Kosuke Hamada
Description
Kosuke Hamada, also known as Kohsuke Hamada, is a Japanese manga artist born on November 10, 1985, in Chikushino, Fukuoka Prefecture. He made his professional debut in 2006 with a one-shot titled Rewrite, which was published in Akamaru Jump. His early serialized works appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump and include the two-volume series Dogashi Kaden, which ran from June to September 2008, and the three-volume romantic comedy Pajama na Kanojo, serialized from February to September 2012.
Hamada is best known as the creator of the badminton manga Hanebado! The series was serialized in Kodansha's seinen magazine good! Afternoon from June 2013 to October 2019 and was collected into sixteen tankobon volumes. The story follows the competitive and emotional journey of high school badminton players, and its depiction of the sport is noted for its intensity. The manga inspired a thirteen-episode anime television adaptation produced by Liden Films, which aired from July to October 2018. Hamada also provided the illustrations for a spin-off novel, Shousetsu Hanebado!, written by Yūichi Mochizuki and published in June 2018.
The creator has cited his own interest in sports as a driving force behind his work, and he has stated that the inspiration for Hanebado! came from watching the women's doubles badminton silver medal match at the 2012 London Olympics. A notable aspect of his artistic identity is a significant stylistic evolution during the run of Hanebado!. Early chapters of the manga employed a softer, cuter character design style, but starting with the fourth volume, the artwork shifted dramatically toward a more dramatic and muscular style intended to better convey the physical power and speed of competitive badminton.
After completing Hanebado!, Hamada began a new series titled Re Cervin in January 2022. Serialized in Big Comic Spirits, this work marked a departure from sports fiction into the dark fantasy genre. The story follows an exiled king and his amnesiac daughter as they journey through a world threatened by an evil dragon, with the father-daughter relationship and the search for lost memories serving as central themes. The series concluded its run in February 2025. Through his work on Hanebado! and the subsequent shift to fantasy with Re Cervin, Hamada has demonstrated a versatility as a creator capable of moving between genres while maintaining a focus on dynamic, physically expressive artwork.
Hamada is best known as the creator of the badminton manga Hanebado! The series was serialized in Kodansha's seinen magazine good! Afternoon from June 2013 to October 2019 and was collected into sixteen tankobon volumes. The story follows the competitive and emotional journey of high school badminton players, and its depiction of the sport is noted for its intensity. The manga inspired a thirteen-episode anime television adaptation produced by Liden Films, which aired from July to October 2018. Hamada also provided the illustrations for a spin-off novel, Shousetsu Hanebado!, written by Yūichi Mochizuki and published in June 2018.
The creator has cited his own interest in sports as a driving force behind his work, and he has stated that the inspiration for Hanebado! came from watching the women's doubles badminton silver medal match at the 2012 London Olympics. A notable aspect of his artistic identity is a significant stylistic evolution during the run of Hanebado!. Early chapters of the manga employed a softer, cuter character design style, but starting with the fourth volume, the artwork shifted dramatically toward a more dramatic and muscular style intended to better convey the physical power and speed of competitive badminton.
After completing Hanebado!, Hamada began a new series titled Re Cervin in January 2022. Serialized in Big Comic Spirits, this work marked a departure from sports fiction into the dark fantasy genre. The story follows an exiled king and his amnesiac daughter as they journey through a world threatened by an evil dragon, with the father-daughter relationship and the search for lost memories serving as central themes. The series concluded its run in February 2025. Through his work on Hanebado! and the subsequent shift to fantasy with Re Cervin, Hamada has demonstrated a versatility as a creator capable of moving between genres while maintaining a focus on dynamic, physically expressive artwork.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview