Watsuki, Nobuhiro 1970-

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Watsuki, Nobuhiro 1970-

PERSONAL:

Born May 26, 1970, in Tokyo, Japan.

CAREER:

Illustrator, comic series creator, and graphic artist.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Pop Step Award for Pod Mark.

WRITINGS:

(Illustrator) The Art of My Neighbor Totoro: A Film by Hayao Miyazaki, VIZ Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

"RUROUNI KENSHIN" SERIES (ALSO CALLED "KENSHIN LE VAGABOND")

Volume 1: Kenshin dit Battosaï Himura, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 1998, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2008.

Volume 2: Les Deux Assassins, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 1998, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2008.

Volume 4: Les Deux Destinées, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 1999, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2004.

Volume 6: Sans Souci, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 1999, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2004.

Volume 7: Un Jour de Mai, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 1999, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2004.

Volume 8: Sur le Chemin de Kyoto, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 1999, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2004.

Volume 10: Maître et Disciple, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 1999, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

Volume 9: L'Arrivée, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2000, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2004.

Volume 11: Prélude à la Chute, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2000, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

Volume 12: Incendie à Kyoto, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2000, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

(With W. Miyamoto and O. Prezeau) Volume 14: L'Heure de Tenir ses Promesses, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2000, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

Volume 15: Le Géant contre le Surhomme, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2001, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

Volume 16: La Providence, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2001, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

Volume 17: Celui que le Temps a Choisi, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2001, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

Volume 18: Au-tu Toujours une Balafre en Forme de Croix?, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2001, also published as Volume 18: Do You Still Bear the Scar?, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

Volume 19: L'Illusion et la Réalité, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2001, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

Volume 20: Réminiscences, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2001, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

Volume 3: La Raison d'Agir, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2002, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2004.

(With W. Miyamoto) Volume 13: Une Magnifique Nuit, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2002, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

Volume 24, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2002, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

Volume 5, Editorial Ivrea (Buenos Aires, Argentina), 2003, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2004.

Rurouni Kenshin Profiles, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

Volume 27, Glénat (Grenoble, France), 2005, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

Volume 22, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

Volume 23, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

Volume 25, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

Volume 26, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

(With Kaoru Shizuka) Rurouni Kenshin: Voyage to the Moon World, translated by Cindy H. Yamauchi and Mark Giambruno, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

(With W. Miyamoto and O. Prezeau) Volume 28, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

"BUSO RENKIN" SERIES

Volume 1, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

Volume 2, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

Volume 3, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2006.

Volume 4, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2007.

Volume 5, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2007.

Volume 6, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2007.

Volume 7, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2007.

Volume 8, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2007.

Volume 9, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2007.

Volume 10, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2008.

"GUN BLAZE WEST" SERIES

Volume 1, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2008.

Volume 2, Viz Media (San Francisco, CA), 2008.

Contributor to other comic books and graphic novels, including Pod Mark, Chikara Mito Denzetsu, Crescent Moon in the Warring States, Meiji Swordsman Romance Story, One Piece,Shaman King, and Arabian Lamp. Contributor to Sueisha magazine.

ADAPTATIONS:

Several of his comic books have been turned into animated television series, Rurouni Kenshin and Busou Renkin.

SIDELIGHTS:

Nobuhiro Watsuki is a Japanese illustrator, comic series creator, and graphic artist. Watsuki entered the world of manga comics after one of his earlier attempts, Pod Mark, won the Pop Step Award. Since then he has written for a number of comic series and created several himself, including "Rurouni Kenshin," "Buso Renkin," and "Gun Blaze West."

In 1994 Watsuki published a thirty-one page story in Sueisha magazine, which later turned into one of his most popular comic series, "Rurouni Kenshin." A contributor to the Review Stream Web site found the characters "interesting" and described Watsuki's artwork throughout the series as "great." The same contributor enjoyed reading about Kenshin, pointing out that the character "has an intriguing personality, a colorful band of friends, and you also read to find out if he can make peace with himself and his past." Jennifer M. Contino, writing in Entertainment Weekly, remarked that the artwork is "fantastically detailed" and that the fight scenes "leap off the page." Contino concluded that the "Rurouni Kenshin" series is "a visual treat with belly laughs."

The first volume of the series, which was not released in English until 2008, introduces Kenshin Himura, once an accomplished samurai warrior who fought against the Shogun warriors during the 1860s to restore the emperor to power, and disappeared from public view after winning the war. He became a rorouni, a wanderer, who chose not to kill another person ever again. He eventually returns to his old ways, however, to help Kaoru Kamiya. Her dojo is threatened by a murderous group, who, eventually, are repelled by the swordswoman, her top student, Yahiko, and Kenshin.

Steve Raiteri, writing in Library Journal, remarked that "Watsuki's detailed art is excellent, with explosive swordfighting scenes." Raiteri also noted that "the characters and story are compelling."

In the eighth volume of the series, Kenshin is absent from the opening half of the book. Here Watsuki develops the character in absentia while the supporting cast reflects on his leave, trying to decide who cares for him the most as a result of how saddened or angered they are that he left. Kenshin's intentions, however, are noble, as he ventures to Kyoto to stop a would-be assassin. A contributor to Publishers Weekly noted the "excitement" factor found in the series. The contributor commented that "the distinctive character designs nicely complement the story's action, humor, and drama." The Publishers Weekly reviewer observed that it is clear as to "why this is such a well-liked book."

Volume twenty-eight wraps up all loose story lines in the series, happily resolving any previous tensions between the characters. Kenshin, as in the eighth volume, is absent for half of the story. A.E. Sparrow, reviewing the final volume of the series in an article on IGN, called the series a "must-read." Sparrow described the tale as "timeless," adding that Kenshin and the supporting characters are "interesting" and "compelling." Sparrow stated that "in a period in comics where creators miss deadlines or simply desert projects, … it is cause to celebrate when a creator is able to take his or her work through to completion." Even though it is "a bittersweet thing to come to the end of a story like this," Sparrow noted that it is "also something to appreciate."