Koi Ikeno
Description
Koi Ikeno is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator born on April 16, 1959, in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. She made her professional debut in 1979 with the short story Happy End Monogatari, published in Shueisha's Ribon magazine. Her early works include a number of short stories and serializations such as Mechanko Kyōshitsu, establishing her presence in the shōjo manga genre throughout the early 1980s.
Ikeno is best known for creating the long-running manga series Tokimeki Tonight, which was serialized in Ribon from July 1982 to October 1994. The series, a supernatural romantic comedy about a girl who is the daughter of a vampire and a werewolf, became one of her signature works and received an anime adaptation that aired while the manga was still ongoing. She revisited this universe with sequel series including Tokimeki Midnight and Tokimeki Tonight: Sore kara.
Another significant work in her bibliography is Nurse Angel Ririka SOS, which was serialized in Ribon from January 1995 to June 1996. For this project, she served as the illustrator, working from an original concept by writer Yasushi Akimoto. The story follows an elementary school girl who gains the power to transform into a magical guardian called Nurse Angel. The manga was adapted into a 35-episode anime television series produced by NAS and TV Tokyo, animated by Studio Gallop, and directed by Akitaro Daichi, which aired from July 1995 to March 1996.
Throughout her career, Ikeno has published extensively with Shueisha, with many of her works appearing in Ribon and later in Cookie, a magazine aimed at older readers. Beyond her long-running series, she has created numerous short story collections and serials, including Oshiete Nanoka, Liars' Season, and Misty Boy. Her artistic style is noted for its expressiveness and use of chiaroscuro, distinguishing her work in the 1980s shōjo landscape. She has also drawn an autobiographical series, Tokimeki manga-michi, reflecting on her life and career as a manga creator. Ikeno continues to reside in Iwate Prefecture.
Ikeno is best known for creating the long-running manga series Tokimeki Tonight, which was serialized in Ribon from July 1982 to October 1994. The series, a supernatural romantic comedy about a girl who is the daughter of a vampire and a werewolf, became one of her signature works and received an anime adaptation that aired while the manga was still ongoing. She revisited this universe with sequel series including Tokimeki Midnight and Tokimeki Tonight: Sore kara.
Another significant work in her bibliography is Nurse Angel Ririka SOS, which was serialized in Ribon from January 1995 to June 1996. For this project, she served as the illustrator, working from an original concept by writer Yasushi Akimoto. The story follows an elementary school girl who gains the power to transform into a magical guardian called Nurse Angel. The manga was adapted into a 35-episode anime television series produced by NAS and TV Tokyo, animated by Studio Gallop, and directed by Akitaro Daichi, which aired from July 1995 to March 1996.
Throughout her career, Ikeno has published extensively with Shueisha, with many of her works appearing in Ribon and later in Cookie, a magazine aimed at older readers. Beyond her long-running series, she has created numerous short story collections and serials, including Oshiete Nanoka, Liars' Season, and Misty Boy. Her artistic style is noted for its expressiveness and use of chiaroscuro, distinguishing her work in the 1980s shōjo landscape. She has also drawn an autobiographical series, Tokimeki manga-michi, reflecting on her life and career as a manga creator. Ikeno continues to reside in Iwate Prefecture.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview
- Topics: Anime overview