Japanese anime
You may select one more more prompts from below. You may discuss other issues related to the lesson materials.
Which school anime/manga do you recommend? Are there any questions about school in Japan that you have been wanting to know the answers to? Please describe what it is, and if possible, note the title and the
creator of manga/anime, Season/Episode or Volume/Page information. If you can upload the images, it would be even better. If another student can answer the questions
posted, please feel free to answer.Do you know any good school manga/anime? If you do, please share (without spoilers).What is your thought about Japanese schools after reading the textbook?What is your favorite anime school? If it is difficult to pick just one school, construct a fictional dream school with your favorite anime/manga characters and
setting, and explain why.Which school features that you see in anime would you wish you had at your own school? Why? School and Education “Japanese School Life” Is it really like that?Let’s stop and think for a moment what most non-Japanese think of Japanese schools. Maybe some of these words come to:
? Work, work, work? Serious? Strict? Examination hell? Competitive
When you think about it, though, something doesn’t make sense:
“What about all the fun stuff I see in anime?!”
All the manga and anime you enjoy are created for the domestic market and the domestic market only. It’s only recently that the industry has even begun to consider
foreign markets, and even then, the content is directed toward the Japanese. They create manga and games to entertain Japanese readers and players, especially
children. How come there are so many of them, and great ones at that? Who are consuming that much entertainment created for Japanese children, if they are constantly
working and have no time for manga, anime or video games?
The existence and proliferation of manga and digital games alone should tell you that the stereotype may not be quite accurate. Many Japanese children have enough time
to enjoy plenty of games, manga, and time with friends. School is much more than just examinations and work.
Of course, you’ll be hard pressed to find giant robots crashing through the ceiling or unassuming girls tossing desks around. Obviously, manga contains hyperbole in
actions and characters, but the backgrounds and premises of the stories are often fairly realistic.
In this chapter, we will explore several commonly seen topics: the education system, school events, entrance exams, cram schools, clubs, seniority customs, lunch,
graduation trips, teacher’s roles, student chores, homeroom, and of course, uniforms!Hopefully by the end, you can apply your newfound knowledge the next time you watch anime or read manga and understand why such portrayals are significant. Some of
these facts may be surprising, even for the Japanese, as many Japanese believe in some of the myths themselves.
To get you started, try checking out some of these series, which explore various aspects of Japanese school life.? Azumanga Daioh (Kiyohiko Azuma, Dengeki Daioh, MediaWorks/Shogakukan, Feb 1999 – June 2002)? Great Teacher Onizuka (Tooru Fujisawa, Weekly Shonen Magazine, Kodansha, May 1997 – April 2002)? Hidamari Sketch (Ume Aoki, Manga Time Kirara Carat, Houbunsha, April 2004 – ongoing)? Kyou no Go no Ni (Koharu Sakuraba, Young Magazine, Kodansha, 2002 – 2003)? K-On! (Kakifry, Manga Time Kirara, Houbunsha, May 2007 – August 2012)? Kare Kano (Masami Tsuda, Lala, Hakusensha, February 1996 – April 2005)
TV Tropes’ site has the following articles related to stereotypes in anime and manga. We will examine how much of these may reflect real life in Japan.? School Festivals ? Cram School.? High School Girls? Sailor Suits? Transfer Students
Basic FactsView Explore Japan: Schools for basic facts that all Japanese children know. A School year (as well as fiscal year) in Japan is from April to March.
K-12 and higher education in Japan will be explained separately below.
K-12Japan requires nine years of compulsory education: six in elementary school and three in middle school. Kindergarten is optional, but most go to Kindergarten for 3
years. Some opt to go to daycare instead.
High SchoolAfter 9th grade, most students (98%) continue their education with three years of high school. High school (Grades 10-12) is not compulsory. However, since 2010, high school education became virtually tuition free in public schools and some private schools. Many
private schools receive government subsidies to lower their tuition considerably.
An entrance exam is required for ALL high schools, including local public high schools. Private and national institutions require entrance exams at lower school
levels, even at entry to Kindergarten. Note that in recent years, some public schools have started experimenting with different formats, for example comprehensive
secondary schools for grades 7-12. Those schools may not have entrance examinations for starting high school level grades. Some may have selective admission or lottery
at the entry grade, however.
The entrance exam for high school results is a form of tracking system in which students with similar academic status and career goal orientations are grouped together
into one class. In addition to being grouped by the academic level as the entire school, students in the same school are typically separated into college or
occupational tracks and humanities or science tracks. This is how the students in the same homeroom can be on the same schedule for the most of the week. You can see
how grouping like-minded and abled students together can build cohesion and a sense of community amongst them.
