竹宮惠子
is a "shōjo" manga with homosexual themes by Keiko Takemiya. It was published by Shougakukan, where it was serialized in the manga magazine "Shōjo Comic" from 1976 to 1981 and in "Petit Flower" from 1981 to 1984. In 1979, it was awarded the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for "shōnen"/"shōjo" manga. The series is widely regarded as a "shōnen-ai" manga classic, being one of the first in the genre to combine romantic and sexual relationships. It took nine years for Takemiya's publishers to agree to publish it, as Takemiya refused to censor the sexual elements of the story.