Yūji Kaba

Description
Yūji Kaba is a manga artist known for their work as an illustrator in the Japanese manga and anime industry. Kaba is credited as the illustrator for the manga series Now That We Draw, which has also been announced for an anime television adaptation. The series, written by Kyu Takahata, began serialization in Hakusensha's seinen manga magazine Young Animal in February 2023. As of November 2025, six tankōbon volumes have been released, and the series is licensed for English publication by Seven Seas Entertainment. An anime adaptation produced by studio Roll2 has been announced, with Shunsuke Ishikawa directing and Deko Akao handling series composition.

Before working on Now That We Draw, Yūji Kaba served as an art assistant to Yusuke Nomura, the creator of Blue Lock, and also worked as an art assistant to Nao Emoto on the series Soredemo Boku wa Kimi ga Suki, also known as Forget Me Not. Kaba is also credited as the artist for other manga works, including Jinrui wo Metsubou Sasete wa Ikemasen, which ran from 2020 to 2022 across four volumes, as well as the one-shots Angel Ace and Hyouka no Emi ga Saku from 2022.

As an artist, Kaba is noted for character designs that feature expressive and visually detailed figures. In Now That We Draw, the female lead Niina Miyamoto is drawn with a focus on her fashion, long hair, and expressive features, with the artwork frequently highlighting character dynamics and physical comedy through body language and framing. The series explores the lives of aspiring manga creators, and the artwork depicts both their creative processes and personal interactions. The manga has received recommendations from several established manga artists, including Yusuke Nomura, Hajime Isayama, Makoto Ojiro, and Nao Emoto, with some contributing supporting illustrations to the volumes. The series was also nominated for the Next Manga Award in the print category in both 2024 and 2025.
Works