Hijiki Isoflavone
Description
Hijiki Isoflavone is a Japanese manga artist best known as the creator of the comedy manga series Phantom of the Idol. The pen name is an unusual choice that the creator has openly acknowledged. Hijiki Isoflavone has been drawing comedy manga centered on the theme of idols for approximately six years as of 2023. The creator's first point of contact with their professional editor was through direct messages on the pixiv platform. The artist's public debut as a creator was in elementary school, writing fanfiction about video game characters and posting it on a fan site. Hijiki Isoflavone has written about the experience of receiving a positive comment on that early work and how it influenced their path as a creator.
The primary notable work by Hijiki Isoflavone is Phantom of the Idol, known in Japanese as Kami Kuzu Aidoru. The manga is written and illustrated by Hijiki Isoflavone and has been serialized in Ichijinsha's josei manga magazine Monthly Comic Zero Sum since December 28, 2017. As of July 2024, the series has been collected into eight tankōbon volumes. The manga is licensed in North America by Kodansha USA, which has released English translations of the volumes. The story follows Yuya Niyodo, a lazy and reluctant male idol who performs with minimal effort, and Asahi Mogami, the ghost of a highly dedicated female idol who died a year prior. The two form an arrangement where Asahi possesses Yuya's body during performances, allowing her to continue pursuing her dream of being an idol while allowing him to be lazy. The series has been described as blending comedy with a somewhat harsh and unforgiving look at the fickle world of show business for aspiring idols, while also incorporating supernatural elements.
An anime television series adaptation of Phantom of the Idol was announced on November 26, 2021. The anime was produced by Studio Gokumi, directed by Daisei Fukuoka, with scripts written by Yasuko Aoki, character designs by Saori Hosoda, and music composed by myu. The series aired from July 2 to September 3, 2022, on TV Tokyo, BS11, and AT-X, comprising ten episodes. The opening theme song is Let's Zing and the ending theme song is Kimikira, both performed by the musical unit ZINGS, composed of voice actors Fumiya Imai and Shun Horie. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series.
Hijiki Isoflavone has written a column on pixivision titled Thus Spoke Hijiki Isoflavone, in which the creator shares personal reflections and advice. In this column, Hijiki Isoflavone has discussed the experience of having a previous series cancelled mid-serialization, only for it to later make a comeback due to reader support. The creator has credited their editor with the impactful advice to draw what you want to draw as soon as you can, rather than putting ideas off for the future, noting that passion for a project can wane over time. Hijiki Isoflavone has also written about the importance of health and wellness for otakus, observing that stamina is necessary for engaging in otaku activities such as attending concerts or walking through large convention halls. The creator has mentioned coming from Ehime, Japan. Phantom of the Idol is identified as Hijiki Isoflavone's debut serialized series, and the creator continues to work with the same editor who first approached them.
The primary notable work by Hijiki Isoflavone is Phantom of the Idol, known in Japanese as Kami Kuzu Aidoru. The manga is written and illustrated by Hijiki Isoflavone and has been serialized in Ichijinsha's josei manga magazine Monthly Comic Zero Sum since December 28, 2017. As of July 2024, the series has been collected into eight tankōbon volumes. The manga is licensed in North America by Kodansha USA, which has released English translations of the volumes. The story follows Yuya Niyodo, a lazy and reluctant male idol who performs with minimal effort, and Asahi Mogami, the ghost of a highly dedicated female idol who died a year prior. The two form an arrangement where Asahi possesses Yuya's body during performances, allowing her to continue pursuing her dream of being an idol while allowing him to be lazy. The series has been described as blending comedy with a somewhat harsh and unforgiving look at the fickle world of show business for aspiring idols, while also incorporating supernatural elements.
An anime television series adaptation of Phantom of the Idol was announced on November 26, 2021. The anime was produced by Studio Gokumi, directed by Daisei Fukuoka, with scripts written by Yasuko Aoki, character designs by Saori Hosoda, and music composed by myu. The series aired from July 2 to September 3, 2022, on TV Tokyo, BS11, and AT-X, comprising ten episodes. The opening theme song is Let's Zing and the ending theme song is Kimikira, both performed by the musical unit ZINGS, composed of voice actors Fumiya Imai and Shun Horie. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series.
Hijiki Isoflavone has written a column on pixivision titled Thus Spoke Hijiki Isoflavone, in which the creator shares personal reflections and advice. In this column, Hijiki Isoflavone has discussed the experience of having a previous series cancelled mid-serialization, only for it to later make a comeback due to reader support. The creator has credited their editor with the impactful advice to draw what you want to draw as soon as you can, rather than putting ideas off for the future, noting that passion for a project can wane over time. Hijiki Isoflavone has also written about the importance of health and wellness for otakus, observing that stamina is necessary for engaging in otaku activities such as attending concerts or walking through large convention halls. The creator has mentioned coming from Ehime, Japan. Phantom of the Idol is identified as Hijiki Isoflavone's debut serialized series, and the creator continues to work with the same editor who first approached them.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview