Tamiki Wakaki is a Japanese manga artist and original creator born on May 9, 1972, in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. He is a graduate of Kyoto University, a background that is often noted in discussions of his career. His path as a professional creator began early when he won the 33rd Shogakukan Newcomer Award in 1993 for his work Koyo High School Battle Scroll. Following this early success, Wakaki experienced a lengthy period of struggle. He faced several years of difficulty establishing a serialized series, during which he held various jobs and experienced financial hardship, a period he has publicly reflected upon in interviews and blog posts. He eventually began working as an assistant to other manga artists before achieving his breakthrough.

His first serialized manga was Holy Crystal Albatross, which ran in Weekly Shonen Sunday in 2006 and concluded after five volumes. While this series did not achieve long-term success, it marked his entry into regular serialization. His major breakthrough came with The World God Only Knows, serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday from 2008 to 2014 and collected in 26 volumes. This series became a significant hit and established Wakaki as a prominent creator. The story follows Keima Katsuragi, a master player of dating simulation games known as the "God of Conquest," who is forced to use his skills to capture the hearts of real girls to exorcise evil spirits. The series was adapted into multiple anime productions, including several television seasons and original video animations. Among these are the anime The World God Only Knows: Goddesses Arc, which covers a major storyline from the manga, and The World God Only Knows: Magical Star Kanon 100%, an original video animation spin-off focused on the idol character Kanon Nakagawa with a story written by Wakaki.

Following the conclusion of The World God Only Knows, Wakaki continued to create new manga series across different publications. He worked on Nanoha Western Sweets Shop's Great Job, serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday from 2015 to 2016, and The Screw People, serialized on Shogakukan's Ura Sunday website during a similar period. He also created the series King of Idol. In 2020, he began serializing 365 Days to the Wedding in the seinen magazine Weekly Big Comic Spirits. The series concluded in 2023 and was collected in eleven volumes. This story, which focuses on two travel agency employees who enter a fake engagement to avoid being transferred to a remote branch, has seen multiple adaptations. It was adapted into a live-action drama in 2022 and subsequently into an anime television series that aired from October to December 2024. Wakaki is credited as the original creator for this anime adaptation.

In addition to his ongoing manga serializations, Wakaki has taken on roles in original anime productions. He served as the original creator and series composer for the anime 16bit Sensation: Watashi to Minna ga Tsukutta Bishōjo Game, which aired in 2023. This project reflected themes related to bishōjo game culture, a subject with which he has demonstrated a deep familiarity throughout his career.

Throughout his body of work, recurring themes often include a focus on romantic comedy, detailed explorations of otaku and gaming culture, and protagonists who navigate social situations through unconventional or highly analytical approaches. His artistic identity is closely tied to his personal history, as his own experiences with setbacks and his deep engagement with games have been cited as influences on the worlds and characters he creates. His journey from early award winner to a period of obscurity and then to mainstream success with The World God Only Knows is a notable aspect of his career narrative, illustrating his persistence and eventual significance within the manga and anime industry as both a writer and illustrator.