Manga creators are extremely valuable to the anime medium. They pour their time and skills into captivating stories and artwork that resonate with readers throughout the world and serve as source materials for many anime generally loved by viewers. Creating manga requires good storytelling ability and an understanding of the culture and medium, all traits Aka Akasaka possesses. Among those characteristics, Aka Akasaka also has a refreshing approach to telling his stories. He mixes humor and drama perfectly, adding some quirky dialogue and ingenious methods to develop his characters.
The phenomenal success of Aka Akasaka's hit manga, Kaguya-sama: Love is War, is well-deserved and has earned him numerous awards, an anime adaptation, and even a themed concert that took place in October 2020. However, Aka Akasaka's extraordinary talent doesn't end there but extends throughout his body of work. With that, here are all the manga created by Aka Akasaka.
5 Gensaku Hinatazaka
Gensaku Hinatazaka is a manga miniseries serialized by the Weekly Young Jump from March to April 2021. The series is a collaborative work between Aka Akasaka, who was responsible for the art, and three writers from the Japanese girl group Hinatazaka46: Nao Kosaka, Hinano Kamimura, and Miho Watanabe. This collaboration resulted in a fascinating anthology with only three chapters, each written by a different group member.
The stories in Gensaku Hinatazaka are full of tropes and blissfully aware of them, unapologetically borrowing and calling attention to the popular tropes present, such as Isekai, Phantom Thief, and Zombie Apocalypse. The first two stories are playful and amusing. In contrast, the third story depicts the angsty hero Miho, who can manipulate her blood as a weapon and has to confront a Zombie Apocalypse in her hometown of Saitama. The Gensaku Hinatazaka miniseries showcases the imaginative talents of Aka Akasaka and the Hinatazaka46 members, making for a thrilling and entertaining read.
4 Sayonara Piano Sonata
Sayonara Piano Sonata delves into the world of music and follows Hikawa Naomi and Ebisawa Mafuyu, two young people navigating the world of music. Together, they form a rock band that blends the smoothness of classical music with spirited rock music. Although the plot begins in an unsurprising manner, the strong emphasis on music as a pillar is enough to lure any reader. The story highlights the importance of relationships and teamwork through the characters who are well-crafted and have interesting traits that make them pleasant to follow.
The story was written by Sugii Hikaru and illustrated by Aka Akasaka. While the art style could be more exceptional, Aka Akasaka successfully conveyed the characters' emotions through their expressions and body language. The story's merit comes across in its pacing and management of emotions. Sayonara Piano Sonata is perfect for readers looking for a light-hearted and entertaining story, especially fans of music-themed stories.
3 ib: Instant Bullet
Aka Akasaka created both the story and art for ib: Instant Bullet. The manga tells the story of Kuro Fukase, whose life of misery is transformed by his encounter with strange individuals: the odd but bubbly Sera Himeura and the witch Yume Furusuna, who gives him some interesting information about himself. Before this, Kuro lived with hallucinations of deceased sisters, his only friends in his cold world. His pessimistic outlook on the world solidified his belief that the world was full of enemies.
So when Yume Furusuna reveals that he, along with twenty others, is an Instant Bullet who can end the world, Kuro is determined to see the world end. ib: Instant Bullet delivers a seinen bundle of drama and fantasy that delights just as well as it shocks readers. Aka Akasaka tells this unique story in five volumes and twenty-seven chapters released by Dengeki Maoh over two years.
2 Oshi No Ko
This much-loved manga follows Gorou Amemiya as he navigates an unexpected turn of events. He works as a doctor but moonlights as a big fan of Ai Hoshino, an idol whose talent and beauty have him entranced. Out of the blue, Ai Hoshino comes to Gorou’s hospital pregnant, and although he’s very stunned, Gorou promises to take care of her. What follows surprises Gorou greatly. He meets a strange individual and ends up dead.
But the surprise doesn’t end there. Gorou wakes up as a baby, and not just any baby. He is now Aquamarine Hoshino, the son of his idol, Ai Hoshino, and so begins his adventure through the world of showbiz. Oshi No Ko leads with a fascinating premise, exploiting the supernatural in a dramatic way. With themes of reincarnation and showbiz, Aka Akasaka writes a story that will surprise and please any reader. Though Aka Akasaka wrote the manga, it was illustrated by Yokoyari Mengo and serialized by Young Jump.
1 Kaguya-sama: Love is War
Aka Akasaka’s most notable work, Kaguya-sama: Love is War shows a complicated side to the popular topic of love. Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya lead this enthralling story. Both are influential at their esteemed school, Shuchiin Academy, but incompetent at love. While serving as the school’s student council leaders, they each grow soft spots for the other.
However, they resort to creating a game out of their feelings, each devising various means to get the other to confess their feelings first. To Miyuki and Kaguya, love is not merely about affection but a battle to be won. Aka Akasaka tells this romantic comedy in a lengthy twenty-eight volumes, released by Young Jump over seven years.