Nami Sano

was a Japanese manga artist. She made her debut in 2010 with the one-shot title ''Non-Sugar Coffee''. She later published two series, '' Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto'' (2012–2015) and '' Migi & Dali'' (2017–2021), which were both adapted into anime series.

Early life

Sano was born in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, on 17 April 1987. She attended , where she served as the head of the tennis club. She later attended and graduated from . According to a former classmate, Sano was a quiet student but was skilled in painting, stating that she drew the background for a class play during their school's cultural festival. She had wanted to be a manga artist since she was in elementary school and started drawing manga while in high school. Sano graduated from Kyoto Seika University under its Cartoon Manga course. '' Twin Star Exorcists'' author , an alumni and professor at the university, said that Sano once served as his assistant.

Career

At age 20, Sano submitted her comics to three publishers, from which she received a reply from Tatsuya Shiode, an editor for the magazine '' Harta'' (formerly named ''Fellows!''). Shiode said that he "felt a lot of energy" in Sano's drawings despite them not being polished. She debuted as a manga artist in April 2010 with the one-shot ''Non-Sugar Coffee'', which was published in ''Fellows!'' The following year, Sano's one-shot ''Katahaba Hiroshi'' was included in the ''Costume Fellows! 2011'' booklet. Her next one-shot ''Taylor's House'' was released in ''Fellows!'' that year.

Sano's debut series was originally planned to be a "romantic comedy about boy who can see the five seconds into the future, and how he falls in love with other girls." After Sano sent some storyboards, Shiode said the story was "not funny at all", prompting her to change it into a gag manga. The series '' Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto'' was initially a one-shot published in ''Fellows!'' in August 2011, before being serialized in the same magazine from April 2012 to December 2015. It revolves around a high school student named Sakamoto who has a reputation for being the "coolest" person in the entire student body. It was compiled into four volumes, which have collectively sold over 3.5 million copies. The series won the Comic Natalie Grand Prize in 2013 and was nominated for the Manga Taishō in 2014. Studio Deen adapted the manga into an anime series in 2016; a spin-off one-shot titled ''Hito Yonde 8823'' was published in ''Harta'' in the same year. Sano was a special guest at Anime Expo 2016 where she held autograph sessions.

Sano stated that her next series would also be a comedy, but it would focus more on the characters' feelings and a goal that they would work towards. The series was titled '' Migi & Dali'', which was serialized in ''Harta'' from July 2017 to November 2021. It follows the titular twins Migi and Dali who pose as a boy named Hitori while finding out the truth surrounding their mother's death. Seven volumes were released, which have a total of 350,000 copies in circulation. It was adapted into an anime series by Geek Toys and CompTown in 2023. Sano drew the illustrations shown in the anime's ending sequence; they were later included in a 28-page booklet titled ''The Timeless Collection of Arts from "Migi & Dali"'' that was bundled with an issue of ''Harta''. She also illustrated the cover art of Nulbarich's "Skyline", the anime's ending song. Sano finished supervising the adaptation prior to her death.

Death

In May 2023, Sano went for a checkup after she felt tension in her abdomen. A tumor was discovered in her ovary; a month before her death it was diagnosed as malignant and already in its fourth stage. Sano died of ovarian cancer on 5 August 2023 at age 36; a funeral was held on 7 and 8 August. She was in the process of planning a new manga while undergoing treatment. Her death was made public on 16 August. The announcement included a passage from her final letter, which stated, "This ended up being a fun life. I am now going to a more free world. Goodbye." , author of '' Hakumei and Mikochi'', and voice actors Ayumu Murase and Shun Horie were among those who offered their condolences. Sano, ''Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto'', ''Migi & Dali'', and the phrase "one month of illness" also became trending topics on Twitter in Japan following the announcement.

Style, influences and legacy

Sano has cited ''Magical Circle Guru Guru'' as her inspiration to become a manga artist, calling the story "very down to earth" and adding that she liked the humor. She was also inspired by manga artist Kaoru Mori. ''The Asahi Shimbun'' called Sano's style unique, stating that she does not incorporate a straight man character into the story, but rather leaves the humor to the reader's interpretation. Reviewers for Anime News Network said that she had "a distinctive perspective and gauge for hilarity" and "a unique knack for absurdist humor."

The setting of ''Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto'' is primarily modeled after locations in Sano's hometown of Nishinomiya, particularly those along the Hanshin Main Line. In 2016, a collaboration was held between the anime adaptation, the city of Nishinomiya, and Hanshin Electric Railway which involved various projects, including a stamp rally and posters being displayed in various locations in the city. The collaboration led to local and overseas fans traveling to Nishinomiya as a form of pilgrimage. After the announcement of Sano's death, the local community offered their condolences. A column published by the Nishinomiya Mayor's Office thanked her for "sharing the wonders" of the city. In December 2023, a special program about Sano was presented during the Fureai Festival at Gakubun Junior High School.

Works

Serials

* (2012–2015, serialized in '' Harta'')
* (2017–2021, serialized in ''Harta'')

One-shots

* (2010, published in ''Fellows!'')
* (2011, published in ''Costume Fellows! 2011'')
* (2011, published in ''Fellows!'')
* (2011, published in ''Fellows!'')
* (2016, published in ''U12 Kodomo Fellows'')
* (2016, published in ''Harta'')
* (2018, published in ''Slender Fellows'')

Other

* ''Harta'' volume 81 (magazine; 2021) – cover illustration
* ''Migi & Dali'' (anime; 2023) – ending sequence illustrations
* "Skyline" (song; 2023) – cover illustration

References

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sano, Nami
1987 births
2023 deaths
Deaths from ovarian cancer in Japan
Manga artists from Hyōgo Prefecture
People from Nishinomiya
Women manga artists