Natsume Ono is a Japanese manga artist born on July 9, 1977. Beyond her work in mainstream manga, she also publishes boys' love comics under the pen name basso. Ono began creating doujinshi, or self-published manga, after graduating from high school. In 2001, she completed a ten-month study abroad program in Italy to study the Italian language. After returning to Japan in 2003, she created her first professional work, the webcomic series La Quinta Camera. This series was later serialized in the magazine Comic Seed! and published as a single volume.

Ono is the original creator behind several notable manga that have been adapted into anime. Her manga House of Five Leaves was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Monthly Ikki from November 2005 to July 2010 and collected in eight volumes. The series was adapted into a twelve-episode anime television series by studio Manglobe, which aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block from April to July 2010. The story is set during Japan's Edo period and follows a timid ronin named Masanosuke Akitsu who becomes entangled with a mysterious group of bandits called the Five Leaves.

Another major work is ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept., which was serialized in Square Enix's Monthly Big Gangan magazine from June 2013 to October 2016 and compiled into six volumes. The manga received an anime television series adaptation by studio Madhouse, which aired from January to March 2017. The story takes place in a kingdom divided into thirteen autonomous regions and follows Jean Otus, the vice-chairman of the inspection department of a giant civilian organization known as ACCA. An original video animation titled ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. Regards was released in February 2020. Other works by Ono that have been adapted into anime include Ristorante Paradiso, which was serialized in Manga Erotics F from 2005 to 2006 and received a television anime adaptation in 2009.

Ono is recognized for a distinctive artistic style characterized by loose, minimalist drawing and figures with characteristically wide mouths. She typically writes slice of life stories that focus on interpersonal relationships, with travel frequently used as a plot device and thematic element. Her works often explore the quiet dynamics between characters and have been noted for their atmospheric, contemplative tone. Many of her manga have been published in English by companies including Viz Media, Yen Press, and Kodansha USA, establishing her as a significant creator in the seinen manga genre with a dedicated international following.