View source for Fumi Yoshinaga

{{Short description|Japanese manga artist}}
{{Infobox comics creator
| name          = Fumi Yoshinaga <br />よしなが ふみ
| image         =
| imagesize    = 
| caption       = 
| birth_name  = 
| birth_date    = {{Birth year and age|1971}}
| birth_place   = [[Tokyo]], Japan
| death_date    = 
| death_place   = 
| nationality   = Japanese
| area          = [[Characterisation|Character design]], [[Writer]], [[Mangaka|Manga artist]]
| alias         = 
| notable works = 
| awards        = [[Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize]], [[Kodansha Manga Award]], [[Shogakukan Manga Award]], [[Japan Media Arts Festival]] (Excellence Prize), [[Sense of Gender Awards|Sense of Gender Award]], [[James Tiptree, Jr. Award]]
| manga          = Yes
| website       = 
}}

{{nihongo|'''Fumi Yoshinaga'''|よしなが ふみ|Yoshinaga Fumi|born 1971}} is a Japanese [[Mangaka|manga artist]] known for her [[Shōjo manga|shōjo]] and [[Yaoi|boys' love]] works.

==Life==
Fumi Yoshinaga was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. She discovered amateur manga, [[doujinshi]], in junior high school, when a friend showed her a doujinshi depicting a romantic relationship between two male characters of ''[[Captain Tsubasa]]''. While still in school, she hid from others that she was an [[otaku]] in order to avoid bullying.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=嘉島唯 |date=2022-09-14 |title=Manga Artist Fumi Yoshinaga Talks about Her Own Works and Changes in Society: Expanding Manga Expression- TOKION |url=https://tokion.jp/en/2022/09/14/interview-fumi-yoshinaga/ |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information |language=en-US}}</ref>

She attended the prestigious [[Keio University]] in Tokyo.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} While at university, she joined a manga club in order to be able to talk to others about manga. When she read the popular manga series [[Slam Dunk (manga)|''Slam Dunk'']], she was inspired to create a gay love story based on the characters of Kogure and Mitsui. She continued making doujinshi throughout her time as a student and participated in doujinshi conventions.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Toku Mechademia">Toku, Masami (2007) "[http://www.upress.umn.edu/Books/L/lunning_mechademia2.html Shojo Manga! Girls’ Comics! A Mirror of Girls’ Dreams]" ''[[Mechademia]] 2'' p. 25</ref>

Her professional career started as an addition to her activities as a doujinshi artist. She made her professional debut as a manga artist in 1994 with ''[[The Moon and the Sandals]]'', serialized in the newly-founded [[Boys' Love Manga|Boys' Love]] magazine ''Hanaoto''.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} The editor of the magazine was a friend of hers that she had met through doujinshi.<ref name=":0" />

She continued working for Boys' Love magazines, but eventually switched to mainstream magazines, as Boys' Love magazines had policies that artists had to include sex scenes, which she found difficult.<ref name=":0" />

== Style and themes ==
Most of her romantic works center male-male romance. At a young age, she read [[shōjo manga]] depicting homosexuality, such as ''[[Patalliro!]]'', ''[[Kaze to Ki no Uta]]'' and ''[[Hi Izuru Tokoro no Tenshi]]''. Yoshinaga explains that she is not passionate about normative romantic storylines: "However, I can easily broaden my imagination as to stories starting from 'comradeships,' 'master-slave' relationships or the kind of friendship that becomes too passionate and then turns into romance."<ref name=":0" /> When she creates gay storylines, she keeps in mind that gay people might read them. With her series ''[[What Did You Eat Yesterday?]]'', she wanted to depict the daily life of a middle-aged gay couple without focusing on romance, instead putting the difficulties of living together as a couple and cooking at the center of the plot.<ref name=":0" />

In an interview, she said that "I want to show the people who didn't win, whose dreams didn't come true. It is not possible for everybody to get first prize. I want my readers to understand the happiness that people can get from trying hard, going through the process, and getting frustrated."<ref name="Toku Mechademia" />

Outside of her work with Japanese publishers, she also self-publishes original [[doujinshi]] on a regular basis, most notably for ''[[Antique Bakery]]''. Yoshinaga has also drawn fan parodies of ''[[Slam Dunk (manga)|''Slam Dunk'']]'', ''[[Rose of Versailles]]'', and ''[[Legend of Galactic Heroes]]''.

She mentions that her favourite operas are those by Mozart in the author's note of ''[[Solfege (manga)|Solfege]]''.