Class SizeThe current class size is 40 for grades 2-12. Until 1980, classes were filled with 45 students. Since 2011, first grade class sizes were reduced to 35.
TextbooksTextbooks for compulsory education (Grades 1 through 9) are free. The government supplies free textbooks to all its citizens and lawful residents. The textbooks are
thin and with soft covers. Students don’t need to return the books after use, so they are free to highlight or write in the books. The textbooks are theirs for good.
The national government implemented grants (not loans) to help lower income families at high school levels. Students are expected to purchase textbooks at the rather
affordable average price of $8 per copy. The student grants range from $220-$430/mo., and the maximum eligible family income levels range from 40K-100K, depending on
family circumstances.
Class as a CommunityStudents in the same homeroom generally take the same classes and have the same schedule, even at the high school level. A big difference with the American school
system may be that the Japanese homeroom operates as a tight knit community Since the school is regarded as an integral community, students are expected to work in roles that U.S. schools typically employ staff or ask parents to fill in for.
Most jobs are shared by all students either on a rotating basis or with the whole school working at the same time. There are a lot of community building activities
and events based on the homeroom class. You might have seen things like culture festivals, community service (e.g. trash pickup), and athletic activities done by
homerooms in the series you’ve encountered. These will be discussed in more detail shortly.
Role of Teachers
In middle school and high school, teachers move from one room to the next to teach their subjects, while students stay in the same room. This might surprise those who
are more familiar with the system where students go to different classrooms and teachers stay in their own classroom. Of course, there are exceptions when the subject
requires a special set-up. For example, students typically move for PE, music, arts, science labs, shop, and home-economics classes. This means that the typical 10-
minute break between classes is a “real break”, reserved for unstructured socialization amongst the students, rather than one which functions to allow students to
travel to the next class.
Each homeroom class is assigned a homeroom teacher, or tan-nin. Tan-nin is a quasi-parental figure for the students in the same homeroom. They are the multi-tasking
go-to adults for everything except medical attention. A tan-nin teacher’s occupational responsibilities include teaching, advising students, counseling students in
both career and personal issues, social work with family home visits, and often coaching school clubs. It is unusual to have parents or outside coaches at a school
club except for select clubs competing at the national level.
For many decades, teaching was called a “sacred occupation, a term originally used for priests and clergymen. They are considered selfless role models and surrogate
parental figures and are highly regarded in Japanese society.
If you’ve read/watched Great Teacher Onizuka, Onizuka’s actions are definitely a case of hyperbole and dramatization, especially in the forms and the specifics.
However, it is in a way realistic in its issues and emotional content. While Onizuka’s characterization is quite fantastic, the role he fills is authentic as a teacher
and all of the various duties that implies. Note how he does much more than just “teach” academics. He’s a guiding and caring role model not unlike a parent, albeit
perhaps a slightly twisted one. You can see how teachers act as the academic counselor in Azumanga Daioh Episode 25, Cosmonaut (the second segment of 5 Centimeter Per
Second), and especially Season 2 of K-On.
The close ties Japanese students develop with their teachers and the high social status of teachers are reflected in the popularity of the occupation.
Popular Careers (HS juniors) 2009 Benesse Corp Male Female1 Teacher Daycare/K teacher2 Government Employee Teacher3 Researcher/Professor Nurse4 Doctor Pharmacist5 Programmer / Systems Engineer Physical Therapist, Lab Technician6 Police Officer Government Employee7 Pharmacist Doctor8 Entertainer (Actor, VA, Comedian) Entertainer (Actor, VA, Comedian)9 Physical Therapist, Lab Technician Nutritionist10 Engineer Counselor /Psychotherapist11 Lawyer, Judge, Prosecutor
School Lunch and Lunch DutyTypically, all elementary schools and some junior high schools have lunch programs for all students to eat the same lunch. School lunch in Japan is not just a
nutritional program, but is regarded as an educational activity. A small group of students are assigned to be on lunch duty, and sent from each class to bring hot
lunches to the classroom and serve their classmates.
CleaningCleaning is also done by students. Every day, students clean the classrooms and facilities they use, including shared rooms such as science labs. Some schools may
have a janitorial staff clean the bathrooms, but sometimes students are responsible for this as well. Large-scale cleaning is a regularly scheduled school event.
