"Machikado Mazoku" is a four-panel manga serialized in "Manga Time Kirara Carat." Yoshida Yuko (Shamiko), a normal high school girl, suddenly awakens to the powers of the demon race and is given a mission to take on various battles. Although it is called "battle," there are no full-scale battles and the story has a strong slice-of-life element. The second season will be broadcast in April of this year, attracting attention. In this article, we would like to introduce the artist and who is illustrator!
What is "Machikado Mazoku" about?
Yuko Yoshida, a normal high school girl, was born poor and sickly. One day, she awakened to the powers of a "witch" of the Dark Clan. Her mother informed her of her witch bloodline and bestowed upon her the stage name Shamiko. Furthermore, her ancestor commanded her to defeat the shrine maiden of the Light Clan. She then met fellow magical girl Momo Chiyoda, and through repeated battles, she discovered that Shamiko and Momo share a bond dating back to their predecessors, and that various events were connected by a single thread. After learning of their bond, Shamiko and Momo decide to work together to maintain peace while living their daily lives.
The author is Izumo Ito
The author of "Machikado Mazoku" is Izumo Ito, and the image is Ito's Twitter icon. She is a female manga artist born in Tokyo and currently living in Nagano Prefecture. While her date of birth is not disclosed, she appears to be married. Compared to other "Manga Time Kirara Carat" works, her work is characterized by a large amount of writing, with almost no blank spaces. She has a deep knowledge of mythology and the occult, which is reflected in her work. She is known for her memorable lines, and while her characters may seem silly, they can suddenly display an incredible vocabulary, captivating readers. She also wrote the lyrics for the ending theme song for the anime adaptation of "Machikado Mazoku." Incidentally, when she lived in Tokyo, she lived in Tama City, which is also the inspiration for the setting of "Machikado Mazoku."
Before Becoming a Manga Artist
She has been interested in the occult since childhood, and was so engrossed in it that she would post her own ghost stories on 2channel threads. At university, she studied Japanese literature and majored in medieval literature. Her history background may be reflected in her style. She had been playing the online game Ragnarok Online for quite some time, and after publishing doujinshi for the game, she began receiving requests to do illustration work, which led her to aim to become a manga artist. While continuing to create doujinshi, she finally began serializing "Machikado Mazoku" in Manga Time Kirara Carat in 2014.
Origin of the Pen Name
The pen name is inspired by a waka poem from the Kojiki: "Yakumo tatsu Izumo yaegaki tsukare ni yaegaki tsukuru sono yaegaki wo." It is said that Susanoo-no-Mikoto was the author, and he apparently struggled to decide whether to use "Yakumo" or "Izumo" as his pen name, but decided on "Izumo" in honor of Izumo Taisha Shrine.
About Izumo Ito's Illness
Ito took an extended hiatus in November 2019 due to autonomic nervous system disorder. He later returned and resumed serialization, but around November 2021, his symptoms worsened again, causing him to lose his physical strength and eyesight, making it difficult for him to work for long periods of time, leading to a hiatus. Ito seems to have a habit of forgetting to take breaks when he concentrates and becoming so absorbed in his writing that he often falls ill after submitting his manuscript, causing him to fall behind on his writing. While being stoic about his writing is admirable, it's worrying that he could end up deteriorating his health.
What's Izumo Ito up to these days?
You can keep up with Ito's latest updates on Twitter. The image is her latest tweet, posted on New Year's Day 2022. She greets us with a New Year's greeting and discusses her current situation. Her health seems to be improving, and she will likely gradually begin working toward a return. It seems she's looking forward to the second season airing. It's exciting to think that the series will begin again! I hope Ito continues her work without overdoing it.
Summary of the Author of "Machikado Mazoku"
We've introduced the author of "Machikado Mazoku." Ito Izumo's works are unique in their style of drawing and dialogue, giving him a distinctive presence not found in other Kirara artists. This is why he attracts so many readers, and expectations are high for future developments in "Machikado Mazoku"! That's all for today. Thank you for reading.
