Kaoru Shintani, born on April 26, 1951, in Toyonaka, Osaka, is a Japanese manga artist best known as the creator of the long-running series Area 88. He began his career in 1972 as a shōjo artist and was nominated for the Ribon Comics Award for best new artist of that year. After working as an assistant to the legendary Leiji Matsumoto, the creator of Space Pirate Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999, Shintani began publishing aviation-themed titles in various comic magazines. The serialization of his signature work, Area 88, began in 1979 and has remained popular since its debut. During his time as Matsumoto’s assistant, one of Shintani’s duties was to construct plastic models for drawing reference, and Matsumoto has often stated that he based the character Yattaran on Shintani.

Shintani is the original creator of numerous manga that have been adapted into anime, including the titles mentioned. Area 88 was adapted into a 1985 original video animation, a 1985 film, and a 2004 television series. Desert Rose was released as an OVA in 1993, with Shintani himself writing the screenplay. Goddamn was adapted into a two-episode OVA in 1990. Hidari no O’Clock!! was released as a two-episode OVA in 1990. I Dream of Mimi was released as a three-episode OVA in 1997 under the title Buttobi!! CPU, based on Shintani’s manga Buttobi CPU. Beyond these, his manga Cleopatra DC was adapted into an OVA series from 1989 to 1991, with Shintani also providing the screenplay. He also provided the original character design for the 1980 television series Space Emperor God Sigma.

Shintani’s artistic identity is characterized by a distinctive combination of detailed mechanical design and shōjo-influenced character aesthetics, a blend that some attribute to the influence of his wife, fellow manga creator Kayono Saeki. While he is most famous for the aviation combat of Area 88, his body of work is notably diverse, spanning science fiction, fantasy, comedy, and adult genres. His career demonstrates a frequent involvement in the adaptation of his own works, as he personally wrote screenplays for several OVA versions of his manga. In 1985, he was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen for Area 88 and Futari Daka. On his 66th birthday in April 2017, Shintani announced he would be taking a hiatus from drawing manga, stating his intention to try new things after a rest.