Going to SchoolShudan Toko is the practice of going to school in small neighborhood groups. It is often organized for elementary school children. Older children lead the group
safely to school, often without adults. This teaches students to depend on each other and reflects the system of seniority that is observed in Japanese school life. In
areas with no shoran toko, it is not unusual for young elementary school children to walk or take public transportation alone to and from school. Average commuting
time per day for students are 40 minutes for elementary students, 44-50 minutes for middle school students, and 1 hour 24-26 minutes for high school students.
Nicchoku (Day Duty)Nicchoku duties are odd jobs in the homeroom that all students do on a daily rotation. Duties vary according to the homeroom teacher. Typical jobs include erasing
the blackboard, keeping chalk neat at the board, bringing handouts to class, locking and unlocking the room and turning lights on/off. Usually there are nicchoku logs
to keep, which may include comments from subject teachers. They may write down homework and events on the board, chair daily meetings, and voice commands for class
greeting at the beginning and the end of class. Other duties may include watering plants, feeding animals and light cleanup. You can see how nicchoku works in Azumanga
Daioh, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Minami-key.
Iin (Homeroom Officers)Other Student Roles include Iin (homeroom Officers) ranging from Homeroom President, Co-president, Secretary as well as staff for various branches such as Compliance,
PE, Beautification, Library, Health and Culture (Travel, Field Trips). Senior classes will also have graduation album officers, much like Year Book committees in
American high schools. You’ve no doubt seen homeroom presidents in anime and manga. They are often portrayed as sharp, no-nonsense girls with glasses who are dedicated
to maintaining classroom order.
ClubsClub Leadership is highly hierarchical for the most part. The distinction between Senpai (upperclassmen) and Kohai (lowerclassmen) are typically strictly observed.
Senpai have authority over kohai and kohai are expected to follow all orders by senpai, even if they are older by less than one year in biological age. We see this in
K-On!, where in the original Japanese track Azusa consistently talks to her senpai in polite speech and attaches “-senpai” to each of the girls’ names while the senpai
talk to Azusa in more casual forms.
High School Curriculum and Extracurricular ActivitiesResults of surveys by the education industry giant, Benesse Corporation, run contrary to many popular notions of the Japanese school life.
For one, on average, Japanese children watch more TV than Americans do! Across the age, Japanese children spend about one hour a day on TV (Japanese 134.7 min
vs. American 128.8 min). The most popular subject among Japanese is PE, followed by music, not academic subjects.
Actually, more Japanese 5th graders say they never study outside school than American 5th graders in DC did. About 40% of Japanese high school students study “very
little” or about 30 minutes a day. While over 90% of American children in DC perceived their parents expected them to go to good college, only less than 30% of
Japanese children did so. Similar percentages of high school students believed that graduating from a good college was the path to happiness. The data shows that a
fraction of Japanese students do study more than students in DC do. So much for the myth of Japanese children crammed to death with study and having no time to play!
Only a portion of Japanese students appear to follow the mythical stereotype of devoted academic study, and the rest seem more relaxed for most of their school life. Study Hours Outside School (5th grade: including time at cram schools)Close to zero: 8.5% (Tokyo) vs. 6.8% (DC)About 30 minutes: 21.2% (Tokyo) vs. 37.9% (DC)1 hour: 19.6% (Tokyo) vs. 29.4% (DC)1.5 hours: 10.6% (Tokyo) vs. 9.1% (DC)2 hours: 8.9% (Tokyo) vs. 7.0% (DC)
Study Outside School (High School)? “Very Little” +”About 30 Min.” =39.5%? Average study outside school? Top tier schools: 105.1 min? #2 tier schools: 60.3 min.? #3 tier schools: 62.0 min.? Bottom tier schools: 43.2 min.? Juku/Cram school 25.3%? College Prep: Half? Supplementary: 40%? 2/wk. (38.8%). (Total 80% 3 days or less)
Going to CollegeMany students go to higher education with two to four+ years of University/Graduate School. January to March is college entrance exam season, starting with the College
Center Test. Many publicly funded universities and some private institutions require the College Center Test, often in addition to their own tests. The College Center
Test is somewhat similar to the SAT except that there is essentially only one chance for any student to take it per year. Most colleges admit students by the
quantified entrance examination results only: your performance on the one specific test day is all that matters. The American-style portfolio-based admission process
is now practiced by a select few institutions, typically for a small percentage of their students, to benefit from diversity among their students.
Some students may spend a year or more after high school graduation, studying to get into their desired college (or any college at all). These strugglers are often
referred to as ronin, or a samurai without a master. They don’t belong to any formal school, except maybe private yobiko, or “college preparatory school” for ronins,
which is NOT a part of the formal school system in Japan. You can catch them in series like Love Hina, Chobits, and Maison Ikkoku. Testing season is indeed a high-
pressure time for students and their families, but many students can relax once they are admitted to college.
School UniformsSchool uniforms, or seifuku, are generally required for middle school and high school. There are practical as well as cultural and historical reasons for the adoption
of the uniform. They are cost-effective, and promote unity, security, and are easy to regulate. The sailor uniforms you are likely familiar with come with the
westernization of the Meiji period.
No school series of anime is without its distinctive uniform. Girl’s seifuku are an especially heavyweight icon of the anime and manga world. Many series and games
have elaborate, if not impractical, seifuku designs. Due to their symbolism of innocence, they tend to be heavily fetishized in otaku media. It’s not uncommon to see
characters casually try on their “old uniforms” in various series, if only for fan service. “Sailorsuit for Dummies” is an excellent website on girl’s uniforms,
created for manga and anime fans.
The black military-looking boy’s uniform is called a gaku-ran. It has stiff high collars, and is typically used at secondary schools. About 40% of junior high schools
that require uniforms also require students to shave their heads. It is a rite of passage for many boys to shave their heads as they enter junior high school (=7th
grade). When boys graduate, some will give the second button of their uniform, closest to his heart, to the girl they like the most.
PE uniforms pop up very frequently in anime and manga. The classic bloomer shorts you always see are no longer the standard and are thus romanticized (if not
fetishized) in otaku media. PE clothes may also be worn for cleaning, volunteer work, field trips, health exams, or all day as a school uniform. Check out the Adidas
Japan website to see the kinds of PE uniforms Japanese schools actually use.
You may have seen anime characters changing shoes at the school entrance, or receiving notes or gifts inside their geta bako (shoe locker/box). Many, but not all,
Japanese schools require that students wear special indoor shoes at school.
School Events and Activities
Schools events include ceremonies, formal meetings, cultural events, sporting events, and school trips. You’ve no doubt encountered some of these if you’re familiar
with anime and manga. The Azumanga Daioh anime series starts in episode 1 with an entrance ceremony and ends in episode 26 with a graduation ceremony. Throughout are
plenty of events, including sports and cultural festivals and field trips. We see many of the same school activities and events in other series, such as K-On!,
Hidamari Sketch, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
The following is a more detailed list of events. Actual events differ from school to school, but none of the events below would be considered unusual. You can say
Japanese schools have events all the time!
Ceremonies Most schools hold Annual (entrance, graduation), Term (beginning & end), and Daily (morning, day-end) ceremonies and addresses. Daily meetings are likely conducted by
the homeroom unit, but the rest are likely to be all school meetings. The principal tends to address the student body for Annual and Term ceremonies. You see a lot of
these in Hidamari Sketch.
Graduation Ceremony in Anime? K-On! Episode 24? Azumanga Daioh Ep.26? Gundam AGE #18
SportsMany schools offer sporting events such as Taiikusai /Undo-kai (Sports Festival), races and endurance events (swimming, running, hiking), and games (Ball Game Day,
Club games).
Sports FestivalThe sports festival is arguably the most popular school event. Traditionally held in early Oct, it is now often held in May instead. Teams are typically based either
on homeroom or on grade level. Many of the games are fun physical games that do not depend on special athletic talents. Many of them rely on group collaboration, for
which group practice is required. Cheerleading (oen-dan) may be also interesting for non-Japanese people, especially the male-only cheer-leaders (bankara).
Sport Festivals in Anime? Lucky Star Ep. 8? Card Captor Sakura Ep. 10? Azumanga Daioh Eps. 6, 15, 23 ? Dai Mahou Touge Ep. 7? Hidamari Sketch x 365 Ep. 8? Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya I
Cultural EventsThe most prominent cultural school event in anime is perhaps Bunkasai (Culture Festival = Open House with a preparation week). Additionally, various competitive events
are held at different schools. Student government also exists.
Bunkasai (Culture Festival)
Bunkasai, or Culture Festival, is held at virtually all schools in one way or another, up to college. It is considered a formal school activity until the end of high
school. Bunkasai is primarily student-led. Students get involved through the Student Government, the homeroom class, and clubs.
What to do for bunkasai is typically summed up as “Anything goes!” Typical activities include sales of food or drink, performance (theater, music, etc.) and exhibits.
Some Internet users reported having offered a planetarium, a “cross-gender bar”, games, a photo studio with props and effects, fortune telling, and “street fighter”
battles . Classes may be cancelled for preparations for a day or more, up to a week. You have probably seen students voting for bunkasai activities and preparing for
their offerings in anime and manga.
Bunkasai in anime? Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer? K-On! Season 1 Ep.4, Season 2 Ep. 18-20? Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya? Azumanga Daioh Ep. 7, 16? School Rumble? Persona 4: The Animation Ep. 19? Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou Ep. 4? Hidamari Sketch Ep. 10 (we see preparations in Ep. 4 of Hidamari Sketch x 365)
Aside from bunkasai, Japanese schools often schedule other cultural events and activities in art & music appreciation and competitions to include? Chorus (Inter-Homeroom)? Classical Poetry Cards competition (called Karuta, as in the anime Chihayafuru)? Speech (Japanese / English)? Recitation? Math? Kanji
TripsOvernight school trips can be a graduation trip or retreats for outdoor experiences at the seaside or in the mountains. Some schools have freshman/study retreats and
overseas excursions. Additionally, day trips are made for arts & music, hiking, movies, or sightseeing.The graduation trip is probably the biggest graduation-related event. Its significance for Japanese students is somewhat similar to a prom in the U.S.
The graduation trip is called Shugaku Ryoko, which literally means “mastering/learning trip” and is a formal school activity. It is an overnight trip to a “far” place
out of your region, and offers students a chance to explore the unfamiliar. It is traditionally scheduled for the last year of each school (=Grade 6, 9, 12). 93% of
schools have the graduation trips in the spring of senior year (note that the Japanese school year starts in spring). 99.3% of the graduation trips are for 2 nights
and 3 days. In recent years, more and more schools have started scheduling for Grades 8 and 11 instead, in order to focus on entrance exams during their senior years.
Some schools even have their “high school graduation” trip during the 10th grade. But as you can see from the above statistics, it is not a common practice.
From East/Kanto, they travel to the West/Kansai (87.1%). From Central/Tokai, they travel to the East/Kanto (80.5%). The destinations from Kansai/West varies: Kanto
(36.9%), Okinawa (30.1%), Kyushu (13.5%) and Hokkaido (3.8%). Some go overseas. Activities during graduation trips are officially educational ones. However, the
interpretation of “educational” is typically broad. It’s meant to be fun and involves a lot of activities and sightseeing.
Graduation Trips in Anime? Azumanga Daioh Ep. 21? Yuru Yuri Ep. 10? Lucky Star Ep. 21 ? Pandora’s Box? K-On! Season 2 Ep. 4ClubsStudents typically belong to just one club all year round for three years. It is uncommon to switch clubs. On average, Japanese students spend 1.25 hours (Middle) to
1.5 hours (HS) per day on club activities. However, averages are deceiving. Some clubs are intense and many others are not. In reality, one fifth of students don’t
even belong to any clubs, and another fifth belong to bunka (“culture”) type clubs. Half of the students belong to sport clubs. Sports clubs are typically the ones
that require intense participation. Roughly speaking, students in sport clubs spend around 2-3 hours per day in club activities. It is fairly common for clubs to meet
in the morning before school, during lunchtime, in the afternoon after school, on weekends, and during school vacation time. So, the premise of what you saw in K-On!
is not unrealistic: club members do meet often, except probably not (but not completely unthinkable) for afternoon teatime.
The distinction of senpai (senior members) and kohai (junior members) is typically strictly observed in most clubs, especially in sport clubs.
Clubs in Anime? Haruhi Suzumiya (Paranormal Activities/”Literature” Club)? K-On! (Popular Music)? Clannad (Drama)? Hikaru-no Go (Game of Go)? Ouran High School Host Club (Host Clubbing?)? Bamboo Blade (Kendo)? Code Geass (Student Government)? Slam Dunk (Basketball)? Prince of Tennis (Tennis)? Inuyasha (Japanese Archery)? Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai! (“Napping” Club)? Free (Swimming)
Social IssuesJapanese school life is not without issues. Anime works have reflected realities of NEET, school phobia, bullying, hikikomori and dropouts.
NEETNEET stands for “Not in Education, Employment, or Training” and is a growing global issue. There is concern that young people are either not motivated or are having
difficulty finding or pursuing work, especially those involving professional careers and advanced degrees. It seems to be closely tied to the problem of “hikikomori”
and school phobia/refusal in Japan. Hikikomori is a psychosocial condition similar to agoraphobia in which one secludes themselves in their rooms or homes for extended
periods of time. You can see a character afflicted with both NEET and hikikomori in Welcome to the NHK!. For more information, please read this U.K. article on NEET .
