Shaman King, Vol. 17 (v. 17)
Unconventional author/artist Hiroyuki Takei began his career by winning the coveted Hop Step Award (for new manga artists) and theOsamu Tezuka Award(named after the famous artist of the same name). After working as an assistant to famed artist Nobuhiro Watsuki, Takei debuted inWeekly Shonen Jumpin 1997 withButsu Zone, an action series based on Buddhist mythology. His multicultural adventure manga,Shaman King, which debuted in 1998, became a hit and was adapted into an anime TV series. Takei lists Osamu Tezuka, American comics and robot anime among his many influences.