Nami Sano 佐野 菜見 | |
---|---|
Born | Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan | 17 April 1987
Died | 5 August 2023 | (aged 36)
Area(s) | Manga artist |
Notable works | |
Awards | Comic Natalie Grand Prize (2013) |
Signature | |
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Nami Sano ( Japanese: 佐野 菜見, Hepburn: Sano Nami, 17 April 1987 – 5 August 2023) was a Japanese manga artist. She made her debut in 2010 with the one-shot title Non-Sugar Coffee. She later published two series, Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto (2012–2015) and Migi & Dali (2017–2021), which were both adapted into anime series.
Sano was born in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, on 17 April 1987. [1] [2] She attended Gakubun Junior High School , where she served as the head of the tennis club. [3] She later attended and graduated from Naruo High School . [3] According to a former classmate, Sano was a quiet student but was skilled in painting, stating that she drew the background for a class play during their school's cultural festival. [4] She had wanted to be a manga artist since she was in elementary school and started drawing manga while in high school. [5] Sano graduated from Kyoto Seika University under its Cartoon Manga course. [6] Twin Star Exorcists author Yoshiaki Sukeno , an alumni and professor at the university, said that Sano once served as his assistant. [6]
In May 2023, Sano went for a checkup after she felt tension in her abdomen. [7] A tumor was discovered in her ovary; a month before her death, [8] it was diagnosed as malignant and already in its fourth stage. [7] Sano died of ovarian cancer on 5 August 2023 at age 36; [7] a funeral was held on 7 and 8 August. She was in the process of planning a new manga while undergoing treatment. Her death was made public on 16 August. [9] The announcement included a passage from her final letter, which stated, "This ended up being a fun life. I am now going to a more free world. Goodbye." [8] Takuto Kashiki , author of Hakumei and Mikochi, and voice actors Ayumu Murase and Shun Horie were among those who offered their condolences. [10] Sano, Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto, Migi & Dali, and the phrase "one month of illness" also became trending topics on Twitter in Japan following the announcement. [11] [12]
At age 20, Sano submitted her comics to three publishers, from which she received a reply from Tatsuya Shiode, an editor for the magazine Harta (formerly named Fellows!). [5] Shiode said that he "felt a lot of energy" in Sano's drawings despite them not being polished. [5] She debuted as a manga artist in April 2010 with the one-shot Non-Sugar Coffee, which was published in Fellows! [1] The following year, Sano's next one-shot Katahaba Hiroshi was included in the Costume Fellows! 2011 booklet. [13]
Sano's debut series was originally planned to be a "romantic comedy about [a] boy who can see the five seconds into the future, and how he falls in love with other girls." [5] After Sano sent some storyboards, Shiode said the story was "not funny at all", prompting her to change it into a gag manga. [5] The series Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto was initially a one-shot published in Fellows! in August 2011, before being serialized in the same magazine from April 2012 to December 2015. [1] [14] It revolves around a high school student named Sakamoto who has a reputation for being the "coolest" person in the entire student body. [5] It was compiled into four tankōbon volumes, which have collectively sold over 3.5 million copies. [15] The series won the Comic Natalie Grand Prize in 2013 and was nominated for the Manga Taishō in 2014. [16] [17] Studio Deen adapted the manga into an anime series in 2016; a spin-off one-shot titled Hito Yonde 8823 was published in Harta in the same year. [18] [19] Sano was a special guest at Anime Expo 2016 where she held autograph sessions. [5]
Sano stated that her next series would also be a comedy, but it would focus more on the characters' feelings and a goal that they would work towards. [5] The series was titled Migi & Dali, which was serialized in Harta from July 2017 to November 2021. [20] [21] It follows the titular twins Migi and Dali who pose as a boy named Hitori while finding out the truth surrounding their mother's death. [22] Seven tankōbon volumes were released, which have a total of 350,000 copies in circulation. [23] It was adapted into an anime series by Geek Toys and CompTown in 2023. [24] Sano drew the illustrations shown in the anime's ending sequence; [25] they were later included in a 28-page booklet titled The Timeless Collection of Arts from "Migi & Dali" that was bundled with an issue of Harta. [22] She also illustrated the cover art of Nulbarich's "Skyline", the anime's ending song. [26] Sano finished supervising the adaptation prior to her death. [7]
Sano has cited Magical Circle Guru Guru as her inspiration to become a manga artist, calling the story "very down to earth" and adding that she liked the humor. [5] She was also inspired by manga artist Kaoru Mori. [5] The Asahi Shimbun called Sano's style unique, stating that she does not incorporate a straight man character into the story, but rather leaves the humor to the reader's interpretation. [7] Reviewers for Anime News Network said that she had "a distinctive perspective and gauge for hilarity" and "a unique knack for absurdist humor." [27] [28]
The setting of Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto is primarily modeled after locations in Sano's hometown of Nishinomiya, particularly those along the Hanshin Main Line. [4] In 2016, a collaboration was held between the anime adaptation, the city of Nishinomiya, and Hanshin Electric Railway which involved various projects, including a stamp rally and posters being displayed in various locations in the city. [29] The collaboration led to local and overseas fans traveling to Nishinomiya as a form of pilgrimage. [4] After the announcement of Sano's death, the local community offered their condolences. [4] A column published by the Nishinomiya Mayor's Office thanked her for "sharing the wonders" of the city. [30] In December 2023, a special program about Sano was presented during the Fureai Festival at Gakubun Junior High School. [3]
Nami Sano 佐野 菜見 | |
---|---|
Born | Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan | 17 April 1987
Died | 5 August 2023 | (aged 36)
Area(s) | Manga artist |
Notable works | |
Awards | Comic Natalie Grand Prize (2013) |
Signature | |
![]() |
Nami Sano ( Japanese: 佐野 菜見, Hepburn: Sano Nami, 17 April 1987 – 5 August 2023) was a Japanese manga artist. She made her debut in 2010 with the one-shot title Non-Sugar Coffee. She later published two series, Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto (2012–2015) and Migi & Dali (2017–2021), which were both adapted into anime series.
