Yasuhiro Nightow

Japanese manga artist

"Nightow" redirects here. For other people with the surname, see Naitō.

Yasuhiro Nightow

内藤 泰弘

Yasuhiro Nightow at Japan Expo 2011

Born|  (1967-04-08) April 8, 1967 (age 56)
Yokohama, Japan
Area(s)| Manga artist, video game artist, character designer

Notable works

| Trigun, Gungrave, Blood Blockade Battlefront

Yasuhiro Nightow (内藤 泰弘, Naitō Yasuhiro, born April 8, 1967, in Yokohama, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist.[1] His major work Trigun was adapted into an anime series and film. He also designed the characters for the video game and anime series Gungrave, and has been working on the manga Blood Blockade Battlefront.

## Biography[edit]

Nightow was born in Yokohama, and moved to Yokosuka when he was in elementary school, and spent his junior high and high school years in Shizuoka. His first exposure to comics was through Fujio Akatsuka's Tensai Bakabon, and he was also influenced by the comics of Leiji Matsumoto such as Yamato, Harlock and 999. He also was drawn to the work done in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday which included artists Rumiko Takahashi and Fujihiko Hosono. Regarding "new wave" artists, he liked Katsuhiro Otomo from Sayonara Nippon, and Fumiko Takano.[1]

He studied social science and then majored in media studies at Housei University. While there, he drew manga as a hobby, and made some dojinshi. After graduation, he worked Sekisui House where he sold apartments. After three and a half years, he quit his job to draw full-time. His first one-shot manga was based on the popular video game franchise Samurai Spirits. He had also developed a story titled Call XXXX which was published in Super Jump magazine.[1]

With the help of a publisher friend, he submitted a Trigun story for the February 1995 issue of the Tokuma Shoten magazine Shōnen Captain, and began regular serialization two months later in April. However, Shōnen Captain was canceled early in 1997, and when Nightow was approached by the magazine Young King Ours, published by Shōnen Gahōsha, they were interested in him beginning a new work. Nightow though, was troubled by the idea of leaving Trigun incomplete, and requested to be allowed to finish the series.[2] The publishers were sympathetic, and the manga resumed in 1997 as Trigun Maximum (トライガンマキシマム, Toraigan Makishimamu). The story jumps forward two years with the start of Maximum. Despite this, Nightow has stated[3] that the new title was purely down to the change of publishers.[1] Trigun Maximum ran until 2007 and generated 14 tankōbon volumes. The Trigun series was adapted into an anime series by Madhouse and had a limited broadcast run in 1998. It received an English adaptation which aired on Cartoon Network. Its popularity in the United States resulted in creation of a feature film Trigun: Badlands Rumble in 2010.

Nightow created the characters and story for the Sega/Red Entertainment third-person shooter video game series Gungrave.[4] The series also received an anime adaptation.

In 2009, Nightow started a new manga series Blood Blockade Battlefront, which was serialized in Jump Square various magazines from Jump SQ.19 to Jump SQ. Crown. The series follows the adventures of a photographer who acquires supernatural visions and gets involved in an organization to fight monsters and terrorists.

## Works[edit]

Title  | Year  | Notes  | Refs[5]

|
|
|

Samurai Spirits | 1994–95  | Serialized in Family Computer Magazine
Published by Tokuma Intermedia Comics in a single volume.
Later reprinted in 2013 with a new cover in a deluxe edition.  |
Trigun | 1995–97  | Serialized in Monthly Shōnen Captain
Published by Tokuma Shoten in 3 volumes
Later reprinted by Shōnen Gahōsha in 2 volumes.  |
Energy Breaker | 1996  | Character design, video game  |
Trigun Maximum | 1997–2007  | Serialized in Young King Ours
Published by Shōnen Gahōsha in 14 volumes  |
Gungrave | 2002  | Character design, video game  |
Samurai Shodown V | 2003  | Character design of Kusaregedo, video game  |
Gungrave: Overdose | 2004  | Character design, video game  |
Pen & Ink | 2006  | Published by Digital Manga. A guide to penning and inking manga
Book, with Satoshi Shiki and Oh! Great | [6]
Blood Blockade Battlefront
(Kekkai Sensen) | 2009–15  | Serialized in Jump SQ.19, Jump SQ. Crown
Published by Shueisha in 10 volumes  |
Blood Blockade Battlefront Back 2 Back
(Kekkai Sensen Back 2 Back) | 2015–22  | Serialized in Jump SQ. Crown, Jump SQ. RISE
Published by Shueisha in 10 volumes  |
S.Flight | 2018  | Published by Kadokawa Shoten.
A collection of six one-shots done by Yasuhiro Nightow from 1989 to 1997.  |
Blood Blockade Battlefront Beat 3 Peat
(Kekkai Sensen Beat 3 Peat) | 2022–ongoing  | Serialized in Jump SQ. RISE |

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d sumirechan (1999–2000). "Yasuhiro Nightow: Profile, Manga no Mori Interview, Puff Interview". Geocities. Archived from the original on November 8, 2001.
2. ^ "When Young King Ours invited me to do some work for them, they were hoping for a new piece, but I was troubled by leaving Trigun unfinished. I told them I wouldn't feel like I had done my work unless I finished it, plus I was attached to it, and I asked them if they'd let me finish it." interview with Nightow in the September 2000 Manga no Mori newsletter, translated by sumire.
3. ^ "Nightow stated that there is no difference in the story between the two titles, and the only reason for the change is because of the switch of publishing house." summary of discussion panel with Nightow at Anime Expo 2000, in Anaheim, California.
4. ^ Yap, Victor (June 25, 2006). "Grave danger". Malaysia Star. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
5. ^ "著者：内藤泰弘" [Author: Yasuhiro Nightow]. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Japan: Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
6. ^ "New Books from Digital Manga". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved September 6, 2016.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yasuhiro Nightow.

* Yasuhiro Nightow at IMDb

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Trigun by Yasuhiro Nightow

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Blood Blockade Battlefront by Yasuhiro Nightow

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