received the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga.[2]
Works:
- 1993–1995: FANTASWEAT
- 1993–1995: Detana!! TwinBee (spin-off from the video game Twin Bee)
- 1994–1995: 8BIT FIGHTER SHIEN
- 1995–1997: Space Juubei
- 1997-1998: Yume no Crayon Oukoku
- 1996–1998: VS Knight Lamune & 40 Fire
- 1998–2002: Arcade Gamer Fubuki
- 1999–present: Sgt. Frog (story and design)
- 2000–2003: Dragon Quest Monsters +
- 2007–2011: Otomedius (spin-off from the Gradius series)
- 2017: Kemono Friends (character design)
Due to various Gundam references, an ongoing Sgt. Frog anime was produced by Bandai. This led to Yoshizaki collaborating on certain Gundam projects, such as designing the mascot girls Reiko Holinger and Catharine Blitzen for the Gundam Card Builder game.
He has also been the designer of the Angel-XX figurine series from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
His latest work was for Konami's new Gradius-type shooter Otomedius, which he did the character designs for. This is significant because, instead of simply moving a fighter craft around, the player controls a unique character bound within a vehicle.
He has also designed a playable character called Angol Fear (a nod to his character Angol Mois in Sgt. Frog – they even wield similar weapons) to the fighting game Soulcalibur IV, and was the character designer for the well praised Kemono Friends anime series.
References
- ^ Wong, Amos. "Creator Profile: Mine Yoshizaki". (February 2007) Newtype USA. pp. 52-55.
- ^ 小学館漫画賞: 歴代受賞者 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Retrieved August 19, 2007.
