SABURAU ARTIST
Kouta Hirano, born, July 14, 1973 is the creator of "Drifters". He is a Japanese manga artist whose work mainly focuses on action and comedy. His work "Hellsing" which depicts a three-sided battle between the Church of England, the Catholic Vampire Hunter and the Nazi Vampire Corps was serialised in the monthly manga magazine Young King Ours since 1998 has become very popular and established him as a famous manga artist worldwide."Hellsing" was completed in 2009, after which he began writing "Drifters" the story of warriors from different eras fighting in a fantasy world.
"Drifters"
Drifters is an action-orientated historical fantasy work in which heroes such as Japanese samurai, ancient European warriors, American Wild West gunmen and soldiers from the Second World War are summoned to another world of medieval fantasy.The title "Drifters" refers the to the heroes brought to this fantasy world who are "drifting things" or "wanderers".Like the author/illustrator's previous work "Hellsing", it features animation with a heavy pattern emphasising shadows and a distinctive spiritual dialogue; a romance where great historical figures meet in episodes reminiscent with anecdotes of numerous historical facts. The whole of human history is depicted from the evolution of tools and technology and how different cultures and concepts interacted and caused changes in the real world.The main character is the samurai Shimazu Toyohisa who actually used the martial arts of the Taisha-ryu which is why the creators of Drifters collaborate with current Hyoho Taisha-ryu group.
Okadaya Yuichi / Okadaya Tetsuzo
Manga (Graphic Novel) Artist
Debut in 2007 as a graphic novel artist with "The man of Tango".
After releasing the fantasy Samurai story titled "SEN" in 2010, developing the genre on historical human drama.
Receiving Special Achievement Award at 16th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2011 with "Hirahira -kuniyoshi ichimon ukiyotan", a story about the real life Ukiyoe artist Utagawa Kuiyoshi and his pupils who lived the end of Edo period.
Mujin- InexhaustibleAn authentic period drama by Okadaya Tetsuro that takes place in the turbulent period at the close of Edo Era and the fall of the Tokugawa Shoganate. It tells the story of the life of Iba Hachiro, a legendary swordsman who was called "Iba no kotengu".
Drawings by: Karuna Kanzaki
Story by: Yuya Kurokami
Manga artist/writer team based in Japan. "Armed Girl's Machiavellism" serialised by Kadokawa Ace Series. Popular in the Traditional Japanese Martial Arts category. Past works include "Shinakoi" and "Shinai Mijikashi Koiseyo Otome".
Armed Girl's Machiavellism"
A battle action cartoon set in a school where boys are dominated by armed girls. The cute girls vividly showcase their skills in the old arts of Japanese swordsmen and the sword techniques they use are explained in detail.
One of the main characters uses the techniques of the Taisha-ryu school with whom the artists have collaborated with to create the manga cartoon.
With the kindness of Ms.Kanzaki and Mr.Kurokami, it was specially hand-drawn on traditional Japanese tsukigi paper.
Manga Artist
Takehiko Inoue
Born in 1967
From 1990 to 1996, Inoue wrote the manga "SLAM DUNK" depicting stories of a high school basketball team which was serialised in the weekly Shukan-Shonen jump (Shuesha). It became a huge hit domestically selling 1.17 million copies including the complete version.
From 1998, he produced the series "Vagabond" that tells the story of the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi for Shukan-morning (Kodansha). It is also published in Italy, France, Germany, Korea, Hong Kong and elsewhere and has a strong fan base all over the world.
Among his many awards are the Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division Grand Prize and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Manga Award. Also in 2009, he was awarded the Agency for Cultural Affairs Art Recognition Award for New Artist.
Calligraphy artist
Setta
His work is influenced by graffiti art as the basis of his creative technique. By combining the delicacy of washi paper with the strength of the fude brush he is able to sublimate kanji (logographic Chinese written characters) into art that turns the kanji into original designs.
He likes to create illustrations that use bones as the main motif and rather than begin with a sketch and add to it, he forms the image in his mind and draws is directly onto paper or canvas.
In the animation work of Kouta Hirano’s Drifters he is in charge of the handwriting design, the written words in the ending and other promotional illustrations in the main part.
He participates in exhibitions, events, live drawings and other activities. He is also involved in the creation of the title "Samurai Saburau".
Photographer Hamada Yoshiyuki
MIZUHIKI artist Uchino Toshiko
Hyogu-shi Uogaeshi Michio
Teaist Oeda yuno
Singer song writer Matsuda Ikumi
Japanese swordsmith Akamatsutaro Kanemitsu