Sano was born in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, on 17 April 1987. [1] [2] She attended Gakubun Junior High School , where she served as the head of the tennis club. [3] She later attended and graduated from Naruo High School . [3] According to a former classmate, Sano was a quiet student but was skilled in painting, stating that she drew the background for a class play during their school's cultural festival. [4] She had wanted to be a manga artist since she was in elementary school and started drawing manga while in high school. [5] Sano graduated from Kyoto Seika University under its Cartoon Manga course. [6] Twin Star Exorcists author Yoshiaki Sukeno , an alumni and professor at the university, said that Sano once served as his assistant. [6]
In May 2023, Sano went for a checkup after she felt tension in her abdomen. [7] A tumor was discovered in her ovary; a month before her death, [8] it was diagnosed as malignant and already in its fourth stage. [7] Sano died of ovarian cancer on 5 August 2023 at age 36; [7] a funeral was held on 7 and 8 August. She was in the process of planning a new manga while undergoing treatment. Her death was made public on 16 August. [9] The announcement included a passage from her final letter, which stated, "This ended up being a fun life. I am now going to a more free world. Goodbye." [8] Takuto Kashiki , author of Hakumei and Mikochi, and voice actors Ayumu Murase and Shun Horie were among those who offered their condolences. [10] Sano, Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto, Migi & Dali, and the phrase "one month of illness" also became trending topics on Twitter in Japan following the announcement. [11] [12]
At age 20, Sano submitted her comics to three publishers, from which she received a reply from Tatsuya Shiode, an editor for the magazine Harta (formerly named Fellows!). [5] Shiode said that he "felt a lot of energy" in Sano's drawings despite them not being polished. [5] She debuted as a manga artist in April 2010 with the one-shot Non-Sugar Coffee, which was published in Fellows! [1] The following year, Sano's next one-shot Katahaba Hiroshi was included in the Costume Fellows! 2011 booklet. [13]
Sano's debut series was originally planned to be a "romantic comedy about [a] boy who can see the five seconds into the future, and how he falls in love with other girls." [5] After Sano sent some storyboards, Shiode said the story was "not funny at all", prompting her to change it into a gag manga. [5] The series Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto was initially a one-shot published in Fellows! in August 2011, before being serialized in the same magazine from April 2012 to December 2015. [1] [14] It revolves around a high school student named Sakamoto who has a reputation for being the "coolest" person in the entire student body. [5] It was compiled into four tankōbon volumes, which have collectively sold over 3.5 million copies. [15] The series won the Comic Natalie Grand Prize in 2013 and was nominated for the Manga Taishō in 2014. [16] [17] Studio Deen adapted the manga into an anime series in 2016; a spin-off one-shot titled Hito Yonde 8823 was published in Harta in the same year. [18] [19] Sano was a special guest at Anime Expo 2016 where she held autograph sessions. [5]
Sano stated that her next series would also be a comedy, but it would focus more on the characters' feelings and a goal that they would work towards. [5] The series was titled Migi & Dali, which was serialized in Harta from July 2017 to November 2021. [20] [21] It follows the titular twins Migi and Dali who pose as a boy named Hitori while finding out the truth surrounding their mother's death. [22] Seven tankōbon volumes were released, which have a total of 350,000 copies in circulation. [23] It was adapted into an anime series by Geek Toys and CompTown in 2023. [24] Sano drew the illustrations shown in the anime's ending sequence; [25] they were later included in a 28-page booklet titled The Timeless Collection of Arts from "Migi & Dali" that was bundled with an issue of Harta. [22] She also illustrated the cover art of Nulbarich's "Skyline", the anime's ending song. [26] Sano finished supervising the adaptation prior to her death. [7]
Sano has cited Magical Circle Guru Guru as her inspiration to become a manga artist, calling the story "very down to earth" and adding that she liked the humor. [5] She was also inspired by manga artist Kaoru Mori. [5] The Asahi Shimbun called Sano's style unique, stating that she does not incorporate a straight man character into the story, but rather leaves the humor to the reader's interpretation. [7] Reviewers for Anime News Network said that she had "a distinctive perspective and gauge for hilarity" and "a unique knack for absurdist humor." [27] [28]
The setting of Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto is primarily modeled after locations in Sano's hometown of Nishinomiya, particularly those along the Hanshin Main Line. [4] In 2016, a collaboration was held between the anime adaptation, the city of Nishinomiya, and Hanshin Electric Railway which involved various projects, including a stamp rally and posters being displayed in various locations in the city. [29] The collaboration led to local and overseas fans traveling to Nishinomiya as a form of pilgrimage. [4] After the announcement of Sano's death, the local community offered their condolences. [4] A column published by the Nishinomiya Mayor's Office thanked her for "sharing the wonders" of the city. [30] In December 2023, a special program about Sano was presented during the Fureai Festival at Gakubun Junior High School. [3]