Chica Umino

Summary

Chica Umino (Japanese: 羽海野 チカ, Hepburn: Umino Chika) is the pen name of a pseudonymous Japanese manga artist, designer and illustrator.

Chica Umino
BornAugust 30
Adachi, Tokyo, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Area(s)Character design, writer, manga artist
Notable works
Honey and Clover
March Comes in Like a Lion
Awards
http://www13.plala.or.jp/umino/

Umino is noted for being the author and creator of the Honey and Clover series, for which she received the Kodansha Manga Award in 2003,[1] and which has been adapted into an anime series, produced by J.C.Staff.[2]

Biography edit

Chica Umino aspired to be a character designer and manga artist since elementary school.[3] In high school, she had one work published in "Bouquet".[4] Her pen name comes from her favorite location Umi no Chikaku no Yuuenchi (海の近くの遊園地, lit. an amusement park by the sea), which is also the title of her doujinshi works prior to her debut. She likes Harry Potter and anime by Hayao Miyazaki. She calls herself an otaku.[citation needed] Western children's books like Anne of Green Gables (for which she drew the cover artwork in a republished version in 2011[5]) she read as a child had a notable influence on her work, especially how she chooses to portray unusual family constellations.[6] Some of Umino's inspirations as an artist comes from the artists Fusako Kuramochi and Moto Hagio, the latter of which she self-taught artistic techniques from.[7]

In 2000, Umino's most notable work, Honey and Clover, began serialization in Takarajimasha's manga magazine Cutie Comic. The series' first fourteen chapters were published in Cutie Comic; serialization was later moved to Shueisha's Young You. With the demise of Young You in 2005, the series moved to the magazine Chorus, where it continued its run until the series ended in July 2006 with 64 chapters. Umino received the 27th Kodansha Manga Award for Honey and Clover in 2003, which was adapted into an anime series produced by J.C. Staff.

Umino's most recent work is March Comes in Like a Lion (3月のライオン, Sangatsu no Raion) lit. "Lion in March" or "March's Lion", which began serialization in Hakusensha's seinen manga magazine, Young Animal. March comes in Like a Lion was inspired by Umino's editor, who suggested that her next work be about shogi or boxing.[4] Because Umino herself did not have any prior experience with shogi, the games depicted in the manga were drawn in partnership with a supervisor.

In 2009, she provided the character designs for original anime series, Eden of the East, by director Kenji Kamiyama.

Umino has also illustrated "Tobira o Akete" and the Glass Heart series, including "Boukensha-tachi", "Netsu no Shiro" and "Love Way."

In 2013, Umino was hospitalized for surgery and medical treatment, and was temporarily suspended from her activities.[8]

Works edit

One-shots edit

  • Sora no Kotori
  • Hoshi no Opera

Manga edit

Books edit

  • Honey and Clover: Official fan book vol.0
  • Honey and Clover Illustrations

Character Design edit

References edit

  1. ^ 過去の受賞者一覧 : 講談社漫画賞 : 講談社「おもしろくて、ためになる」出版を (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  2. ^ "Honey and Clover". Newtype USA. Vol. 6, no. 11. November 2007. pp. 64–67. ISSN 1541-4817.
  3. ^ "羽海野チカ インタビュー/s-woman.net". July 2, 2006. Archived from the original on July 2, 2006. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Hagio, Moto (2012). You of Manga SF I (Moto Hagio Dialogue Collection). Japan: Kawade Shobo Shinsha. ISBN 978-4-309-27307-5.
  5. ^ 新訳 赤毛のアン. 集英社みらい文庫 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  6. ^ Ruben (June 7, 2019). "Chica Umino Talks About How Western Children's Literature Influenced Her Stories". Takara-bako. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  7. ^ "羽海野チカ『2007/3/26 まんがキッチン☆』". 羽海野チカブログ ~海の近くの遊園地~ (in Japanese). Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  8. ^ "羽海野チカが入院と手術のため『3月のライオン』休載へ、連載再開は年内に". マイナビニュース (in Japanese). September 28, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2021.

External links edit

  • Chica Umino on Twitter
  • Chica Umino on Instagram
  • Official website (in Japanese)
  • Yahoo! Japan Books interview with Umino (in Japanese)
  • s-women.net's interview with Umino (in Japanese)
  • Chica Umino at Anime News Network's encyclopedia