Rieko Saibara is a Japanese manga artist, illustrator, and writer born on November 1, 1964, in Kochi, Japan. She made her professional debut in 1988 with the series Chikuro Yochien, serialized in Weekly Young Sunday. In 1989, she graduated from the Department of Visual Communication Design at Musashino Art University. Saibara has been recognized with several major awards, including the 43rd Bungeishunjū Manga Award in 1997 for Bokunchi, the Excellence Award at the 8th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2004 for Mainichi Kaasan, and the Short Story Award at the 9th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prizes in 2005 for Mainichi Kaasan and Jōkyō Monogatari.

Saibara is the original creator of numerous manga works that have been adapted into other media. Her manga Mainichi Kaasan, which was serialized in the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper from 2002 to 2017, inspired the anime television series Kaasan - Mom's Life. The anime adaptation, produced by studios Gallop, TYO Animations, and Dong Woo Animation, aired on TV Tokyo for 142 episodes from April 2009 to March 2012. This work also received a live-action film adaptation in 2011. Her manga Onnanoko Monogatari, serialized in Big Comic Superior in 2005, was adapted into both a live-action film in 2009 and an original net animation. Saibara is also credited as the original creator for the original net animation Dekiru kana, which is based on her manga Dekiru ka na. Her other notable manga include Jōkyō Monogatari, adapted into a live-action film in 2013, as well as Ikechan to Boku, Pāmanento no Bara, and Eigyō Monogatari. Beyond manga and anime, she designed several mahjong-themed video games for the Super Famicom, PlayStation, and Game Boy Advance.

The recurring themes and artistic identity in Saibara's work are often drawn from her personal life experiences. Her stories frequently explore the lives of women and navigate subjects such as poverty, family struggles, and the challenges of daily life with a blend of humor and emotional depth. Her series Mainichi Kaasan is a comedic and autobiographical look at motherhood, while Bokunchi and other works reflect her turbulent upbringing, including her father's alcoholism and the bankruptcy of her stepfather's various business ventures. Her later manga, Dārin wa 70-sai, serialized in Big Comic Superior starting in 2014, depicts her relationship with her partner, plastic surgeon Katsuya Takasu, with the title updated each year to reflect his age. Saibara's artistic approach is characterized by a unique ability to maintain a sense of joy and a gag-driven narrative even while confronting painful or difficult life circumstances.

Rieko Saibara holds significant industry standing as a creator whose honest and often humorous portrayals of her own life have resonated widely with audiences. Her ability to translate personal adversity into commercially and critically successful manga has established her as a distinctive voice in the medium. The numerous accolades she has received, including major awards from the Japan Media Arts Festival and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, affirm her influence and the high regard for her work within the Japanese manga industry. Her long-running serializations in major publications like the Mainichi Shimbun and Big Comic Superior demonstrate her sustained popularity and professional relevance over several decades.