Kuzushiro

Kuzushiro
くずしろ
Born
Iwate Prefecture, Japan
OccupationManga artist
Writing career
Pen nameHajime Katsuragi
LanguageJapanese
Period2009–present
Notable work
WebsiteOfficial website

Kuzushiro (くずしろ), also known as Hajime Katsuragi (葛城一, Katsuragi Hajime), is a Japanese manga artist. She is known for her works Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san and A Mangaka's Weirdly Wonderful Workplace, which received anime television series adaptations in 2014 and 2025 respectively. An anime adaptation of her series The Moon on a Rainy Night has been announced.

Career

Early years

In her third year of high school, Kuzushiro submitted a work to a contest and won a small award. Later, while attending university, she became an assistant for a weekly manga series, and would sometimes stay at her workplace and work through the night. She described the experience as enjoyable and one that contributed to her eventually becoming a manga artist as a career. Throughout university, she drew manga with the hope of making her professional debut before graduating, a goal which she accomplished in her fourth year.

In December 2007, under the name Hajime Katsuragi, she received an Honorable Mention in the 61st Shogakukan Newcomer Comic Awards [ja] for the short shōnen manga "BBC".

Professional career

Kuzushiro made her professional debut in April 2009 with the publication of the one-shot story lit. 'Inugami-san and Nekoyama-san' (神さんと猫山さん, "Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san") in Manga Life Selection Munko Special [ja]. She later expanded the story into a full series also titled Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san, which began running in Ichijinsha's Comic Yuri Hime in November 2011., The manga series was adapted into a short anime television series that premiered in April 2014. It concluded in February 2017 with six tankōbon volumes published in total.

In March 2010, Kuzushiro launched lit. 'I Would Die for Your Sake, My Lady' (姫のためなら死ねる, Kimino Tamenara Shineru) in Takeshobo's Manga Life Win [ja]. The series concluded with the release of its fourteenth and final tankōbon volume in April 2024.

Kuzushiro began Living With My Brother's Wife in Square Enix's Young Gangan magazine in December 2015. In 2017, the series placed fifteenth in the print category of the Next Manga Awards. Its sixteenth and final tankōbon volume was published in March 2025.

In February 2019, Kuzushiro published a one-shot in Kodansha's Kiss magazine, which later was expanded into the serialized manga A Mangaka's Weirdly Wonderful Workplace on Kodansha's Comic Days [ja] website in May 2019. An anime television series adaptation aired from October to December 2025. As of July 2026, the series has been collected into fifteen tankōbon volumes.

In April 2019, Kuzushiro began serializing lit. 'How to Fight for the Lifetime Girl's Grandmaster' (永世乙女の戦い方, Eisei Otome no Tatakai-kata) in Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior. As of July 2026, the series has been collected into fifteen tankōbon volumes.

In June 2021, Kuzushiro started publishing The Moon on a Rainy Night on Comic Days. The series was nominated for the Next Manga Awards in the digital category in 2022 and 2023. An anime television series adaptation was announced in November 2024, with a key visual and short interview with Kuzushiro being released in December 2025. As of July 2026, the series has been collected into twelve tankōbon volumes.

Style and influences

As a child, Kuzushiro enjoyed reading picture books and inventing her own stories, often imagining alternative possibilities when she disliked a certain plot development. She cited Mitsuru Adachi's H2 and Yoshio Sawai's Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo as works that influenced her decision to become a manga artist. She also read shōjo manga magazines such as Ribon that her older sister bought, which sparked a desire to draw similar works.

Many of Kuzushiro's characters are inspired by people she has encountered in her own life. However, she also draws from a variety of literature, including documentaries, essays, nonfiction, and I-novels, to better understand different perspectives on the world. She has stated that in every work she creates, she includes at least one character with a strong sense of morality to ground the story, preventing readers from becoming annoyed by other characters' problematic behavior.

Kuzushiro's work typically goes through four stages: storyboards, rough sketches, inking, and finishing. She receives assistance with the last two stages. She often begins drawing storyboards before completing her character designs, an approach that she feels other manga artists might find surprising.

In a 2025 interview, Kuzushiro said that her idea of a good drawing is one where the audience can immediately recognize its author, rather than one which is just skillfully created.

Personal life

Kuzushiro was born in Iwate Prefecture. In interviews and other public appearances, Kuzushiro prefers to be represented in photographs by a large stuffed animal based on a sketch she drew in high school.

Kuzushiro described herself as naturally "gloomy", which she felt is reflected to an extent in her works. She tries to remain mindful of this and avoid emphasizing this tendency too strongly. She has stated that she struggles with motivation sometimes, which she overcomes by relying on support from her assistants and editors as well as enjoying her favorite music or movies.

Kuzushiro is a fan of the idol group Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku, with an incident involving one of the group's members influencing her development of The Moon on a Rainy Night. She also enjoys comedy films and often incorporates a straight man role into her works.

Works

All release dates are for tankōbon volumes.

Notes

  1. ↑ "暗い", lit. 'dark'
  2. ↑ Under the name Hajime Katsuragi.

