Quick Facts
Biography
Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro (島袋 光年, Shimabukuro Mitsutoshi, born May 19, 1975 in Naha, Okinawa) is a Japanese manga artist. He first gained success with his series Seikimatsu Leader den Takeshi! (1997–2002), but is better known for Toriko which was serialized between 2008 and 2016. He ranked 14th on Nikkei Entertainment's list of the most successful manga artists between 2010 and 2011.
Career
Shimabukuro made his debut in 1996, in Weekly Shōnen Jump. He received an Akatsuka Award for best new comic manga writer on his gag manga, Seikimatsu Leader den Takeshi! (1997–2002), for which he also won the 2001 Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga.
In 2002, he was arrested and convicted of violating child prostitution laws, including paying a 16-year-old girl ¥80,000 to have sex. As a result of the arrest, Seikimatsu Leader Den Takeshi! was cancelled by Weekly Shōnen Jump. Shimabukuro was sentenced to two years in prison, however the sentence was suspended.
In 2004, Shimabukuro returned to manga with a sports/comedy manga, Ring, which continued for 3 volumes (24 chapters) in Super Jump magazine. Toriko, which began serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 2008, became one of its top sellers. It was nominated for the 2nd Manga Taishō Award in 2009. Toriko was adapted into an anime series produced by Toei Animation, the first episode premiered on April 3, 2011.
Shimabukuro is friends with Eiichiro Oda, author of One Piece. In 2011, the two created the Toriko and One Piece crossover one-shot Taste of the Devil Fruit. Shimabukuro stated that he came up with the bulk of the story while Oda gave suggestions.
Shimabukuro wrote two one-shots in 2017; Warai no Ōji Penpenpen published in Saikyō Jump on April 1 and Chingiri in Grand Jump on April 24.
Works
- Seikimatsu Leader den Takeshi! (世紀末リーダー伝たけし!, 1997–2002; Weekly Shōnen Jump and Super Jump)
- Ring (2004–2005; Super Jump)
- Toriko (トリコ, 2008–2016; Weekly Shōnen Jump)
- Toriko Gaiden (2009)
- Taste of the Devil Fruit (実食! 悪魔の実!!, Jisshoku! Akuma no Mi!!, 2011; Weekly Shōnen Jump) – with Eiichiro Oda
- Warai no Ōji Penpenpen ("Prince of Comedy Penpenpen", 2017; Saikyō Jump)
- Chingiri (2017; Grand Jump)