Hiroyuki Asada author page

Hiroyuki Asada biography

Hiroyuki Asada (born 15 February 1968, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist best known for the gaslamp-fantasy series Tegami Bachi (“Letter Bee”). He debuted in 1986 and first drew notice with works such as Mint: Sleeping Rabbit and Renka, before breaking through with the basketball manga I’ll.

I’ll was serialised in Monthly Shōnen Jump from 1995 to 2004 and collected in 14 volumes; a two-episode OVA (I’ll/CKBC) was released in 2002–2003. Asada launched Tegami Bachi in Monthly Shōnen Jump in September 2006. Following that magazine’s closure in 2007, the series moved—via a special one-shot in Weekly Shōnen Jump—to the new magazine Jump Square, where it ran until November 2015. Shueisha published 20 collected volumes. An anime adaptation by Studio Pierrot aired on TV Tokyo from October 2009 to March 2011, preceded by an OVA in 2008. Viz Media released the manga in English.

Asada’s other credits include character designs and concept art for screen projects such as Cheer Boys!! (2016), the multimedia project Akanesasu Shōjo (2018) and the 2019 television adaptation of Dororo. He has also produced illustration work and art books alongside his manga.

Across these projects, Asada’s output has been published primarily by Shueisha, with his series noted for detailed draftsmanship, world-building and a blend of action and character-driven storytelling suitable for teen and adult readers.