Shu Sakuratani is a Japanese manga artist, born on December 7 in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. He has a long career in the manga industry and has been active under the name Shu Sakuratani for a period spanning several years. Early in his career, he worked as an assistant to a professional manga artist, an experience where he learned various techniques outside of formal art school.

Sakuratani is best known as the creator of the original manga series Rooster Fighter, which began serialization through Hero's Inc.. The series follows a rooster named Keiji who travels across Japan seeking revenge against the demonic Kijuu that devoured his sister, while protecting people and animals he encounters along the way. Before Rooster Fighter, he created T-Dragon, a science fiction action series also published by Hero's Inc., in which characters grow to massive sizes to fight unknown creatures and insects.

The concept for Rooster Fighter originated during a meeting with his editor, with Sakuratani finding appeal in the idea of an ordinary rooster saving the world. He was drawn to the rooster as a protagonist because of its proud and dignified appearance, its quick movements, and its beak as a natural weapon, combined with a certain cuteness. The protagonist Keiji was inspired by characters from classic manga such as Golgo 13 and Fist of the North Star, aiming to create a tough character with comedic undertones. In interviews, Sakuratani has cited Dragon Ball and Fist of the North Star as major influences on his creation of action and battle scenes.

His creative process for a typical chapter involves roughly two weeks of story development, which he describes as a period of continuous mental stress, followed by approximately two weeks of drawing the manuscript, where physical fatigue accumulates. His work routine often spans from early morning to late evening during serialization. For character design, particularly for the demons in Rooster Fighter, he aims to make them creepy, disgusting, and humorous simultaneously, often deriving designs from the story context.

Rooster Fighter has been licensed for English release by Viz Media, and published in other territories including Brazil by Panini and in France by Mangetsu. The series received a television anime adaptation, with Sakuratani involved in its production. He has seen all episodes of the anime, noting that the action scenes become grander and larger on screen compared to the original manga. The anime adaptation was expected to begin broadcasting in Japan in Spring 2026, and was also set to air in the United States on Adult Swim. Hiroshi Seko served as the screenwriter and series composer for the adaptation.

Sakuratani maintains a focus on the expressive quality of his art, believing that facial expressions are crucial in manga to clearly convey a character's emotions, sometimes utilizing exaggerated illustrations for this purpose. He has expressed a desire to give the protagonist Keiji a happy ending by the conclusion of his journey. A personal anecdote often connected to his work involves a childhood memory of caring for a chicken that his grandmother later cooked, a fact he learned afterward and regretted, which he humorously suggests may be related to the creation of Rooster Fighter.