They say that if one consumes mermaid flesh, one can attain immortality. Unfortunately, the more likely result includes becoming horribly deformed or turning into a vicious monster! Even if one were to gain eternal life, however, is such an anomaly a lucky blessing or a terrible curse?
The spotlight on
Rumiko Takahashi’s career began in 1978 when she won an honorable mention in Shogakukan’s prestigious New Comic Artist Contest for
Those Selfish Aliens. Later that same year, her boy-meets-alien comedy series,
Urusei Yatsura, was serialized in
Weekly Shonen Sunday. This phenomenally successful manga series was adapted into anime format and spawned a TV series and half a dozen theatrical-release movies, all incredibly popular in their own right. Takahashi followed up the success of her debut series with one blockbuster hit after another—
Maison Ikkoku ran from 1980 to 1987,
Ranma 1/2 from 1987 to 1996, and
Inuyasha from 1996 to 2008. Other notable works include
Mermaid Saga,
Rumic Theater, and
One-Pound Gospel.
Takahashi was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Awards Hall of Fame in 2018. She won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award twice in her career, once for
Urusei Yatsura in 1981 and the second time for
Inuyasha in 2002. A majority of the Takahashi canon has been adapted into other media such as anime, live-action TV series, and film. Takahashi’s manga, as well as the other formats her work has been adapted into, have continued to delight generations of fans around the world. Distinguished by her wonderfully endearing characters, Takahashi’s work adeptly incorporates a wide variety of elements such as comedy, romance, fantasy, and martial arts. While her series are difficult to pin down into one simple genre, the signature style she has created has come to be known as the “Rumic World.” Rumiko Takahashi is an artist who truly represents the very best from the world of manga.
