Small even by Japanese standards, Rumiko Takahashi is one of the greatest manga authors of all time. She began her career under the mentorship of one of the most influential mangakas of the twentieth century, Kazuo Koike, the author of the classic Lone Wolf and Cub.
In 1978, Takahashi debuted with Urusei Yatsura (in Spain, Lamu), and went on to sell a whopping 22 million copies after seven years and 34 volumes. Since then, the author has become a bestseller in all her products, a status she still holds today.
From 1981 to 1987, one of the author's most famous works was serialized in the monthly magazine Big Comics Spirit: Maison Ikkoku, which laid the foundations of romantic comedy and humor that she would later use in Ranma 1/2. From '84 to '87, the author also published Nyngio Saga (Mermaid Saga), short stories with mermaids as protagonists.
After finishing those two series, Takahashi published a series she had been preparing for a long time that launched her to global stardom: Ranma 1/2 (Ranma nibun no ichi). The adventures of Ranma Saotome, Akane, and company immediately became the most read title of the publication until its end in 1996. The key: adventures, mishaps, martial arts, impossible romances, and hilarious humor.
After the end of Ranma 1/2, Takahashi published Ichi-Pound no Fukuin (One-Pound Gospel), Inu-Yasha, and Rin-ne, a series with which she continues to succeed today.
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