Masayuki Katayama is a Japanese manga artist and original creator, born on April 20, 1959, in the city of Asahi, located in Chiba Prefecture. After withdrawing from Meiji University, he began his professional career in 1981, making his debut with the story Peace (Pinf) in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine. He achieved his first major success the following year with the series Gyuwanburaa Self-Centered Faction, also in Young Magazine. This work helped establish his reputation and is noted for popularizing the abbreviated term jiko-chu, meaning a self-centered personality.

Katayama is best known for creating manga centered on the tile-based game of mahjong, and he is widely regarded as a pioneer and leading figure in this niche genre. One of his most significant works is Super Zugan, a mahjong comedy that was serialized in Kindai Mah-Jongg Original magazine from 1982 to 1989. This manga was adapted into a 21-episode anime television series titled Super Zugan, which aired on Fuji TV from October 9, 1992, to March 19, 1993. The anime adaptation was produced by Studio Deen and Kitty Films, with direction by Junji Nishimura and character designs by Atsuko Nakajima. Katayama also provided the original concept for a Super Zugan video game released in 1994.

Beyond his work as a creator, Katayama is a highly skilled mahjong player. He won the first Saikyou Sen (Strongest Tournament) mahjong competition, defeating professional players to earn the title of first-period champion. His deep understanding of the game is reflected in his work, which is often praised for its detailed and realistic depiction of mahjong strategy and psychology, a quality that distinguishes his series from many other game-focused comics. After the success of his major serializations, he briefly opened a mahjong parlor named Miss Choice, a name taken from a location in his manga Gyuwanburaa Self-Centered Faction.

In addition to his mahjong-focused narratives, his body of work includes other notable manga such as Vodka Time, a comedy set in the Soviet Union, Crispy Cafe, Losers Circle, Sweet Three Kingdoms Romance, No Mark Bakuhaitou, and Dahime Oba Kamiko, which was adapted into a video series. He has also contributed as a character designer for video games like the Sangokushi Taisen series and has supervised mahjong scenes for live-action films. His artistic identity is characterized by a deceptively simple drawing style that complements his intricate storytelling and authentic portrayal of competitive mahjong.