Makoto Raiku (雷句誠 Raiku Makoto, born August 24, 1974 in Gifu, Japan) is the creator and mangaka of the Konjiki no Gash!! manga, later known outside of Japan as Zatch Bell!. Many of his works have appeared in Shogakukan Inc.'s weekly publication Shōnen Sunday. Raiku started off as a manga assistant for Kazuhiro Fujita's Ushio and Tora manga series in 1990.
When Raiko started making original manga content, he made several one-shots for the shōnen manga anthology including Bird Man (a one-shot story about a young pilot), Aishū Senshi Hero Ba-Ban (a one-shot story about a happy but feeble superhero), and Genmai Blade (a one-shot and two-part story about a medicinal exorcist). In 1999, he created the manga series Newtown Heroes, which was published in Shōnen Sunday Super, a seasonal publication featuring upcoming manga artists and one-shots from the main Sunday book.
Zatch Bell![]
Main article: Zatch Bell!
Raiku created the manga series Konjiki no Gash!! (金色のガッシュ!! Konjiki no Gasshu!!, lit. "Golden Gash!!"), which was published in 2001 in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday. An anime adaptation of his manga, Konjiki no Gash Bell!! (金色のガッシュベル!! Konjiki no Gasshu Beru!!, lit. "Golden Gash Bell!!") aired in Japan in 2003 and was produced by Toei Animation. The anime and manga was later dubbed as Zatch Bell! outside Japan in 2005.
While working on his third manga series Animal Land, Raiku returns to the Konjiki no Gash!! series once more with a one-shot manga special in 2011 entitled Konjiki no Gash!! Gaiden: Tomo (金色のガッシュ!! 外伝「友」, Konjiki no Gashhu Beru!! Gaiden "Tomo", lit. "Golden Gash!! Side Story: Friend"), taking place after the finale of the manga.
Works[]
Series[]
- Newtown Heroes (ニュータウン・ヒーローズ Nyūtaun Hīrōzu) — March 1999 – August 2000, Weekly Shonen Sunday Super
- Konjiki no Gash!! (金色のガッシュ!! Konjiki no Gasshu!!, lit. "Golden Gash!!") — January 2001 – December 2007, Weekly Shonen Sunday
- Animal Land (どうぶつの国 Dōbutsu no Kuni) — October 9, 2009 – February 9, 2014
, Separate Shonen Magazine
- Vector Ball (VECTOR BALL / ベクターボール Bekutābōru) — 2016 – 2017, Weekly Shonen Magazine
One-shots[]
- Bird Man (BIRD MAN) — April 1993, Weekly Shonen Sunday Special issue
- Naniwa Uchihito (浪速超人伝) — February 2015, Weekly Shonen Sunday Super — Original work by Muneyuki Saito (斉藤宗幸 Saitō Muneyuki)
- Yurine Great (ユリネ・グレイト Yurine Gureito) — June 1996, Weekly Shonen Sunday Super
- Genmai Blade (玄米ブレード Genmai Burēdo, "Uncooked Rice Blade") — December 1996, Weekly Shonen Sunday Super
- Genmai Blend (玄米ブレンド Genmai Burendo, "Uncooked Rice Blend") — February 10, 1998, Shonen Sunday Special Expansion R
- Aishū Senshi Hero Ba-Ban (哀愁戦士ヒーローババーン Aishū Senshi Hīrō Babān, "Grief Warrior Hero Ba-Ban") — March 2003, Weekly Shonen Sunday Super
- Aosora (アオソラ) — October 2009, Monthly Shonen Magazine
- Animal Land ~Episode 0~ (どうぶつの国〜エピソード0〜 Dōbutsu no Kuni ~Episōdo 0~) — 2009, Weekly Shonen Magazine
- Class Room (Class Room / クラスルーム, Kurasurūmu) — November 2009, Jump Square
- Oyaju Rider (おやじゅ~ライダー Oyaju~Rider) — November 2009, Young King Hours
- Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Gaiden: Tomo (金色のガッシュ!! 外伝「友」, Konjiki no Gashhu Beru!! Gaiden "Tomo", lit. "Golden Gash!! Side Story: Friend") — March 9, 2011, Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- His first name, Makoto (誠), is Japanese for "truth."
- His last name, Raiku (雷句), is Japanese for "thunder clause" or "thunder phrase."
External links[]
- Makoto Raiku on English Wikipedia
- Makoto Raiku (雷句誠) on Japanese Wikipedia
- Makoto Raiku's website
- Makoto Raiku's Twitter
- Makoto Raiku's YouTube channel