Natsuki Takaya

Natsuki Takaya, born Nana Hatake on July 7, 1973, in Tokyo, is a Japanese manga artist best known for creating the internationally beloved series *Fruits Basket*. Her path to comics began early: inspired by her sister’s drawing, she decided in first grade to become a manga artist, and she made her professional debut in 1992. Takaya’s breakout work, *Fruits Basket*, launched in 1998 and became one of the best-selling shōjo manga in North America, earning her the 2001 Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo. The series was adapted into two anime—a 26-episode season in 2001, and a more complete three-season adaptation from 2019 to 2021. During *Fruits Basket*’s original run, Takaya broke her drawing arm after volume six, requiring surgery and a brief hiatus; she recovered fully, though she noted her handwriting became less neat. Her catalog also includes *Tsubasa: Those with Wings*, and she worked as a writer, artist, and inker on 24 issues from 2004 to 2009. Takaya’s style blends emotional depth with whimsical character designs, and her work continues to influence shōjo manga and its global readership.