Michiharu Kusunoki
Description
Michiharu Kusunoki is a Japanese manga artist known for creating works centered on automotive and motorcycle culture, born January 25, 1957, in Tosa, Kōchi Prefecture. He began his career in 1977, making his professional debut in 1979, and has since become recognized for long-running serializations that frequently receive adaptations into other media.
Kusunoki is the original creator of Aitsu to Lullaby, a manga serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1981 to 1989. This work was adapted into a 52-minute anime film titled Aitsu to Lullaby: Suiyobi no Cinderella, released on August 1, 1987, and produced by the studio Pierrot. The story follows a motorcyclist who becomes interested in a legendary driver known as the Wednesday Cinderella.
Another significant work is Shakotan Boogie, which began as a one-shot before being serialized in Weekly Young Magazine from 1986 to 1996, with its chapters collected into 32 volumes. The manga focuses on the adventures of two friends immersed in the shakotan lowrider car culture. It spawned a live-action film in 1987, produced by Toei Company, and a four-episode original video animation series released by Pierrot between 1991 and 1992.
Kusunoki is perhaps most widely known for Wangan Midnight, a street racing series that ran from 1993 to 2008. The manga received the Kodansha Manga Award in the general category in 1999 and was adapted into a 26-episode anime television series, as well as a series of video games and a live-action film. He has continued to create works within the automotive genre, producing sequels and related series such as Wangan Midnight C1 Runner, Ginkai no Speed Star, and Shutoko SPL -Silver Ash Speedster-.
His body of work extends beyond these titles to include J Monogatari, Sayonara December, Tokyo Broker, Eight, and Kami-sama no Joker, for which he served as writer. Recurring elements in his manga include detailed depictions of cars, motorcycles, and street racing culture, often drawing from his personal experience as an automobile enthusiast. His contributions to the genre have established him as a notable figure in manga and anime, with several of his series achieving lasting popularity and multiple adaptations.
Kusunoki is the original creator of Aitsu to Lullaby, a manga serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1981 to 1989. This work was adapted into a 52-minute anime film titled Aitsu to Lullaby: Suiyobi no Cinderella, released on August 1, 1987, and produced by the studio Pierrot. The story follows a motorcyclist who becomes interested in a legendary driver known as the Wednesday Cinderella.
Another significant work is Shakotan Boogie, which began as a one-shot before being serialized in Weekly Young Magazine from 1986 to 1996, with its chapters collected into 32 volumes. The manga focuses on the adventures of two friends immersed in the shakotan lowrider car culture. It spawned a live-action film in 1987, produced by Toei Company, and a four-episode original video animation series released by Pierrot between 1991 and 1992.
Kusunoki is perhaps most widely known for Wangan Midnight, a street racing series that ran from 1993 to 2008. The manga received the Kodansha Manga Award in the general category in 1999 and was adapted into a 26-episode anime television series, as well as a series of video games and a live-action film. He has continued to create works within the automotive genre, producing sequels and related series such as Wangan Midnight C1 Runner, Ginkai no Speed Star, and Shutoko SPL -Silver Ash Speedster-.
His body of work extends beyond these titles to include J Monogatari, Sayonara December, Tokyo Broker, Eight, and Kami-sama no Joker, for which he served as writer. Recurring elements in his manga include detailed depictions of cars, motorcycles, and street racing culture, often drawing from his personal experience as an automobile enthusiast. His contributions to the genre have established him as a notable figure in manga and anime, with several of his series achieving lasting popularity and multiple adaptations.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview
- Topics: Anime overview