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Kentaro Yabuki

Kentaro Yabuki
矢吹 健太朗
Born (1980-02-04) February 4, 1980 (age 44)
Okayama, Japan
Area(s)
Notable works
CollaboratorsSaki Hasemi
Tomohiro Matsu
Children3
Signature
Signature of Kentaro Yabuki

Kentaro Yabuki (Japanese: 矢吹 健太朗, Hepburn: Yabuki Kentarō, born February 4, 1980[1]) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for his series Black Cat (2000–2004) and for illustrating To Love Ru (2006–2009) and To Love Ru Darkness (2010–2017) alongside author Saki Hasemi. Yabuki also wrote and illustrated the series Ayakashi Triangle (2020–2023). His mentor was Takeshi Obata, the illustrator of Hikaru no Go, Death Note and Bakuman.

Overview

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Yabuki has stated that everything he learned about drawing manga, he learned from Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball. He even admitted that his first publication in Jump was not his own work but actually an illustration combining, or rather fusing together, its characters Gohan and Trunks that he sent in to a 1995 contest and won a prize for.[2] Yabuki was an extra in the 2003 movie Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., running through the streets of Roppongi Hills.[3]

Yabuki's first serialized manga, Yamato Gensōki, briefly ran in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1998. His first popular series, Black Cat, was serialized in the same magazine between July 2000 and June 2004. It sold over 12 million copies in Japan and was adapted into an anime television series by Gonzo.[4] Both were released in North America. Upon its ending, Yabuki expressed desire to make a sequel or make its characters reappear in another work.[5] Yabuki then teamed up with Saki Hasemi and illustrated the Weekly Shōnen Jump series To Love Ru (2006–2009) while Hasemi wrote it. It was released in North America and adapted into several anime television series and original video animations (OVAs), which have also been released internationally.

Yabuki's one-shot "Futagami Double" was published in the January 4, 2010, issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump.[6] That month, he began illustrating a manga adaptation of Tomohiro Matsu's Mayoi Neko Overrun! light novel series for Jump SQ. before it was transferred to Jump SQ.19 in August 2010.[7][8] In October 2010, Yabuki and Hasemi began To Love Ru Darkness in Jump SQ..[8] In August 2011 the editorial department suddenly announced that Mayoi Neko Overrun! had ended without giving an explanation.[9] To Love Ru Darkness ran until 2017 and, like the original, the sequel series was released in North America and adapted into several anime television series and OVAs, which have also been released internationally. Together, the To Love Ru and To Love Ru Darkness manga series have over 16 million copies in circulation.[10]

In 2014, Yabuki began providing the illustrations for a different Matsu light novel series, Hatena Illusion. But the fourth installment released in November 2015 became the last due to Matsu's death in 2016.[11] However, a series titled Hatena Illusion R began in 2019, and Yabuki continues his role as illustrator of the novels. From 2018 to 2020, he illustrated a manga adaptation of the Darling in the Franxx anime for the Shōnen Jump+ website and app.[12] Yabuki's one-shot "Reo × Reo" was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on February 9, 2019, as part of the magazine's Valentine's Day celebrations.[13] He launched the manga series Ayakashi Triangle in the June 15, 2020, issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump.[14] On April 25, 2022, the series transferred to Shōnen Jump+ where it continued until September 25, 2023.[15][16]

Personal life

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Yabuki said he was born in Okayama but "formed [his] personality" in Kōchi.[17] Yabuki and his first wife were divorced as of June 2009.[18] They have a daughter.[19] In August 2015, Yabuki announced in the September 2015 issue of Jump SQ. that he had gotten remarried.[20] He is the brother-in-law of fellow manga artist Kenta Shinohara.[21] Yabuki announced the birth of his first son in June 2022,[22] and the birth of his second in August 2024.[23]

Works

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Manga

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Serials

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One-shots

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Other work

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References

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  1. ^ 矢吹健太朗 Info [@yabuki_info] (February 4, 2023). 43歳…！デビューから25年たってしまいましたが皆さんの応援のおかげで楽しく描き続けています。本当にありがとうございます✨これからも健康に気をつけつつ頑張ります‼︎ (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Suzuki, Haruhiko, ed. (December 19, 2003). "5: Dragon Ball Children". Dragon Ball Landmark (in Japanese). Shueisha. p. 174. ISBN 4-08-873478-5.
  3. ^ Yabuki, Kentaro (2008) [2003]. Black Cat. Vol. 16. Viz Media. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-4215-1607-3.
  4. ^ "GDHDH グループ中間決算説明会" (PDF) (in Japanese). Gonzo. November 21, 2005. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  5. ^ Yabuki, Kentaro (2009) [2004]. Black Cat. Vol. 20. Viz Media. p. 212. ISBN 978-1-4215-2379-8.
  6. ^ "To Love-Ru's Yabuki Confirmed for Mayoi Neko Overrun". Anime News Network. December 1, 2009. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  7. ^ "Shonen Jump, Jump Square to Launch New Spinoff Mags". Anime News Network. April 13, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "SQ19に矢吹健太朗「迷い猫」が移籍、一色登希彦新連載も". Natalie (in Japanese). August 19, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  9. ^ "Mayoi Neko Overrun! Manga Abruptly Ends in Japan". Anime News Network. August 3, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  10. ^ "To LOVEる：「ダークネス」7年の歴史に幕 次号から番外編掲載へ". Mantan Web (in Japanese). March 4, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  11. ^ "Tomohiro Matsu's Hatena Illusion Light Novels Get Anime". Anime News Network. March 25, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  12. ^ "Kentaro Yabuki's DARLING in the FRANXX Manga to End in 3 Chapters". Anime News Network. December 15, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  13. ^ "Shonen Jump Publishes 5 1-Shot Manga for Valentines Day". Anime News Network. February 8, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  14. ^ "Kentarō Yabuki, Ryūhei Tamura Launch New Manga in Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine in June". Anime News Network. June 7, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  15. ^ "Kentaro Yabuki's Ayakashi Triangle Manga Moves to Shonen Jump+". Anime News Network. April 17, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  16. ^ "Kentaro Yabuki's Ayakashi Triangle Manga Ends". Anime News Network. September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  17. ^ "Mangaka Musings 10/24/2021". Viz Media. October 24, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  18. ^ "『ニコニコ動画』未成年投稿者が『週刊少年ジャンプ』漫画家の妻との不倫を謝罪" (in Japanese). Livedoor News. June 9, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  19. ^ "Mangaka Musings 8/9/2021". Viz Media. August 9, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  20. ^ "To Love-Ru/Black Cat Manga Artist Kentaro Yabuki Gets Married". Anime News Network. August 1, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  21. ^ Llanes, Jeric (February 7, 2021). "Mangaka Musings 02/07/2020". Viz Media. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  22. ^ 矢吹健太朗 Info [@yabuki_info] (June 3, 2022). 先日、我が家に新しい家族が加わりました✨元気な男の子…感無量です😊 (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved December 12, 2022 – via Twitter.
  23. ^ 矢吹健太朗 Info [@yabuki_info] (August 19, 2024). 私事ですが 先日、次男が誕生しました😊 という訳で 古手川唯&赤ちゃんリト✨ (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved August 19, 2024 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ a b 矢吹 健太朗 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
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