NEET/hikikomori/School phobia in anime? Eden of the East? Heaven’s Memo Pad? Welcome to the NHK!? Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Bullying in anime? Paranoia Agent? GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka)? Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers)
Ah! My GoddessA Peek into College Life in JapaneseWhile school is a common theme and setting in anime and manga, most scenes take place in K-12 schools; few popular pieces are set in college. Ah! My Goddess is a
seinen manga series and one of the popular works dealing with college life. We see a college campus, an old-style dorm, student work, traditional Japanese homes,
housekeeping, and dating customs. It also shows the traditional gender ideals of Japanese society, particularly the “perfect” mate as seen from the young man’s point
of view, typified by Belldandy.
The TitleThe title is sometimes translated to Oh! My Goddess since the author reportedly intended it to be a take on the English exclamation “oh my god!” Newer translations
turn it into “Ah!” to keep it closer to the Japanese pronunciation of the title.
Empty ClassroomsAs you watch Ah! My Goddess, you might notice how empty the classrooms are. College might be difficult to get into in Japan, but once you make it in, it is considered
smooth sailing for many. It’s common for students to skip classes. You’ll notice this in other series dealing with college as well.
Campus Life? Video of Campus Life at Tokyo University (Public Relation Video produced by Tokyo University) ? A music video created by an American high school student: Time of the Soji (cleaning at school) . ? Daily Life of a Japanese College Student in Nagasaki. Created by a Japanese student .? My dorm in Sapporo Japan – Minami Shinkawa
KokuhakuKokuhaku is an explicit confession of serious romantic interest. It is often considered required before dating. This practice is deeply woven into the mythology of
anime and manga; you will see it in many shows.
School ClubsKeiichi Morisato is part of the motor club at his school. As described earlier, seniority among the students is often strictly observed. Senpai (seniors) traditionally
have absolute power over kohai (juniors). You’ll note how juniors will refer to their upperclassmen by “-senpai” to show respect. Club activities and relationships
often take priority over academics.
Japanese HousekeepingMany Japanese prefer to hang-dry laundry outside on poles even if they own clothes dryers. On sunny days, futon mattresses are hung and beaten in the sun to remove
moisture and dust. In recent years, the housekeeping methods are in transition in response to media coverage of science behind them. Instead of using mops, many
Japanese choose to wipe clean floors with damp zokin cleaning cloths. Many households now use disposable mops, but many others still practice zokin cleaning. As a
matter of fact, elementary school children are commonly expected to bring own zokin to school.
Other Anime/Manga with College Life
? Maison Ikkoku (Rumiko Takahashi, Big Comic Spirits, Shogakukan, 1980-1987)? The Tatami Galaxy (Dir. Masaaki Yuasa, Wr. Makoto Ueda, Madhouse, April 2010 – July 2010)? Nodame Cantabile (Tomoko Ninomiya, 2001-2009, Kodansha)? Honey and Clover (Chica Umiko, Shueisha, 2000-2006)? Moyashimon (Masayuki Ishikawa. Kodansha. 2004-2014)? Elfen Lied (Lynn Okamoto. 2002-2005. Dir. Mamoru Kanbe, Arms, 2004)? Umi ga Kikoeru (Ocean Waves. Dir. Tomomi Mochizuki, Studio Ghibli,1993)
Featured Artist? Name Kosuke Fujishima? DOB July 7, 1964? Place of Birth Tokyo? Occupation Manga artist, character designer, illustrator, game designer? Notable Work Ah! My Goddess, You Are Under Arrest! ? Hobbies Motorcycles, automobiles, bicycles and plastic models. Reportedly owns Ferrari 360, Caterham, Alpha Romeo 156, Lotus Eran S3.
Kosuke Fujishima is noted for his extensive research into the settings in his works. He is a man of detail. His love for cars and motorcycles is readily apparent in
You Are Under Arrest and Ah! My Goddess. His detailed portrayal of police life in You Are Under Arrest! later influenced the hit live-action series Bayside Shakedown.
He is responsible for the character designs of many games, including the ever-popular Sakura Wars for which he also designed the weapons.
Fujishima won the 33rd Kodansha Manga Award for Ah! My Goddess. His current manga series, Toppu GP began serialization in 2016, clearly showcasing Fujishima’s love of
motorcycles, automotives and racing.