Chimaki Kuori
Description
Chimaki Kuori is a Japanese manga creator best known for writing and illustrating Saint Seiya: Saintia Shō, a spin-off of Masami Kurumada's classic Saint Seiya franchise. Born on February 2 in Niigata Prefecture, Kuori began her career as an illustrator, with her debut work being Yabouenbukyoku. She initially left university to pursue illustration professionally, focusing on science fiction novels before being approached by an editor to try her hand at manga.
Before creating Saintia Shō, Kuori worked on adaptations of established anime properties, including Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge Desire, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack - Beyond the Time. She has also contributed to Persona 4 and Gundam Seed anthologies. Her work on Saint Seiya: Saintia Shō began with a prologue in July 2013, and the series ran regularly in Akita Shoten's Champion Red magazine from August 19, 2013, until July 19, 2021, ultimately spanning sixteen collected tankōbon volumes. The manga has been licensed for English release in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. An original net animation adaptation of Saintia Shō, produced by Toei Company and animated by Gonzo, was broadcast in ten episodes from December 2018 to February 2019.
Kuori has described being a longtime fan of Saint Seiya, citing Cygnus Hyoga as her favorite character and what she calls her first fictional love. When approached for the Saintia Shō project, the core idea of a story featuring only female warriors in the traditionally masculine Saint Seiya universe originated with Masami Kurumada himself. Kuori has emphasized that she was given significant creative freedom with the artwork, noting that Kurumada encouraged each spin-off creator to bring their own artistic touch rather than strictly imitating his style. The challenge, she has explained, involved creating a work that felt original while respecting the source material, balancing fan expectations with her own artistic identity. She has described being particularly careful with character design, focusing on expressions, attitude, and posture to convey a character's atmosphere and charisma.
Kuori has also stated that incorporating characters and elements from Kurumada's original manga and its sequel, Saint Seiya: Next Dimension, served to create a familiar universe for readers, though she has maintained that the heroine Sho remains the central focus of the story. Her approach to the franchise has been characterized by a desire to offer new perspectives on established events while introducing original elements such as the Saintia class, Athena's personal maiden warriors. In 2016, she collaborated with other manga creators on Saint Seiya: Golden Age, an art book and novel released to celebrate the franchise's thirtieth anniversary. Beyond her professional work, Kuori has mentioned enjoying video games, taking walks, and sleeping during her free time, and she has stated that she practiced karate in high school and volleyball in university. Her career reflects a trajectory from fan to official contributor within one of Japan's most enduring manga franchises.
Before creating Saintia Shō, Kuori worked on adaptations of established anime properties, including Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: The Edge Desire, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack - Beyond the Time. She has also contributed to Persona 4 and Gundam Seed anthologies. Her work on Saint Seiya: Saintia Shō began with a prologue in July 2013, and the series ran regularly in Akita Shoten's Champion Red magazine from August 19, 2013, until July 19, 2021, ultimately spanning sixteen collected tankōbon volumes. The manga has been licensed for English release in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. An original net animation adaptation of Saintia Shō, produced by Toei Company and animated by Gonzo, was broadcast in ten episodes from December 2018 to February 2019.
Kuori has described being a longtime fan of Saint Seiya, citing Cygnus Hyoga as her favorite character and what she calls her first fictional love. When approached for the Saintia Shō project, the core idea of a story featuring only female warriors in the traditionally masculine Saint Seiya universe originated with Masami Kurumada himself. Kuori has emphasized that she was given significant creative freedom with the artwork, noting that Kurumada encouraged each spin-off creator to bring their own artistic touch rather than strictly imitating his style. The challenge, she has explained, involved creating a work that felt original while respecting the source material, balancing fan expectations with her own artistic identity. She has described being particularly careful with character design, focusing on expressions, attitude, and posture to convey a character's atmosphere and charisma.
Kuori has also stated that incorporating characters and elements from Kurumada's original manga and its sequel, Saint Seiya: Next Dimension, served to create a familiar universe for readers, though she has maintained that the heroine Sho remains the central focus of the story. Her approach to the franchise has been characterized by a desire to offer new perspectives on established events while introducing original elements such as the Saintia class, Athena's personal maiden warriors. In 2016, she collaborated with other manga creators on Saint Seiya: Golden Age, an art book and novel released to celebrate the franchise's thirtieth anniversary. Beyond her professional work, Kuori has mentioned enjoying video games, taking walks, and sleeping during her free time, and she has stated that she practiced karate in high school and volleyball in university. Her career reflects a trajectory from fan to official contributor within one of Japan's most enduring manga franchises.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview