Masakazu Katsura
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese manga artist
who is best known for several works of manga
, including Dream Fighter Wingman
, Shadow Lady
, DNA²
, Video Girl Ai
, I"s, and Zetman
. He has also worked on the character designs for Iria
: Zeiram the Animation, which was based on the movie Zeiram
.
in Japan. The turning point in his life was an illness for which he was bedridden, during which time he taught himself a different way to draw. This is noticeable by comparing the style of Wingman (which he started before getting ill) with that of his later works, more realistic.
Video Girl Ai
was made into a six episode OVA, starting with the first volume. This has been released in North America. A live-action movie was also made of the story. The main action of the five-volume series DNA²
was made into an anime
television show that did not sell well enough to finish, so the story was concluded with a short OVA, which was also released in North America. I"s was made into at least two anime
OVAs: one two-episode side story, and one six-episode summary of the manga.
Katsura also performed as a vocalist on the songs "Tomorrow Will Be Tomorrow" and "Unseen Dream" from the two soundtracks for the Video Girl Ai anime.
, something which has influenced his work, most clearly seen in Shadow Lady
. The occasional Batman reference pops up in his works from time to time. For example, in Video Girl Ai
, the two main characters, Yota and Ai, go to see a movie called Batman which shows the famous scene of the thug at the beginning of the movie ask "Who are you?" and Batman (actually holding a baseball bat
) replies "I'm Bat-Man". This is in homage to the 1989 Tim Burton
film. Also, in the early chapters, Yota imitates Batman whenever he grows angry that he is known as "Dateless".
In I"s, there is a brief scene with Ichitaka Seto watching a Zetman (before he wrote Zetman
) Movie that has a costume similar to Batman
's. He was also fighting a villain similar to Mr. Freeze
. Itsuki Akiba did the statue in the movie.
In 2008, Katsura did a design illustration of the Batman costume, based on the costume used in the film The Dark Knight
, for Bandai's "Movie Realization" action figure line.
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...
who is best known for several works of manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, including Dream Fighter Wingman
Wingman (manga)
, also known as , is a Japanese science fiction manga series by Masakazu Katsura. It was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1985. It was adapted into an anime television series in 1984....
, Shadow Lady
Shadow Lady
is a manga series written and illustrated by Masakazu Katsura. It was canceled partway through its run, resulting in the severe compression of a new story arc and a finale.- Plot Synopsis :...
, DNA²
DNA²
is a science fiction manga series written and illustrated by Masakazu Katsura. It was serialized across Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine between 1993 and 1994, spanning a total of five tankōbon volumes....
, Video Girl Ai
Video Girl Ai
is a manga series created by Masakazu Katsura and published by Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump. It also has an anime adaptation. The manga is published in English by Viz Communications...
, I"s, and Zetman
Zetman
is a manga series by Masakazu Katsura. The series started as a one-shot in a series of four published in Weekly Shōnen Jump between 1989 and 1994, and collected into a tankōbon released in 1995. A more mature and full-fledged series started in Weekly Young Jump in 2002...
. He has also worked on the character designs for Iria
Iria
is a six episode original video animation anime series produced by Ashi Productions and directed by Tetsurō Amino. The series serves as a prequel to the original live-action film Zeiram, taking place several years earlier the female bounty hunter protagonist Iria is still a rookie and detailing...
: Zeiram the Animation, which was based on the movie Zeiram
Zeiram
also known as Zeram, is a 1991 Japanese live-action movie in which the bounty hunter from another planet named Iria comes to Earth to do battle with Zeiram, an immortal alien creature with a strangely shaped head which resembles a wide-brimmed hat...
.
History
He was born in the prefecture of FukuiFukui Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.- Prehistory :The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed...
in Japan. The turning point in his life was an illness for which he was bedridden, during which time he taught himself a different way to draw. This is noticeable by comparing the style of Wingman (which he started before getting ill) with that of his later works, more realistic.
Video Girl Ai
Video Girl Ai
is a manga series created by Masakazu Katsura and published by Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump. It also has an anime adaptation. The manga is published in English by Viz Communications...
was made into a six episode OVA, starting with the first volume. This has been released in North America. A live-action movie was also made of the story. The main action of the five-volume series DNA²
DNA²
is a science fiction manga series written and illustrated by Masakazu Katsura. It was serialized across Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine between 1993 and 1994, spanning a total of five tankōbon volumes....
was made into an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television show that did not sell well enough to finish, so the story was concluded with a short OVA, which was also released in North America. I"s was made into at least two anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
OVAs: one two-episode side story, and one six-episode summary of the manga.
Katsura also performed as a vocalist on the songs "Tomorrow Will Be Tomorrow" and "Unseen Dream" from the two soundtracks for the Video Girl Ai anime.
A fan of Batman
He is also a huge fan of BatmanBatman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, something which has influenced his work, most clearly seen in Shadow Lady
Shadow Lady
is a manga series written and illustrated by Masakazu Katsura. It was canceled partway through its run, resulting in the severe compression of a new story arc and a finale.- Plot Synopsis :...
. The occasional Batman reference pops up in his works from time to time. For example, in Video Girl Ai
Video Girl Ai
is a manga series created by Masakazu Katsura and published by Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump. It also has an anime adaptation. The manga is published in English by Viz Communications...
, the two main characters, Yota and Ai, go to see a movie called Batman which shows the famous scene of the thug at the beginning of the movie ask "Who are you?" and Batman (actually holding a baseball bat
Baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...
) replies "I'm Bat-Man". This is in homage to the 1989 Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
film. Also, in the early chapters, Yota imitates Batman whenever he grows angry that he is known as "Dateless".
In I"s, there is a brief scene with Ichitaka Seto watching a Zetman (before he wrote Zetman
Zetman
is a manga series by Masakazu Katsura. The series started as a one-shot in a series of four published in Weekly Shōnen Jump between 1989 and 1994, and collected into a tankōbon released in 1995. A more mature and full-fledged series started in Weekly Young Jump in 2002...
) Movie that has a costume similar to Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
's. He was also fighting a villain similar to Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze, real name Dr. Victor Fries , is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane, he first appeared in Batman #121 ....
. Itsuki Akiba did the statue in the movie.
In 2008, Katsura did a design illustration of the Batman costume, based on the costume used in the film The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
, for Bandai's "Movie Realization" action figure line.
Works
- Wing-manWingman (manga), also known as , is a Japanese science fiction manga series by Masakazu Katsura. It was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1985. It was adapted into an anime television series in 1984....
(1983–1985) - Super Mobile Troop Vander (超機動員ヴァンダー; 1985–1986)
- Present from Lemon (プレゼント・フロム LEMON; 1987)
- ZetmanZetmanis a manga series by Masakazu Katsura. The series started as a one-shot in a series of four published in Weekly Shōnen Jump between 1989 and 1994, and collected into a tankōbon released in 1995. A more mature and full-fledged series started in Weekly Young Jump in 2002...
(4 one-shots from 1989 to 1994, serialized 2002–present) - Den'ei Shōjo (電影少女; includes Video Girl AiVideo Girl Aiis a manga series created by Masakazu Katsura and published by Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump. It also has an anime adaptation. The manga is published in English by Viz Communications...
and Video Girl LenVideo Girl LenVideo Girl Len is a manga series by Masakazu Katsura, following a similar theme and story to Video Girl Ai. The story of Video Girl Len is 2 volumes long, and is distributed as Volumes 14 and 15 of the Video Girl Ai manga series.-Story:...
, one-shot in 1989, serialized 1990–1993) - Shadow LadyShadow Ladyis a manga series written and illustrated by Masakazu Katsura. It was canceled partway through its run, resulting in the severe compression of a new story arc and a finale.- Plot Synopsis :...
(1992–1993, 1995–1996) - DNA²DNA²is a science fiction manga series written and illustrated by Masakazu Katsura. It was serialized across Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine between 1993 and 1994, spanning a total of five tankōbon volumes....
(D・N・A² 〜何処かで失くしたあいつのアイツ〜; 1993–1994) - M (1996)
- I"s (1997–1999)
- Love and Destroy (video game, character designs, 1999)
- Dr Chambalee (2000)
- Bitch's LifeBitch's Lifeis a hard cover art book edited by Yasushi Nirasawa. It collects erotica by various Japanese manga artists and commercial artists.- List of artists :* Masakazu Katsura* Sho-u Tajima* Jun Tsukasa* Magaki Zanzo* Yukie* Hajime Satou* Katsuya Terada...
(3 pages, 2001) - Sachi-chan Gū!! (さちえちゃんグー!!; story by Akira ToriyamaAkira Toriyamais a Japanese manga artist and game artist known mostly for his creation of Dragon Ball in 1984. Toriyama admires Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy and was impressed by Walt Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which he remembers for the great art...
, 2008) - Jiya!! (story by Akira Toriyama, 2009–2010)
- Tiger & BunnyTiger & Bunnyis a 2011 Japanese anime television series produced by Sunrise under the direction of Keiichi Satou. The screenplay was written by Masafumi Nishida, with original character design by Masakazu Katsura. The series began its broadcast run in Japan on April 3, 2011 on Tokyo MX, followed by rebroadcasts...
(TV anime, character designs, 2011)