Asato Mizu

Description
Asato Mizu is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator, recognized as the creator behind the romantic comedy series Aharen-san wa Hakarenai. Mizu was born in Okinawa Prefecture on December 24 and has been active in the manga industry since 2007, when they won a新人奖 in Monthly Shōnen Sirius for a one-shot manga and subsequently began serializing their first work, Sekai Seifuku Sekirara Jogakkan. Early in their career, Mizu also worked as the lead assistant for Yasuda Natsumi on the manga Yozakura Quartet.

Mizu has created numerous serialized works across various genres. One of their most prominent earlier titles is Denkigai no Honya-san, a comedy series about the staff of a bookstore that was serialized from 2011 to 2017 and later adapted into an anime television series in 2014. Their portfolio includes a wide range of other series such as Dansan Joshi, Isekai Death Game ni Tensou sarete Tsurai, and the more recent Blue Archive: Game Kaihatsu-bu Daibouken!, an adaptation of the popular mobile game that began serialization in 2023.

Aharen-san wa Hakarenai stands as one of Mizu’s most commercially and critically successful works. The manga was serialized in Shueisha’s Shōnen Jump+ digital platform from January 29, 2017, to April 30, 2023, and was compiled into 17 tankōbon volumes. The series follows the daily lives of high school classmates Reina Aharen, who struggles with maintaining an appropriate physical and social distance from others, and Shōta Raidō, who attempts to navigate her unpredictable behavior. The series is noted for its blend of surreal humor and genuine warmth. An anime television adaptation produced by Felix Film aired from April to June 2022, and a second season premiered in April 2025.

The artistic identity of Asato Mizu is often defined by a focus on comedy, slice-of-life scenarios, and the idiosyncrasies of interpersonal relationships. This is evident across their body of work, from the staff dynamics in Denkigai no Honya-san to the social boundary explorations in Aharen-san wa Hakarenai. Mizu’s background from Okinawa is occasionally reflected in their work, with character surnames in Aharen-san wa Hakarenai being noted as unique to that region. In addition to manga, Mizu has contributed as an illustrator for light novels and provided illustrations for various anime, and has also written lyrics for theme songs.

Within the industry, Asato Mizu holds significance as a creator who successfully transitioned from a doujin circle to professional serialization, achieving mainstream success with multiple works adapted into anime. The concept for Aharen-san wa Hakarenai was originally developed in a doujin manga, which later evolved into the serialized hit that accumulated over 180 million views online and sold more than 1.4 million copies. Mizu continues to be an active and prolific contributor to manga publications as of 2025.
Works