荒川弘
After the completion of her successful fantasy series "Fullmetal Alchemist", author Hiromu Arakawa and her publisher Shogakukan agreed that she should begin the more realistic "Silver Spoon" as a way to challenge herself as a manga artist and recruit new readers. Having grown up in a rural setting, many elements of the manga are drawn from Arakawa's experiences in her youth. For instance, characters such as the piggery teacher Ichiko Fuji and members of the Holstein fanclub are based on individuals she knew in her high school. Though the story contains matters like the protagonist Yuugo Hachiken's ethical dilemma over animal slaughter, Arakawa insists "Silver Spoon" is not a "green" manga. She states that she simply wants to tell the story of a high schooler's maturation, similar to how "Fullmetal Alchemist" focuses on the development of the main character Edward Elric rather than promoting alchemy.