Kotomi Aoki is a Japanese manga artist known for creating several popular shōjo manga series that have been adapted into various anime and live-action films. Born on January 7, 1980, in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, Aoki made her professional debut in 1998 with the one-shot 99 no Namida, published in a special edition of the magazine Shōjo Comic. Her early work includes several short series and collections released in the early 2000s, such as Taiyou ga Ippai (1999), Jesus! (2000), and Asa mo, Hiru mo, Yoru mo (2002).

Aoki achieved significant commercial success and recognition with her series Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru (titled My Sister, My Love in English), which was serialized from 2003 to 2005. The story, which centers on a romantic relationship between twins, was adapted into a fifty-minute original video animation (OVA) in 2005. A live-action film adaptation starring Matsumoto Jun and Erika Toda followed in 2007. Following this success, Aoki created Boku no Hatsukoi o Kimi ni Sasagu (titled My First Love or I Give My First Love to You), serialized from 2005 to 2008. This series proved to be a major hit, with its collected volumes selling over eight million copies. It earned her the 53rd Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo manga in 2008 and was adapted into a live-action film in 2009 starring Inoue Mao and Okada Masaki.

Aoki's subsequent major work, Kanojo wa Uso o Aishisugiteru (titled The Liar and His Lover or She Loves Lies Too Much), was serialized from 2009 to 2017 in the magazine Cheese!. The story, which explores the relationship between a talented young singer and a reclusive, disillusioned music producer, was adapted into a Japanese live-action film in 2013 and a South Korean television series of the same name in 2017. Her later works include the series Niji, Amaete yo (published from 2017 to 2020) and various other short stories and collections.

Her narrative work consistently focuses on themes of pure, earnest love, often incorporating elements of emotional intensity and at times exploring taboo relationships, most famously the sibling romance in her early hit Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru. Her series Kanojo wa Uso o Aishisugiteru is noted for its deep integration of the music industry into its central romantic plot, using the fictional band Crude Play as a key story element. As a creator, Aoki has cited the anime Ranma ½ as a major inspiration for her decision to become a manga artist. Her significance in the industry is marked not only by her high-volume sales and a major award from Shogakukan but also by the sustained popularity of her work with international adaptations, confirming her status as a prominent and commercially successful creator of romantic drama in shōjo manga.