Makoto Kobayashi
Description
Makoto Kobayashi is a Japanese manga artist and anime creator born on May 13, 1958, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. He began his professional career in 1978 when his short story Kakutō san Kyōdai won a newcomer's award in Shōnen Magazine. That same year, he launched his first major serialized work, 1, 2 no Sanchirō, a wrestling manga that ran until 1983 and won the Kodansha Manga Award in 1981.
Kobayashi is perhaps best known for his manga What's Michael?, a comedic series about an orange tabby cat and his various adventures. Serialized irregularly in the magazine Morning from 1984 to 2003, the series earned him his second Kodansha Manga Award in 1986. His background in judo during high school directly influenced one of his other notable works, Jūdō-bu Monogatari (Judo Club Story), which was serialized in Weekly Young Magazine from 1985 to 1991 and collected in eleven volumes. This manga was adapted into a two-episode original video animation in 1991, with Kobayashi credited as the original creator.
Another significant anime work associated with the name Makoto Kobayashi is the 1988 OVA Dragon's Heaven. However, this credit refers to a different creator also named Makoto Kobayashi (born 1960), a mechanical designer, illustrator, and anime director known for his work on Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ. This Makoto Kobayashi designed mecha for numerous series including Giant Robo, Final Fantasy Unlimited, and Trinity Blood, and directed the OVA Dragon's Heaven based on his own 1986 manga. He also directed the 2007 film Ice.
The manga artist Makoto Kobayashi, creator of Jūdō-bu Monogatari, has demonstrated a recurring interest in martial arts and sports comedy throughout his career, often drawing from his own experiences. His drawing style has been described as unusual and distinctive, with What's Michael? being his most widely translated work. Beyond his manga series, he has worked as an assistant to Mikiya Mochizuki and has mentored several artists who became notable in their own right, including Shuichi Shigeno, creator of Initial D. His manga works have been consistently published by Kodansha in Japan.
Kobayashi is perhaps best known for his manga What's Michael?, a comedic series about an orange tabby cat and his various adventures. Serialized irregularly in the magazine Morning from 1984 to 2003, the series earned him his second Kodansha Manga Award in 1986. His background in judo during high school directly influenced one of his other notable works, Jūdō-bu Monogatari (Judo Club Story), which was serialized in Weekly Young Magazine from 1985 to 1991 and collected in eleven volumes. This manga was adapted into a two-episode original video animation in 1991, with Kobayashi credited as the original creator.
Another significant anime work associated with the name Makoto Kobayashi is the 1988 OVA Dragon's Heaven. However, this credit refers to a different creator also named Makoto Kobayashi (born 1960), a mechanical designer, illustrator, and anime director known for his work on Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ. This Makoto Kobayashi designed mecha for numerous series including Giant Robo, Final Fantasy Unlimited, and Trinity Blood, and directed the OVA Dragon's Heaven based on his own 1986 manga. He also directed the 2007 film Ice.
The manga artist Makoto Kobayashi, creator of Jūdō-bu Monogatari, has demonstrated a recurring interest in martial arts and sports comedy throughout his career, often drawing from his own experiences. His drawing style has been described as unusual and distinctive, with What's Michael? being his most widely translated work. Beyond his manga series, he has worked as an assistant to Mikiya Mochizuki and has mentored several artists who became notable in their own right, including Shuichi Shigeno, creator of Initial D. His manga works have been consistently published by Kodansha in Japan.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview
- Topics: Anime overview