Yuji Kaku (Japanese: 賀来ゆうじ, Hepburn: Kaku Yūji) is a Japanese manga artist. Originally an editor, Kaku began working as manga artist in 2009 with Memory Customs, a one-shot published in Jump Square. In 2013, he launched his first series, Fantasma. After working as an assistant to Tatsuki Fujimoto, Kaku launched his second series, Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku, in Shōnen Jump+, which quickly became the most popular manga on the platform. It was adapted into an anime in 2023.
| Yuji Kaku 賀来ゆうじ | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Area(s) | Manga artist |
Notable works | |
| Collaborators | Tatsuki Fujimoto |
| Relatives | Takeshi Tsuruno (cousin) |
Biography
editAs a child, Kaku often spent time painting and practicing swordplay with his cousin, Takeshi Tsuruno. Tsuruno feels this swordplay experience would influence Kaku's later works.[1] Kaku entered the manga industry in 2007, when he began working as an editor for Weekly Shōnen Champion.[2] After leaving Akita Shoten in 2008, Kaku wrote a one-shot, titled Memory Customs, which was published in Jump Square in 2009. It later received an honorable mention in the Jump Square Comic Grand Prix.[3] In 2013, Kaku began his first full series, Fantasma. It was serialized in Jump Square until the following year.[4] From 2016 to 2018, Kaku worked as an assistant to Tatsuki Fujimoto with his work on Fire Punch.[5]
In 2018, Kaku began serializing Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku on the Shōnen Jump+ website, where it ran until 2021.[6] The series quickly grew in popularity. By August 2018, it was the most popular series on Shōnen Jump+.[7] In the same year, it also ranked eleventh in the Next Manga Award in the web manga category.[8] In the 2019 edition of Kono Manga ga Sugoi!, the series was one of three series tied for 16th place on its list of the top manga series for male readers.[9] An anime adaptation of the series has also been produced.[10] In 2021, Kaku began serializing Ayashimon in Weekly Shōnen Jump, where it ran until 2022.[11]
Works
editOne-shots
edit- Memory Customs (おもいで税関, Omoide Zeikan) (2009) (published in Jump Square)[3]
- Jailbreak Princess (脱獄姫, Datsugoku Hime) (2016) (published in Jump SQ. Crown)[12]
Manga series
edit- Fantasma (2013–2014) (serialized in Jump Square)[4]
- Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku (地獄楽, Jigokuraku) (2018–2021) (serialized in Shōnen Jump+)[6]
- Ayashimon (アヤシモン) (2021–2022) (serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump)[11]
References
edit- ^ "賀来ゆうじ" (in Japanese). Takeshi Tsuruno's blog. January 23, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ "【20話】持ち込め！新人作家！持ち込みの極意!!" (in Japanese). Shōnen Jump+. October 17, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Kaku, Yuji (March 17, 2020). "About the Author". Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku. Vol. 1. Viz Media. p. 209. ISBN 978-1-974713-20-2.
- ^ a b "SQ.でマフィアファンタジー新連載＆「貧乏神が！」最終回". Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 4, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ "Yuji Kaku breaks down the maniac characters from Chainsaw Man!". Manga Plus. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Pineda, Rafael (January 18, 2021). "Hell's Paradise Manga Ends on January 25". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ 「ジャンプ＋」人気No.1作品『地獄楽』、ジャンプ出張掲載が大好評！. Da Vinci News (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. August 13, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (August 23, 2018). "Raise wa Tanin ga Ii, Senpai ga Uzai Kōhai no Hanashi Take Top Prizes at Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Awards". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael (October 10, 2018). "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Reveals 2019's Series Ranking for Male Readers". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 24, 2021). "Yūji Kaku's Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku Manga Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 29, 2022). "Yūji Kaku's Ayashimon Manga Ends". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
- ^ ジャンプＳＱ．（ジャンプスクエア）増刊 （２０１６年２月号） - ジャンプＳＱ．ＣＲＯＷＮ ２０１６ ＷＩＮＴＥＲ. Kinokuniya Web Store (in Japanese).
External links
edit- Yuji Kaku at Anime News Network's encyclopedia