Ai Yazawa
Career. Yazawa's most famous manga include "Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai", "Neighborhood Story", "Paradise Kiss", and "Nana". She also voiced an animated rendition of herself that made a cameo appearance in the final episode of the "Neighborhood Story" anime. All five volumes of "Paradise Kiss" were released in English by Vertical, Inc. "Nana" ran in now-defunct American manga magazine "Shojo Beat". In 2003, Yazawa was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award for "Nana". "Nana" was made into an anime (produced by Madhouse) and a successful movie with a sequel in Japan. In June 2009, it was revealed that  Yazawa had contracted a sudden illness, and had to be sent to hospital for treatment, putting "Nana" on hiatus. She returned from the hospital in April 2010, although has yet to reveal when or if she will be continuing "Nana". Yazawa has worked on a variety of small illustrative projects since putting "Nana" on hold. She provided artwork for singer JUJU's single "Iiwake" in 2017 and a celebratory illustration for Space Channel 5 VR in 2020, drew a mini-manga featuring characters from her series "Tenshi Nanka Ja Nai" and "Neighborhood Story" in 2016, contributed new images to the  2015 "Nana" calendar, and published a new "Junko's Room" chapter, her first new manga in over three years, in 2013. Yazawa's storylines are generally centered on young women and their relationships. The characters are always very stylish, and she is known especially for her hip sense of fashion. Yazawa herself attended a fashion school after high school but did not complete her studies there. Another key point is her often rebellious characters, who tend to be juxtaposed against the more traditional ones.