When it comes to Japan, manga is a huge part of the culture just like comic books are in the West. The creators behind these series are called "mangaka," and most of these creators either study at an art college or what is called a manga school. There are also those who start off as assistants to other mangaka.
Not all manga fans are aware that many of the iconic manga are from mangaka who were once assistants to other big-time mangaka. It's always amazing to look at the stories of these now-famous mangaka and who exactly they were an assistant to.
10 Nobuhiro Watsuki Assisted Death Note's Creator
Nobuhiro Watsuki isn't a good person, but his hit manga series, Rurouni Kenshin has an impact that can't be denied, having sold over 70 million copies globally. It's now even receiving a sequel series.
Before he got to work on his own series, Watsuki started off as an assistant to Takeshi Obata. If that name is familiar, it's because it belongs to the mangaka behind series like Death Note, Hikaru no Go, and Bakuman.
9 Hiroyuki Takei Learned From Watsuki
Mangaka Hiroyuki Takei is one of the most accomplished creators out there, creating a manga that truly transcended cultures and became a hit everywhere, Shaman King.
Funny enough, Hiroyuki Takei started off as an assistant to someone that was once an assistant themself. That teacher who put Takei in the position to get his work out there was Rurouni Kenshin mangaka, Nobuhiro Watsuki.
8 Kaoru Shintani Came From Captain Harlock
The Japanese manga artist, Kaoru Shintani, created the 80's shonen series, Area 88. They've done a wide range of work and have even been awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award thanks to their works.
Kaoru Shintani began as a shojo artist and worked up to being an assistant to Leiji Matsumoto, the creator of great series like Space Pirate Captain Harlock and Galaxy Express 999.
7 Leiji Matsumoto Was An Assistant To The Man Behind Astro Boy
Leiji Matsumoto is known as one of the premier sci-fi writers when it comes to manga. His series are revolutionary when it comes to the Space Opera genre of the medium especially.
Before he went on to create his highly acclaimed manga, he was an assistant to another mangaka legend. That legend is Osamu Tezuka, the mastermind behind Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Black Jack, and more.
6 The Mother Of Magical Girls Taught Miwa Ueda
Miwa Ueda is one of the most prolific mangaka around, especially when it comes to the shojo genre with her award-winning series, Peach Girl and Angel Wars.
Before publishing her own works in 1985, she worked with Naoko Takeuchi. Takeuchi is another very well-known shojo mangaka who created the series everyone knows, Sailor Moon, which made her one of the most influential mangaka out there.
5 Naruto's Sequel Is Led By Its Assistant, Mikio Ikemoto
While the main name behind the Naruto manga series was Masashi Kishimoto, it wasn't created alone. There was a manga artist assisting him named Mikio Ikemoto.
Mikio Ikemoto isn't just an assistant anymore, and he was chosen to actually lead the manga version of Naruto's monthly series sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
4 Hiroya Oku Learned A Lot From Naoko Yamamoto
Hiroya Oku is one of the fathers of the seinen manga genre. He is the mangaka behind the obscure series Hen and the highly acclaimed series Gantz and Inuyashiki.
While he was influenced by Katsuhiro Otomo and Ryoichi Ikegami, he learned under Naoki Yamamoto who wrote a myriad of different manga and contributed to many anime series as well. Oku learned his black and white coloring technique during this assistant phase of his life.
3 Hitoshi Iwaaki Was A Student Of Kazuo Kamimura
Hitoshi Iwaaki created series like Historie and Parasyte. The latter, Parasyte, was awarded the Kodansha manga award and received a critically acclaimed anime adaptation.
Before he became an award-winning mangaka, Iwaaki worked as an assistant to Kazuo Kamimura who was best known as the illustrator of the manga, Lady Snowblood.
2 Eiichiro Oda's First Job At Jump Was An Assistant To Many Mangaka
Eiichiro Oda is a name that just about any Shonen Jump fan knows now. He is the creator of what many consider the best shonen series of all time, One Piece.
Before creating a masterpiece, Oda had to work his way up. His first job at Jump was as an assistant to Shinobu Kaitani and working on Suizan Police Gang. He also worked under names like Masaya Tokuhiro and Rurouni Kenshin's Nobuhiro Watsuki.
1 Go Nagai Learned From The Grandfather Of The Medium
Go Nagai is one of the most revolutionary mangaka there is. He brought so many new ideas to the forefront and created many concepts still used to this day in series like Devilman, Cutie Honey, and Mazinger Z. Many series that have followed are quite literally in debt to him and his creative mind.
His true name is actually Kiyoshi Nagai, but he took up his pen name after gaining a position as assistant to the grandfather of manga, Shotaro Ishinomori. The influence from Ishinomori's works like Kamen Rider, Cyborg 009, and Himitsu Sentai Gorenger can be seen from a mile away in Go Nagai's many series.