Natsume Akatsuki is a Japanese light novel author and manga writer, best known for creating the comedic isekai series KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! He was born in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Before his professional debut, he began posting his writing to the user-generated novel website Shōsetsuka ni Narō under several pen names. In 2012, he submitted his first work, Dragontarashi, for the 8th MF Bunko J Light Novel Rookie Award under the pen name Hideaki Natsuki, but it only advanced to the second round. Later that year, he serialized the original web novel for Combatants Will Be Dispatched! under the name Sentōin Sangō, finishing it in September 2012. He then created a new account under the username Jitakukeibihei and began serializing KonoSuba on December 20, 2012, which concluded in October 2013 with 124 chapters. Kadokawa Shoten picked up the series for publication under their Sneaker imprint, and the first light novel volume was published on October 1, 2013, marking his official debut as a professional author.

Akatsuki's most famous work, KonoSuba, is a light novel series illustrated by Kurone Mishima. The main series ran for 17 volumes from 2013 to 2020. The franchise has since expanded to include several spin-off light novel series, such as KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! in three volumes, a bonus story series, Consulting With This Masked Devil! in one volume, and Extra Attention to that Wonderful Fool! with seven volumes. The series received an anime adaptation in 2016, a second season in 2017, and an animated film in 2019. The characters from KonoSuba regularly appear in the crossover chibi anime series Isekai Quartet, which also features characters from other Kadokawa franchises. Akatsuki is also the author of Combatants Will Be Dispatched!, a light novel series illustrated by Kakao Lanthanum. The series began publication on November 1, 2017, and an anime adaptation produced by J.C.Staff aired in 2021. A manga adaptation of this series, illustrated by Masaaki Kiasa, was serialized in Monthly Comic Alive.

In addition to his light novels, Akatsuki is the original creator of the manga series Kemono Michi, which was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Monthly Shōnen Ace magazine from November 2016 to August 2024. The manga is illustrated by Mattakumo-suke and Yumeuta. An anime television series adaptation titled Kemono Michi: Rise Up was produced by studio ENGI and aired from October to December 2019. Beyond his own series, Akatsuki has contributed to other projects, including writing the announcement narration for episodes 18 and 25 of the Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World anime and providing animation script cooperation for episode 10 of the Combatants Will Be Dispatched! anime.

A recurring theme in Akatsuki's work is the parody and deconstruction of common isekai and fantasy tropes. Rather than presenting a powerful and virtuous hero, his protagonists are often morally ambiguous, cynical, or motivated by selfish desires. His stories frequently focus on the comedic failures and interpersonal conflicts of deeply flawed characters, such as the incompetent goddess Aqua, the explosion-obsessed magician Megumin, and the masochistic crusader Darkness in KonoSuba. This focus on character-driven comedy and subverting genre expectations has become his signature artistic identity and has been highly influential in the light novel and anime industry.