Milan Matra
Description
Milan Matra is a Japanese manga artist and original creator, primarily recognized for his work in the fantasy and action genres. He is best known as the author and illustrator of the manga series Omamori Himari, which was later adapted into an anime television series.
Matra made his professional debut in 1997, when he was awarded the third Newcomer Manga Award from the manga magazine COMIC Aun. His winning entry was a short work titled "Liannan si no Hana." In the early phase of his career, he focused on creating adult-oriented manga, publishing several titles with Hit Publishing. His works from this period include collections such as Ikei Keishiki, KITTY MINT, Fukukan Kukan, Ikuu Soshi, Mugen Soukoku, Higa Koku, and Kibou Rengeki.
His transition to mainstream, non-adult manga began in 2006. That year, he published a one-shot chapter adapting the game "Commence Operation!" in the magazine Monthly Dragon Age. This was quickly followed by his first original serialized work in the same publication, Omamori Himari. The series, which ran from 2006 to 2013 and was collected into twelve tankobon volumes, became his most famous creation. It blends supernatural action with romantic comedy, telling the story of a young man protected by a cat spirit samurai. The success of the manga led to a twelve-episode anime adaptation produced by the studio Zexcs, which aired in Japan from January to March 2010. Matra is credited as the original creator of the series on which the anime is based.
Following the conclusion of Omamori Himari, Matra continued to create original manga series. From 2014 to 2017, he wrote and illustrated Kamigoroshi-hime Zilch (also known as Demonizer Zilch), a five-volume series. He then created Kuro Ane Insomnia, which was serialized from 2018 to 2019 and collected into three volumes. In 2020, he began working on the serialization of Madan no Ou to Frozen Snow姬, a manga adaptation of a light novel series written by Kawaguchi Tsurugi, for which he provides the art.
The artistic identity of Milan Matra is defined by recurring themes and stylistic preferences. His narratives often take place in worlds infused with fantasy or science fiction elements. His action sequences are a notable feature of his work, and he frequently depicts female characters who engage in combat, often using firearms. His professional alias is derived from the Milan anti-tank missile, which was produced by the French manufacturing company Matra.
Matra made his professional debut in 1997, when he was awarded the third Newcomer Manga Award from the manga magazine COMIC Aun. His winning entry was a short work titled "Liannan si no Hana." In the early phase of his career, he focused on creating adult-oriented manga, publishing several titles with Hit Publishing. His works from this period include collections such as Ikei Keishiki, KITTY MINT, Fukukan Kukan, Ikuu Soshi, Mugen Soukoku, Higa Koku, and Kibou Rengeki.
His transition to mainstream, non-adult manga began in 2006. That year, he published a one-shot chapter adapting the game "Commence Operation!" in the magazine Monthly Dragon Age. This was quickly followed by his first original serialized work in the same publication, Omamori Himari. The series, which ran from 2006 to 2013 and was collected into twelve tankobon volumes, became his most famous creation. It blends supernatural action with romantic comedy, telling the story of a young man protected by a cat spirit samurai. The success of the manga led to a twelve-episode anime adaptation produced by the studio Zexcs, which aired in Japan from January to March 2010. Matra is credited as the original creator of the series on which the anime is based.
Following the conclusion of Omamori Himari, Matra continued to create original manga series. From 2014 to 2017, he wrote and illustrated Kamigoroshi-hime Zilch (also known as Demonizer Zilch), a five-volume series. He then created Kuro Ane Insomnia, which was serialized from 2018 to 2019 and collected into three volumes. In 2020, he began working on the serialization of Madan no Ou to Frozen Snow姬, a manga adaptation of a light novel series written by Kawaguchi Tsurugi, for which he provides the art.
The artistic identity of Milan Matra is defined by recurring themes and stylistic preferences. His narratives often take place in worlds infused with fantasy or science fiction elements. His action sequences are a notable feature of his work, and he frequently depicts female characters who engage in combat, often using firearms. His professional alias is derived from the Milan anti-tank missile, which was produced by the French manufacturing company Matra.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview