Mine Yoshizaki
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga creator
who first started his career by making dōjinshi
based on video games. Yoshizaki also worked as an assistant to manga artist Katsu Aki
. His first publication was featured in a compilation book published by Shogakukan
in 1989.
, started from drawing his own doujinshi, based on video games that were famous at that time (somewhere in the 1980s). With that doujinshi, he practiced and improved his drawing skills day by day. Yoshizaki said that his experience in drawing doujinshi was the most priceless experience that he ever had. According to him, making doujinshi gave him the opportunity to seek through the world of the manga industry, with all aspects from drawing to producing (meeting with printers, editing process etc.). This allows him to do all the work, rather working in a big-scale production company that lets him work in one particular branch.
He is best known for his manga
Keroro Gunso, published as Sgt. Frog
in the United States
, which was first published in the Japanese manga magazine Shōnen Ace
. He is also the creator of Arcade Gamer Fubuki and did character design on the series Seven of Seven
. In 2005, Sgt. Frog received the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award
for children's manga.
Works:
Due to various Gundam references, an ongoing Sgt. Frog
anime
was produced by Bandai
. This led to Yoshizaki collaborating on certain Gundam projects, such as designing the mascot girls Reiko Holinger and Catharine Blitzen for the Gundam Card Builder game.
He has also been the designer of the Angel-XX figurine series from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
His latest work was for Konami's new Gradius
-type shooter Otomedius
, which he did the character designs for. This is significant because instead of simply moving a fighter craft around, the player controls a unique character bound within a vehicle.
He has also designed a playable character called Angol Fear (a nod to his character Angol Mois in Sgt. Frog
- they even wield similar weapons) to the fighting game Soulcalibur IV
.
Mangaka
is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
who first started his career by making dōjinshi
Dojinshi
is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...
based on video games. Yoshizaki also worked as an assistant to manga artist Katsu Aki
Katsu Aki
, pen name , is a Japanese manga artist best known for his works The Vision of Escaflowne, Futari Ecchi, and Psychic Academy. Mine Yoshizaki is one of Aki's former assistants.-Manga creations:...
. His first publication was featured in a compilation book published by Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
in 1989.
Career
Yoshizaki, a graduate student of Nagasaki UniversityNagasaki University
is a national university of Japan. Its nickname is Chōdai . The main campus is located in Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.- History :...
, started from drawing his own doujinshi, based on video games that were famous at that time (somewhere in the 1980s). With that doujinshi, he practiced and improved his drawing skills day by day. Yoshizaki said that his experience in drawing doujinshi was the most priceless experience that he ever had. According to him, making doujinshi gave him the opportunity to seek through the world of the manga industry, with all aspects from drawing to producing (meeting with printers, editing process etc.). This allows him to do all the work, rather working in a big-scale production company that lets him work in one particular branch.
He is best known for his manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Keroro Gunso, published as Sgt. Frog
Sgt. Frog
Sgt. Frog, known in Japan as , is a manga series by Mine Yoshizaki. It was later serialized into a TV anime series directed by Junichi Sato. Both the anime and manga are comedies that follow the attempts of a platoon of frog-like alien invaders to conquer Earth...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which was first published in the Japanese manga magazine Shōnen Ace
Shonen Ace
is a monthly shōnen manga magazine in Japan published by Kadokawa Shoten, started in 1994. Unlike the big shōnen weeklies with circulation figures in the millions, Ace is aimed at a less mainstream audience, and has a particular emphasis on anime tie-ins...
. He is also the creator of Arcade Gamer Fubuki and did character design on the series Seven of Seven
Seven of Seven
is an anime TV series created by Yasuhiro Imagawa and produced by A.C.G.T.The TV series premiered January 10, 2002 on TV Tokyo and finished in run on June 27, 2002, totaling 25 episodes. A New Year's special episode was included in the seventh DVD volume released on October 2 of the same year...
. In 2005, Sgt. Frog received the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award
Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...
for children's manga.
Works:
- 1993 - 1995: FANTASWEAT
- 1993 - 1995: Detana!! TwinBee (spin-off from the video game Twin Bee)
- 1994 - 1995: 8BIT FIGHTER SHIEN
- 1995 - 1997: Space Juubei
- 1996 - 1998: Versus Knight Lamune & 40 Fire
- 1998 - 2002: Arcade Gamer Fubuki
- 1999–present: Sgt. FrogSgt. FrogSgt. Frog, known in Japan as , is a manga series by Mine Yoshizaki. It was later serialized into a TV anime series directed by Junichi Sato. Both the anime and manga are comedies that follow the attempts of a platoon of frog-like alien invaders to conquer Earth...
- 2000 - 2003: Dragon Quest Monsters +
Due to various Gundam references, an ongoing Sgt. Frog
Sgt. Frog
Sgt. Frog, known in Japan as , is a manga series by Mine Yoshizaki. It was later serialized into a TV anime series directed by Junichi Sato. Both the anime and manga are comedies that follow the attempts of a platoon of frog-like alien invaders to conquer Earth...
anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
was produced by Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
. This led to Yoshizaki collaborating on certain Gundam projects, such as designing the mascot girls Reiko Holinger and Catharine Blitzen for the Gundam Card Builder game.
He has also been the designer of the Angel-XX figurine series from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
His latest work was for Konami's new Gradius
Gradius
The Gradius games, first introduced in 1985, make up a series of scrolling shooter video games published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper...
-type shooter Otomedius
Otomedius
is a side scrolling shooter by Konami which featured personification of space fighters from various Konami games. The main characters are mostly females, designed by Mine Yoshizaki, with a set of equipment resembling space fighters from side-scroller games by the same company like Gradius,...
, which he did the character designs for. This is significant because instead of simply moving a fighter craft around, the player controls a unique character bound within a vehicle.
He has also designed a playable character called Angol Fear (a nod to his character Angol Mois in Sgt. Frog
Sgt. Frog
Sgt. Frog, known in Japan as , is a manga series by Mine Yoshizaki. It was later serialized into a TV anime series directed by Junichi Sato. Both the anime and manga are comedies that follow the attempts of a platoon of frog-like alien invaders to conquer Earth...
- they even wield similar weapons) to the fighting game Soulcalibur IV
Soulcalibur IV
is the fourth installment in Namco's Soul series of fighting games. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on July 29, 2008, in North America, on July 31, 2008, in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and on August 1, 2008, in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.The game is notable for...
.