Kotoyama
Description
Kotoyama is a Japanese manga creator, known professionally by the pen name Kotoyama (コトヤマ), who previously worked under the name Koto (コト). Kotoyama is the original creator behind the manga series Dagashi Kashi and Call of the Night (Yofukashi no Uta), both of which have been adapted into anime television series.
Kotoyama began drawing manga around the age of twenty. As a child, Kotoyama spent time reading and copying the styles of characters from GeGeGe no Kitarō and Dragon Ball. During middle school, Kotoyama became interested in the manga of Katsuhiro Ōtomo due to a father's influence, and regularly read Dragon Ball, Akira, and Ping Pong. In 2012, Kotoyama made a debut with the work Iggis in the magazine ComicLive! Drive from BookLive!. While posting manga on the internet, Kotoyama was discovered by the editorial department of Weekly Shōnen Sunday. In 2013, the work Azuma received an honorable mention in the Manga College awards.
Kotoyama's first major serialization, Dagashi Kashi, was published in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine from June 2014 to April 2018, with its chapters collected into eleven volumes. The manga was nominated for the 41st annual Kodansha Manga Awards in 2017. Dagashi Kashi inspired a twelve-episode television anime that premiered in January 2016, followed by a second twelve-episode season that premiered in January 2018.
Kotoyama launched the second major work, Call of the Night (Yofukashi no Uta), in Weekly Shōnen Sunday in August 2019. The manga concluded in January 2024, with its chapters collected into twenty volumes. The series inspired a television anime that premiered in July 2022. In 2023, Call of the Night was awarded the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award. A short manga by Kotoyama titled Minasoko was published in Weekly Shōnen Sunday in November 2024 as a two-part story.
Kotoyama has developed a recognizable artistic style noted for clean and detailed backgrounds, thorough shading and lighting to establish mood, and well-proportioned character designs. Themes across Kotoyama's work often include commentary on life and self-identity, frequently explored within genres that blend comedy, romance, and supernatural or slice-of-life elements. The creator has stated an inability to draw straightforward romantic comedies due to personal shyness. Neither Kotoyama's real name nor photograph has been made public, and the creator's gender is not officially confirmed.
Kotoyama began drawing manga around the age of twenty. As a child, Kotoyama spent time reading and copying the styles of characters from GeGeGe no Kitarō and Dragon Ball. During middle school, Kotoyama became interested in the manga of Katsuhiro Ōtomo due to a father's influence, and regularly read Dragon Ball, Akira, and Ping Pong. In 2012, Kotoyama made a debut with the work Iggis in the magazine ComicLive! Drive from BookLive!. While posting manga on the internet, Kotoyama was discovered by the editorial department of Weekly Shōnen Sunday. In 2013, the work Azuma received an honorable mention in the Manga College awards.
Kotoyama's first major serialization, Dagashi Kashi, was published in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine from June 2014 to April 2018, with its chapters collected into eleven volumes. The manga was nominated for the 41st annual Kodansha Manga Awards in 2017. Dagashi Kashi inspired a twelve-episode television anime that premiered in January 2016, followed by a second twelve-episode season that premiered in January 2018.
Kotoyama launched the second major work, Call of the Night (Yofukashi no Uta), in Weekly Shōnen Sunday in August 2019. The manga concluded in January 2024, with its chapters collected into twenty volumes. The series inspired a television anime that premiered in July 2022. In 2023, Call of the Night was awarded the 68th Shogakukan Manga Award. A short manga by Kotoyama titled Minasoko was published in Weekly Shōnen Sunday in November 2024 as a two-part story.
Kotoyama has developed a recognizable artistic style noted for clean and detailed backgrounds, thorough shading and lighting to establish mood, and well-proportioned character designs. Themes across Kotoyama's work often include commentary on life and self-identity, frequently explored within genres that blend comedy, romance, and supernatural or slice-of-life elements. The creator has stated an inability to draw straightforward romantic comedies due to personal shyness. Neither Kotoyama's real name nor photograph has been made public, and the creator's gender is not officially confirmed.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview