Hideki Arai is a Japanese manga artist born on September 15, 1963, in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from Meiji University, he worked for one year at an office supplies company while continuing to pursue his passion for drawing. His professional manga career began in the early 1990s, with his series Miyamoto kara Kimi e earning him the 38th Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga in 1993. This early success established him as a significant voice in the seinen demographic, which targets young adult male readers.

Arai is known for works that are often described as provocative and critical of contemporary society. His manga The World Is Mine, serialized from 1997 to 2001, was notably selected by the editors of Pulp magazine for their Manga Hell list of controversial manga, highlighting its challenging and radical content. Another major work, Kiichi!! and its sequel Kiichi VS, further explore his characteristic themes of human nature and societal alienation. In addition to these, his body of work includes series such as Itoshi no Irene (also known as I Love Irene) from 1995 to 1997, Sugar and its sequel Rin, as well as titles like Hachigatsu no Hikari, Amanatsu, Scatter: Wish you Were Here, Hito no Ko, and Spunk. His stories frequently feature uncontrollable characters who expose the contradictions of Japanese society, presented through a distinctive and impactful artistic style.

In his personal life, Hideki Arai is married to fellow manga artist Kiwa Irie. While primarily known as a manga creator, his works have been published in French by Casterman and Delcourt, indicating a degree of international recognition. Regarding the specific credit mentioned for the anime Hina is Beautiful, no information is available to confirm Hideki Arai as the original creator of that work.