RIN-NE, Vol. 5
The spotlight on Rumiko Takahashi's career began in 1978 when she won an honorable mention in Shogakukan's annual New Comic Artist Contest forThose Selfish Aliens. Later that same year, her boy-meets-alien comedy series,Urusei Yatsura, was serialized inWeekly Shonen Sunday. This phenomenally successful manga series was adapted into anime format and spawned a TV series and half a dozen theatrical-release movies, all incredibly popular in their own right. Takahashi followed up the success of her debut series with one blockbuster hit after another--Maison Ikkokuran from 1980 to 1987,Ranma 1/2from 1987 to 1996, andInuyashafrom 1996 to 2008. Other notable works includeMermaid Saga,Rumic Theater, andOne-Pound Gospel. Takahashi won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award twice in her career, once forUrusei Yatsurain 1981 and the second time forInuyashain 2002. A majority of the Takahashi canon has been adapted into other media such as anime, live-action TV series, and film. Takahashi's manga, as well as the other formats her work has been adapted into, have continued to delight generations of fans around the world. Distinguished by her wonderfully endearing characters, Takahashi's work adeptly incorporates a wide variety of elements such as comedy, romance, fantasy, and martial arts. While her series are difficult to pin down into one simple genre, the signature style she has created has come to be known as theRumic World. Rumiko Takahashi is an artist who truly represents the very best from the world of manga.