Kaoru Shintani
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga artist
. Shintani is best known for his series Area 88
, which is widely recognized as one of the finest aviator comic titles in the history of manga. In addition to his very popular pilot comics, Shintani has successfully ventured into science fiction
, fantasy
, comedy
, and hentai
comics as well. In 1985, he was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award
for shōnen
for Area 88 and Futari Daka.
Shintani began his career in 1972 as a shōjo
artist and was nominated for the Ribon
Comics Award for best new artist of that year. After working as an assistant to Leiji Matsumoto
, the writer and artist of Captain Harlock
and Space Battleship Yamato
, Shintani began to publish aviator titles in various comic magazines. Serialization of Area 88 began in 1979 and the title has been popular ever since.
While working as an assistant to Matsumoto, one of Shintani's duties was to construct plastic models for drawing reference. Matsumoto often states that he based the character Yattaran (who appears as a supporting character in several Harlock stories) on Shintani.
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...
. Shintani is best known for his series Area 88
Area 88
is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country...
, which is widely recognized as one of the finest aviator comic titles in the history of manga. In addition to his very popular pilot comics, Shintani has successfully ventured into science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, and hentai
Hentai
is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...
comics as well. In 1985, he was awarded 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"...
for Area 88 and Futari Daka.
Shintani began his career in 1972 as a shōjo
Shojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
artist and was nominated for the Ribon
Ribon
is a monthly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shueisha. First issued in August 1955, its rivals are Nakayoshi and Ciao. Its target audience is young girls roughly 9–13 years old. In 2009, the magazine's circulation was 274,167, down from the previous year's circulation numbers of 330,000...
Comics Award for best new artist of that year. After working as an assistant to Leiji Matsumoto
Leiji Matsumoto
is a well-known creator of several anime and manga series. His wife is also known as a manga artist.-Space opera:Matsumoto is famous for his space operas such as Space Battleship Yamato...
, the writer and artist of Captain Harlock
Captain Harlock
is a fictional character created by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto.Harlock is the archetypical romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as he is taciturn, rebellious, stoically fighting against totalitarian regimes, whether they be earthborn or alien...
and Space Battleship Yamato
Space Battleship Yamato
is a Japanese science fiction anime series featuring an eponymous spacecraft. It is also known to English-speaking audiences as Space Cruiser Yamato; an English-dubbed and heavily edited version of the series was broadcast on North American and Australian television as Star Blazers...
, Shintani began to publish aviator titles in various comic magazines. Serialization of Area 88 began in 1979 and the title has been popular ever since.
While working as an assistant to Matsumoto, one of Shintani's duties was to construct plastic models for drawing reference. Matsumoto often states that he based the character Yattaran (who appears as a supporting character in several Harlock stories) on Shintani.
Manga
All titles written and illustrated by Shintani.- Area 88Area 88is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country...
(1979–1986) - Balancer (1985–1986)
- Futari DakaFutari Dakais a Japanese motorcycle racing manga written and illustrated by Kaoru Shintani. It received the 1984 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen manga. The series focuses on Sawatari Taka and Toujou Taka as they compete with each other and other competitors in motorcycle racing...
- Cleopatra DCCleopatra DCis a manga series by Kaoru Shintani about a fictional United States corporation, led by the beautiful and spirited Cleopatra Corns.Cleopatra, or Cleo as she's known to her friends, would much rather go on vacation in some exotic locale than concern herself with the business end of the Corns...
(1988) - Buttobi CPUButtobi CPUis a Japanese hentai series by Kaoru Shintani. It was produced in 1997 by Pink Pineapple studios, with some work farmed out to OLM. It was released in North America by The Right Stuf International under the name I Dream of Mimi...
(1993)
Original Video Animation
- Area 88Area 88is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country...
(1985, based on Shintani's manga) - Cleopatra DCCleopatra DCis a manga series by Kaoru Shintani about a fictional United States corporation, led by the beautiful and spirited Cleopatra Corns.Cleopatra, or Cleo as she's known to her friends, would much rather go on vacation in some exotic locale than concern herself with the business end of the Corns...
(1989, based on Shintani's manga, screenplayScreenplayA screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
by Shintani) - I Dream of Mimi (1997, based on Shintani's manga Buttobi CPUButtobi CPUis a Japanese hentai series by Kaoru Shintani. It was produced in 1997 by Pink Pineapple studios, with some work farmed out to OLM. It was released in North America by The Right Stuf International under the name I Dream of Mimi...
)
Television
- Space Emperor God SigmaSpace Emperor God Sigmais an anime series aired from 1980 to 1981. There were 50 episodes. It is also referred to as "God Σ Empire of Space" and "Space Combination God Σ".-Story:...
(1980–1981, character design by Shintani) - Futari DakaFutari Dakais a Japanese motorcycle racing manga written and illustrated by Kaoru Shintani. It received the 1984 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen manga. The series focuses on Sawatari Taka and Toujou Taka as they compete with each other and other competitors in motorcycle racing...
(1984–1985, based on Shintani's manga) - Area 88Area 88is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country...
(2005, based on Shintani's manga)