is a Japanese

manga artist A manga artist, also known as a mangaka (), is a Cartoonist, comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist before entering the indus ...

who writes primarily for the weekly

Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of comics, magazines, light novels, dictionaries, literature, non-fiction, home media, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but ...

manga publication ''

Weekly Shōnen Sunday is a weekly manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan since March 1959. Contrary to its title, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' issues are released on Wednesdays. ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' has sold over 1.8billion copies since 1986, making it ...

''. When he started at the company in 1989, he began with an anthology of various shorts and one-shots collectively known as ''Shiina Department Store''. Eventually one of these one-shots, about a beautiful, money grubbing female

exorcist In some religions, an exorcist (from the Greek „ἐξορκιστής“) is a person who is believed to be able to cast out the devil or performs the ridding of demons or other supernatural beings who are alleged to have possessed a person ...

and her lecherous companion, would become the basis of his best known work: '' Ghost Sweeper Mikami: Gokuraku Daisakusen!!'' (better known by its shorter name: ''Ghost Sweeper Mikami'', or ''GS Mikami'') Running from 1991 through 1999, it became well known and popular work in ''Sunday'', leading to an anime of the series from 1993 through 1994 by

Toei Animation is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...

as well as a

Shogakukan Manga Award The is one of Japan's major manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is ...

for shōnen in 1993. Even as he had success with ''Mikami'', Shiina continued to create various one-shot stories on the side of his main series. After the end of ''GS Mikami'', Shiina tried to create new series for the manga anthology, such as ''Ichiban-yu no Kanata'' and ''Mister Japan''. He also created new series and shorts on the side, including ''GS Holmes: Gokuraku Daisakusen!!'' (an alternate take on

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

co-starring the robotic Maria from GS Mikami) In 2003, Shiina introduced another of his many ideas in Shōnen Sunday in short form: '' Zettai Karen Children'', about three young girls with great psychic powers and terrifying ambitions. Finding some success with it in short form, the manga artist introduced it as a weekly series in 2005, where it continued to run in ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' until June 2021.

Works

*''Bouken! Mahou Shoujo Mami chan'' (1989–1990) *''Shiina Department Store'' (1991) *'' Ghost Sweeper Mikami'' (1991–1999) *''Mister Japan'' (2000) *''Ichiban-yu no Kanata'' (2002) *''GS Holmes Gokuraku Taisakusen!!'' (2004) *'' Zettai Karen Children'' (2005–2021) *'' Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon'' (2021–present)

References

External links

Takashi Shiina's Official Website

Takashi Shiina's blog
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shiina, Takashi 1965 births Living people Manga artists from Osaka Prefecture Winners of the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen manga