"Yakunitomo" is an anime that aired from April to June 2021 about high school girls who are devoted to pottery. The second series will start in October, which is attracting attention. In this article, I would like to introduce the creators involved in the production of "Yakunitomo"!
Is there only one creator?
Who is the creator of "Yakunitomo"? When asked, it is very difficult to decide on just one person and say, "It's this person." This is because many people are involved in the production, including the person who came up with the idea, the person who came up with the idea, and the person in charge of drawing the manga. "Yakunitomo Mug Cup Mo" was born from a project that began in Tajimi City about 10 years ago to liven up the city, where the story takes place. Considering the long history of the project, it makes sense that many people are involved.
Project creator: Kazuto Koike
The creator of the "Yakunitomo Mug Cup Mo" project is Kazuto Koike. Koike is the founder of Planet, a company in Tajimi City. Wanting to do something about the city of Tajimi, which had lost its vitality, Koike consulted his mentor, Teiichiro Hori, on what to do. Hori advised Koike, "If you want to attract people, you need a story." Koike asked Hori, a fairy tale writer, to create a picture book called "Tajimi Monogatari." Hori's "Tajimi Monogatari" influenced Koike, and later became the basis for "Yakinara Mug Cup Mo." Koike met Hori's grandson, Yoshiyuki Yamaoka, who suggested that they use comics in addition to picture books to promote the area. Hori, Yamaoka, and Osamu Kajiwara, who will be described later, began to seriously plan the comic.
What kind of company is Planet?
Planet is a company founded in 1995 in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture. The company mainly provides information for dentistry, and in addition to providing information, it also holds seminars. Planet's official website also mentions "Yakunitomo Mug Cup Mo".
The creator's master: Mr. Teiichiro Hori
Mr. Teiichiro Hori (deceased) is the creator of the picture book "Tajimi Monogatari," which is the original idea for "Yakunitomo Mug Cup Mo," and is a person that Mr. Koike calls his master and admires. He gave Mr. Koike important advice for regional development. It is clear that Mr. Hori has an impressive track record and achievements, having worked hard to attract Tokyo Disneyland and serving as the general producer at the time of its opening. By the way, Mr. Hori was also a ceramic artist.
Illustrator: Osamu Kajiwara
The person in charge of the illustrations for the comic was Osamu Kajiwara. Koike and Yamaoka met Mr. Kajiwara as they were discussing the comic adaptation. Koike invited Mr. Kajiwara, who originally wanted to be a manga artist, to become an employee of his company. Kajiwara joined the production team for Yakunara Mug Cup mo at Koike's company. Later, Kajiwara produced Yakunara Mug Cup mo Komikaraizu!, a remake of the original comic. It has a different story from both the original and the anime version.
What other works does Kajiwara have?
I tried to find other works by Kajiwara, but I couldn't find any other serialized or currently serialized works. By the way, Kajiwara's face image is probably private, as no images came up when I searched for it. His age is also unknown. However, judging from the style of the remake's drawings, it seems that he is relatively young.
Deciding on an anime adaptation
The comic began serialization in 2012, but the decision to make it into an anime was made eight years later in 2020. Koike had originally been aiming for an anime adaptation, but when the decision was actually made, he said he couldn't believe it at first. When he received an offer to produce the work from Nippon Animation, Koike himself is a fan of Nippon Animation, so he was very happy.
Summary of the creators of "Yakuna Mug Cup Mo"
I hope you understand that "Yakuna Mug Cup Mo" is made by many people, including the creator, the creator's master, the manga author, and the anime production company. With the second season about to begin, there is no doubt that Tajimi City will become even more exciting! That's all for now. Thank you for reading.
