Rensuke Oshikiri is a Japanese manga artist, animator, and creator born on September 19, 1979, in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. He began his professional career in 1998 when he debuted with the short manga Masashi!! Ushiroda!!. His early work already showed a strong inclination toward horror and supernatural themes, which would remain central to his artistic output. Oshikiri has stated that he grew up during the rise of arcade culture, describing himself as a game brain, and this deep immersion in the world of video games would later become a signature element of his most famous creations.

While Oshikiri is best known internationally for the romantic comedy manga Hi Score Girl, a significant portion of his bibliography consists of horror and psychological thrillers. Notable works in this vein include The Spring of Misumi, also known as Misumisou, Tsubaki, and Sayuri. These stories often focus on intense situations involving bullying, isolation, and supernatural retribution, revealing a darker side to his storytelling. Other manga series he has authored include Pupipō!, Yuuyami Tokkoutai, and Derodero. His creative output is prolific, and he has also worked on the ongoing spin-off sequel Hi Score Girl DASH.

Oshikiri is distinctive for his direct involvement in the animation adaptations of his properties, a role that goes beyond that of a typical manga author. He made his directorial debut with the original net animation The House Spirit Tatami-chan. For this project, he was not only the director but also the original creator, scriptwriter, and character designer. This horror comedy series, produced by studio Zero-G, aired from April to June 2020. This directorial role contrasts with his involvement in the Hi Score Girl anime, which was directed by Yoshiki Yamakawa and produced by J.C. Staff. The first season of Hi Score Girl aired in 2018, followed by a second season, Hi Score Girl II, in 2019.

The path to the screen for Hi Score Girl was notably complex. An anime adaptation was initially announced in 2013, but production was halted due to a copyright lawsuit filed by SNK Corporation over the unauthorized use of its game characters. The legal dispute was resolved in 2015, allowing the manga to resume serialization and the anime project to restart. The eventual anime series was praised for its authentic recreation of 1990s arcade culture and featured a wide array of licensed video games, a detail that required careful negotiation.

A recurring theme in Oshikiri's work is nostalgia, particularly for the arcade and home console gaming scene of the 1990s. Hi Score Girl is a direct reflection of his own youth, and the manga's attention to the specific details of games, hardware, and the social atmosphere of arcades is a defining characteristic. His art style is unique and often described as raw or unpolished compared to mainstream manga, with a focus on expressive character acting and dynamic panel layouts that effectively convey action and emotion, whether in a comedic or horrific context.

Oshikiri is also a skilled fighting game player, a fact he has demonstrated publicly. In 2018, to promote the Hi Score Girl anime, he participated in a live event where he played Fighter II, achieving a record of 52 wins and 48 losses. His personal life and professional work are closely linked, with his autobiographical manga Pico-Pico Boy detailing his childhood obsession with games and his social struggles. He is also known to have a close friendship with fellow manga artist Tooru Seino, with whom he has collaborated on music. Oshikiri has received significant recognition for his work, most notably winning the 2012 Manga Taisho award for Hi Score Girl, which solidified his status as a significant voice in the industry.