Toshie Kihara (木原 敏江, Kihara Toshie, born February 14, 1948, in Meguro, Tokyo[1]) is a Japanese manga artist and a member of the Year 24 Group.[2][3] She made her professional debut in 1969 with the short story Kotchi Muite Mama! in Bessatsu Margaret.[1] She is best known for her manga series Mari to Shingo , serialized from 1977 to 1984 in LaLa, which follows a romance between two young men at the start of the Shōwa era.[4][5] Several of her manga series have inspired musicals performed by the all-female Takarazuka Revue, including Angélique, an adaptation of the novels by Anne Golon;[6][7] Torikaebaya Ibun, an adaptation of the Heian era tale Torikaebaya Monogatari;[8] and Ōeyama Kaden.[8]
Toshie Kihara 木原 敏江 | |
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Born | Meguro, Tokyo, Japan | February 14, 1948
Nationality | Japanese |
Area(s) | Manga artist |
Notable works |
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Awards | Shogakukan Manga Award (1985) |
In 1985, Kihara won the 30th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōjo (girls') category for Yume no Ishibumi , a multi-volume collection of short stories with shōnen-ai (male-male romance) themes.[1][9]
In 2017, to commemorate Kihara's 48th anniversary as a manga artist, Kawade Shobo Shinsha published a book containing a chronological list of all of her works; a lengthy interview with Kihara about her career; a round-table discussion between Kihara and her fellow Year 24 Group members, Moto Hagio and Yasuko Aoike; and contributions from other celebrated manga artists, such as Riyoko Ikeda and Yasuko Sakata.[10]
The same year, Kihara's first solo art exhibition was held at the Span Art Gallery in Ginza, Tokyo, Japan, from November 3 to November 14, 2017.[10] The exhibition was also held at the Niigata City Manga House in Niigata, Japan, from June 21 to October 9, 2018.[11] Another exhibition dedicated solely to Mari to Shingo was held at the Span Art Gallery in two parts: first, from April 26 to May 8, 2019, and second, from June 22 to July 9, 2019. During its run, Kihara made several appearances at the gallery to sign autographs.[12]