Yukimura Makoto
Entry updated 14 August 2023. Tagged: Artist, Author.
(1976- ) Japanese artist and author whose sole sf work to date gained him the premier accolade in Japanese Fandom, in two media. A drop-out from the Tama Art University in Tokyo, Yukimura became an art assistant to the Manga creator Shin Morimura before finding fame with his debut work Planetes (graph 2000-2004 Comic Morning; coll 2001-2004). Trading on gritty realism and Near Future Hard SF in the style of Yukinobu Hoshino, Planetes depicts life in Earth orbit in the 2070s, largely among the clean-up crew of a vessel policing Earth's halo of space debris. Although some suspension of disbelief is required for the energy expended in removing relatively minor articles from orbit, the series was praised for its attention to detail, and won two Seiun Awards, both for the original comic and the subsequent Anime adaptation on Television, Planetes (2003-2004) directed by Gorō Taniguchi.
Yukimura's work since has been largely historical, including the uncollected short "Sayōnara ga Chikai no de" ["Since Goodbye is Near"] (graph 2004 Comic Evening). Vinland Saga (graph 2005 Shōnen Magazine), an account of Danish mercenaries and settlers in 11th century England and beyond, began in a magazine for teenage boys before dramatically shifting to a magazine for adults (graph 2005 Comic Afternoon) for the majority of its chapters. Its eventual leap from the cockpit of medieval Europe to the new world of Viking America might be parsed in comparison to Planetes, which ends with the first fusion-powered mission to Jupiter. Yukimura also worked as an illustrator on the original Japanese edition of Dairoku Tairiku ["The Sixth Continent"] (2003) by Issui Ogawa. [JonC]
Makoto Yukimura
born Yokohama, Japan: 8 August 1976
works
- Planetes (Tokyo: Kōdansha, 2001-2004) [graph: in four volumes: pb/Makoto Yukimura]
- Planetes (Los Angeles, California: Tokyopop, 2003-2005) [graph: trans of the above by Anna Wenger: in five volumes: pb/Makoto Yukimura]
- Vinland Saga (Tokyo: Akita Shoten, 2006-current) [graph: in 11+ volumes: pb/Makoto Yukimura]
links
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