Takehiko Inoue
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga artist, best known for the basketball
manga Slam Dunk
, which has become a success both in Japan and overseas. Many of his works are about basketball
, Inoue himself being a huge fan of the sport, and many Japanese children started to play basketball because they read the manga. This in turn helped make basketball popular in Japan and across East Asia.
Inoue has been drawing manga mainly in male-oriented magazines. His name is ordered as Takehiko Inoue on his books sold in North America through Viz Media
(Vagabond, Slam Dunk, and Real), although Gutsoon! Entertainment
's earlier Slam Dunk translations in North America used Inoue Takehiko.
in City Hunter
.
His debut in manga magazines was in 1988, and Purple Kaede appeared in Weekly Shōnen Jump
magazine. His manga tankōbon
debut was Chameleon Jail
in 1989, for which he was the illustrator.
Inoue achieved fame with his second manga, Slam Dunk
, about a basketball
team from Shohoku (Shōhoku) High School
. It was first published in Shueisha
's Weekly Shōnen Jump
in Japan
from 1990–1996 and has sold over 100 million copies in Japan alone. In 1995, it received the Shogakukan Manga Award
for shōnen
and in 2007 was declared Japan's favorite manga. Slam Dunk was adopted into a 101 episode TV anime series and four movies.
The next work he produced was Buzzer Beater
, a collaboration with ESPN
in 1997. About a basketball team from Earth that attempts to compete on the intergalactic level, it appears on his official web site in four languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. Buzzer Beater
was produced into a 13 episode anime series in 2005. In 2007 a second 13 episode series was produced. Both seasons were animated by TMS Entertainment.
Vagabond
was Inoue's next manga, adapted from the fictionalized accounts by Eiji Yoshikawa
of the samurai , which he began drawing in 1998. He received a Kodansha Manga Award
in 2000 and an Osamu Tezuka Culture Award
in 2002 for Vagabond. While still working on Vagabond, Inoue began drawing Real
in 2001, his third basketball manga, which focuses on wheelchair basketball
. It received an Excellence Prize at the 2001 Japan Media Arts Festival
. Both Vagabond and Real are currently ongoing.
Inoue also did design work for MistWalker
's Lost Odyssey
, an RPG released on the Xbox 360
. He is also a published sports writer, having written articles and columns for publications such as HOOP.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
manga Slam Dunk
Slam Dunk (manga)
is a sports-themed manga series written by Takehiko Inoue about a basketball team from Shōhoku High School. It was first serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan from 1990 to 1996 and had also been adapted into an anime series by Toei Animation which had been broadcast worldwide,...
, which has become a success both in Japan and overseas. Many of his works are about basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Inoue himself being a huge fan of the sport, and many Japanese children started to play basketball because they read the manga. This in turn helped make basketball popular in Japan and across East Asia.
Inoue has been drawing manga mainly in male-oriented magazines. His name is ordered as Takehiko Inoue on his books sold in North America through Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
(Vagabond, Slam Dunk, and Real), although Gutsoon! Entertainment
Gutsoon! Entertainment
Gutsoon! Entertainment, Inc. is a now defunct publisher of English translated manga. The company, headquartered in Encino, Los Angeles, served as the US subsidiary of Coamix, which was founded by Nobuhiko Horie and manga artist Tsukasa Hojo. The company published the English manga anthology Raijin...
's earlier Slam Dunk translations in North America used Inoue Takehiko.
Works
Before his debut, Inoue was an assistant of Tsukasa HojoTsukasa Hojo
is a Japanese manga artist. He studied technical design while still at Kyushu Sangyo University, where he began to draw manga. He worked on several one-shot stories before releasing his serialized works: Cat's Eye, City Hunter and Angel Heart....
in City Hunter
City Hunter
is a hardboiled manga series written and illustrated by Tsukasa Hojo, published by Shueisha in the Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1985 to 1991. The manga was adapted into an animated television series by Sunrise Studios in 1987...
.
His debut in manga magazines was in 1988, and Purple Kaede appeared in Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
magazine. His manga tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
debut was Chameleon Jail
Chameleon Jail
is a manga series written by Kazuhiko Watanabe and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue, who is more well known for his subsequent manga, Slam Dunk. Chameleon Jail is Inoue's first manga series to be compiled in tankōbon form. It was first published in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan in 1989...
in 1989, for which he was the illustrator.
Inoue achieved fame with his second manga, Slam Dunk
Slam Dunk (manga)
is a sports-themed manga series written by Takehiko Inoue about a basketball team from Shōhoku High School. It was first serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan from 1990 to 1996 and had also been adapted into an anime series by Toei Animation which had been broadcast worldwide,...
, about a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team from Shohoku (Shōhoku) High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. It was first published in Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
's Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
from 1990–1996 and has sold over 100 million copies in Japan alone. In 1995, it received the 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 shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
and in 2007 was declared Japan's favorite manga. Slam Dunk was adopted into a 101 episode TV anime series and four movies.
The next work he produced was Buzzer Beater
Buzzer Beater
is a manga series by Takehiko Inoue. The series debuted on the web and was later published in print format by Shueisha, being serialized in its Monthly Shōnen Jump manga magazine...
, a collaboration with ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in 1997. About a basketball team from Earth that attempts to compete on the intergalactic level, it appears on his official web site in four languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. Buzzer Beater
Buzzer Beater
is a manga series by Takehiko Inoue. The series debuted on the web and was later published in print format by Shueisha, being serialized in its Monthly Shōnen Jump manga magazine...
was produced into a 13 episode anime series in 2005. In 2007 a second 13 episode series was produced. Both seasons were animated by TMS Entertainment.
Vagabond
Vagabond (manga)
is an ongoing manga by Takehiko Inoue, portraying a fictionalized account of Miyamoto Musashi's life, on a loose adaptation of Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi....
was Inoue's next manga, adapted from the fictionalized accounts by Eiji Yoshikawa
Eiji Yoshikawa
was a Japanese historical novelist, probably one of the best and most famous authors in the genre. Among his most well-known novels, most are revisions of past works. He was mainly influenced by classics such as The Tale of the Heike, Tale of Genji, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Romance of the Three...
of the samurai , which he began drawing in 1998. He received a Kodansha Manga Award
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
in 2000 and an Osamu Tezuka Culture Award
Osamu Tezuka Culture Award
Named after Osamu Tezuka, the is a yearly comic book prize awarded to manga artists or their works that follow the Osamu Tezuka manga approach founded and sponsored by Asahi Shimbun...
in 2002 for Vagabond. While still working on Vagabond, Inoue began drawing Real
Real (manga)
is a manga series, by Takehiko Inoue, which deals with wheelchair basketball. It has been serialised in Shueisha's Young Jump and to date, 10 volumes have been published in Japan...
in 2001, his third basketball manga, which focuses on wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball is basketball played by people in wheelchairs and is considered one of the major disabled sports practiced. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the sole...
. It received an Excellence Prize at the 2001 Japan Media Arts Festival
Japan Media Arts Festival
The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. The festival for a nominal year was usually held during February or March next year, rather than at the end of the nominal year. For instance, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival, where...
. Both Vagabond and Real are currently ongoing.
Inoue also did design work for MistWalker
Mistwalker
is a Japanese video game development studio founded by Hironobu Sakaguchi in 2004, with the financial backing of Microsoft. The logo and name were trademarked in 2001...
's Lost Odyssey
Lost Odyssey
is a console role-playing game developed by Mistwalker and feelplus and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. The player takes control of Kaim, a man who has lived for a thousand years and who has no memory of his past...
, an RPG released on the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. He is also a published sports writer, having written articles and columns for publications such as HOOP.