References

  1. 1 2 3 アニメ「えがたえ」ねこのて役·花井美春×原作·くずしろ【連載インタビュー: 第8回】. Animate Times (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 14, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  2. 1 2 「笑顔のたえない職場です。」が描く漫画家の世界のリアル. Friday Digital. October 14, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  3. 1 2 くずしろ(漫画家) – マンガペディア. Mangapedia (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 10, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  4. ↑ これまでの受賞者|小学館 新人コミック大賞. Shogakukan Newcomer Comic Awards. Archived from the original on August 9, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  5. ↑ コミック百合姫 1月号 (発売日2011年11月18日). Fujisan.co.jp. Fujisan Magazine Service Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on August 31, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Key Visual for "Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san" Yuri-themed Comedy TV Anime Revealed". Crunchyroll. January 18, 2014. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  7. ↑ 百合姫の「犬神さんと猫山さん」, 今月号で最終回に. Yuri Navi (in Japanese). February 20, 2017. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  8. 1 2 くずしろ「犬神さんと猫山さん」&「れんあいこわい」完結巻が同時発売. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 3, 2017. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  9. ↑ 姫のためなら死ねる(漫画). Mangapedia (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 23, 2026. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  10. 1 2 姫のためなら死ねる 14. Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  11. ↑ Pineda, Rafael (November 14, 2015). "Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san, Working!! Authors to Each Launch New Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  12. ↑ 「次にくるマンガ大賞」発表会, 上位入賞者による記念イラストも公開. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 23, 2017. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  13. 1 2 【3月25日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 25, 2025. Archived from the original on March 24, 2025. Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  14. ↑ 実はズボラなバリキャリ女子とオカン系の後輩男子「わたしのお嫁くん」シリーズ連載. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 25, 2019. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  15. ↑ くずしろが描く, 少女マンガ家を主人公とした女子たちのワーキングコメディ. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 18, 2019. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  16. ↑ Cayanan, Joanna (September 4, 2025). "A Mangaka's Weirdly Wonderful Workplace Anime Reveals 2 New Cast, October 6 Debut". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 4, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  17. 1 2 笑顔のたえない職場です。 15. Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  18. ↑ 「兄の嫁と暮らしています。」のくずしろが将棋を描く, スペリオールで新連載. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 26, 2019. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  19. 1 2 【2026年6月29日〜7月5日】週間マンガ単行本売り上げランキング. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 7, 2026. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 雨夜の月(漫画) [The Moon on a Rainy Night (Manga)]. Mangapedia (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 15, 2026. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  21. ↑ Morrissy, Kim (June 23, 2022). "Voting Opens for Next Manga Awards 2022". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  22. ↑ Loveridge, Lynzee (June 25, 2023). "Voting Opens for Next Manga Awards 2023". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  23. ↑ Mateo, Alex (November 15, 2024). "The Moon on a Rainy Night Manga Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 15, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  24. ↑ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 29, 2025). "The Moon on a Rainy Night TV Anime Reveals Visual, Main Staff". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 29, 2025. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
  25. ↑ アニメ「えがたえ」佐藤 楓役·雨宮 天×原作·くずしろ【連載インタビュー: 第3回】. Animate Times (in Japanese). Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  26. ↑ アニメ「えがたえ」間 瑞希役·伊藤美来×原作·くずしろ【連載インタビュー: 第2回】. Animate Times (in Japanese). Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  27. ↑ (2ページ目)「一転して, すごい攻め将棋で...」人気漫画家の心をつかんだ女流棋士の"ギャップ"とは | 観る将棋, 読む将棋. Bunshun Online (in Japanese). June 1, 2022. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  28. 1 2 アニメ「えがたえ」梨田ありさ役·小林ゆう×原作·くずしろ【連載インタビュー: 第4回】. Animate Times (in Japanese). Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  29. ↑ くずしろ. Toyo Keizai. Archived from the original on December 21, 2024.
  30. ↑ Ito, Kazuhiro (February 25, 2022). 大切なことは目に見えない くずしろ「雨夜の月」(第130回) ["The important things are invisible to the eye"—The Moon on a Rainy Night by Kuzushiro (Number 130)]. Book Asahi (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on December 7, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
  31. ↑ アニメ「えがたえ」間 瑞希役·伊藤美来×原作·くずしろ【連載インタビュー: 第2回】. Animate Times (in Japanese). Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  32. ↑ 「単行本発売前ウツ」もよくある話!人気作家が描く「漫画家あるある」マンガが話題. Gendai Media (in Japanese). September 10, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  33. ↑ 【マンガ】他人との間に壁を作ってしまう...クラスで浮いた女子高生が"前に進めた"瞬間 [[Manga] "I end up building walls between myself and other people..."—the moment a high school girl who feels out of place in her class is able to "move forward"]. Gendai Media (in Japanese). March 17, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  34. ↑ アニメ「えがたえ」間 瑞希役·伊藤美来×原作·くずしろ【連載インタビュー: 第2回】. Animate Times (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 1, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  35. ↑ 姫のためなら死ねる 1. Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  36. ↑ げきぶの。1. Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  37. ↑ げきぶの。3. Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  38. ↑ "LASBOSS×HERO 1". Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  39. ↑ "LASBOSS×HERO 4". Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  40. ↑ 【1月18日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc. January 18, 2013. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  41. ↑ 【7月25日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 25, 2016. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  42. ↑ 笑顔のたえない職場です。1. Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  43. ↑ 女流棋士の勝負を描く漫画「永世乙女の戦い方」発売 監修は香川愛生女流三段. Oricon News. September 30, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  44. ↑ 悪魔が小4女子の"ママ"になる?くずしろが贈る日常コメディ「あくまのまま」1巻. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc. September 23, 2018. Archived from the original on February 28, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Akuma no mama 2". Media Arts Database. Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved July 28, 2026.