== Reception ==
Of Yoshinaga's many works, several have been licensed internationally. She was also selected and exhibited as one of the "Twenty Major Manga artist Who Contributed to the World of Shōjo Manga (World War II to Present)" for Professor [[Masami Toku]]'s exhibition, "Shōjo Manga: Girl Power!" at [[CSU-Chico]].<ref>{{cite web |title=List of Girl's Mangaka |url=http://www.csuchico.edu/~mtoku/vc/Exhibitions/girlsmangaka/girlsmangaka_list.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051105015034/http://www.csuchico.edu/~mtoku/vc/Exhibitions/girlsmangaka/girlsmangaka_list.html |archive-date=2005-11-05 |website=www.csuchico.edu}} </ref>

She has received several awards for her works:

{{Awards table|2|sortable=yes}}
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Antique Bakery]]'' 
| [[Kodansha Manga Award]] ([[Shōjo manga|Shōjo]])<ref name="KodanshaHahn">{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/kodansha.shtml |author=Joel Hahn |title=Kodansha Manga Awards |work=Comic Book Awards Almanac |access-date=2007-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816031310/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/kodansha.shtml |archive-date=2007-08-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| {{won}}
|
|-
| 2004
| ''[[All My Darling Daughters (manga)|All My Darling Daughters]]'' 
| [[Japan Media Arts Festival]]<ref name="Japan Media Arts Festival 2004">{{cite web | url=http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/2004/recommend/magazine.php | author=Japan Media Arts Festival | title=2004 Japan Media Arts Festival: Manga Division Jury Recommended Works | work=Japan Media Arts Festival Official Website (english) | access-date=2008-11-29 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215012534/http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/2004/recommend/magazine.php | archive-date=2012-02-15 }}</ref>
| {{longlisted}}
| selected as a Jury Recommended Work (Manga Division)
|-
| 2005
| ''[[Ōoku: The Inner Chambers]]''
| [[Sense of Gender Awards]] (Special Prize)<ref name="Sense of Gender awards">{{cite web | url=http://gender-sf.org/sog/2005/02.html | author=The Japanese Association of Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy | title=Gender-SF 2005 SoG Awards: YOSHINAGA Fumi | work=The Japanese Association of Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy Official Website (japanese) | access-date=2009-05-11}}</ref>
| {{won}}
| 
|-
| 2006
| ''[[Ōoku: The Inner Chambers]]''
| [[Japan Media Arts Festival]] (Excellence Award)<ref name="Japan Media Arts Festival">{{cite web | url=http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/2006/manga/000507/index.php | author=Japan Media Arts Festival | title=2006 Japan Media Arts Festival: Excellence Prize OHOKU | work=Japan Media Arts Festival Official Website (english) | access-date=2008-10-22 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611064820/http://plaza.bunka.go.jp/english/festival/2006/manga/000507/index.php | archive-date=2008-06-11 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| {{won}}
| 
|-
| 2007
| ''[[Ōoku: The Inner Chambers]]''
| [[Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize]]<ref name="11th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize">{{cite web | url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-04-30/tezuka-cultural-prize-nominees-for-manga-announced | author=Anime News Network | title=11th Tezuka Cultural Prize Nominees for Manga Announced | access-date=2008-10-22}}</ref>
| {{nominated}}
| 
|-
| 2007
| ''[[Antique Bakery]]''
| [[Eisner Award]] ([[Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia|Best U.S. Edition of International Material — Japan]])<ref name="2007 Eisner Awards">{{cite web|url=http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_07nom.shtml |author=Comic-Con International |title=MASTER NOMINEE LIST 2007 Eisner Awards |work=Comic-Con International Official Site |access-date=2008-04-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808201201/http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_07nom.shtml |archive-date=2007-08-08 }}</ref>
| {{nominated}}
| English-language translation by [[Digital Manga Publishing]]
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Flower of Life (manga)|Flower of Life]]''
| [[YALSA]] Great Graphic Novels for Teens<ref name="2008 YALSA">{{cite web | url=http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/greatgraphicnovelsforteens/08ggnt.cfm | author=YALSA | title=Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2008 | work=American Library Association Official Site | access-date=2008-04-14}}</ref>
| {{won}}
| English-language translation by [[Digital Manga Publishing]]
|-
| 2008
| ''[[The Moon and the Sandals]]''
| [[YALSA]] Great Graphic Novels for Teens<ref name="2008 YALSA2">{{cite web | url=https://www.comipress.com/news/2007/08/20/2516.html | title=ALA Updates Great Graphic Novel Nominations | work=ComiPress | access-date=2019-09-25}}</ref>
| {{nominated}}
| English-language translation by [[Digital Manga Publishing]]
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Ōoku: The Inner Chambers]]''
| [[Manga Taishō]]<ref name="MangaTaisho">{{cite web | url=http://www.mangataisho.com/blog/2008/01/2008.html | author=ManTai | title=Manga Taisho 2008 Nomination Announcement! | work=ManTai Official Blog | access-date=2008-01-21 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127132655/http://www.mangataisho.com/blog/2008/01/2008.html | archive-date=2008-01-27 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| {{nominated}}
| 
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Flower of Life (manga)|Flower of Life]]''
| [[Manga Taishō]]<ref name="MangaTaisho">{{cite web | url=http://www.mangataisho.com/blog/2008/01/2008.html | author=ManTai | title=Manga Taisho 2008 Nomination Announcement! | work=ManTai Official Blog | access-date=2008-01-21 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127132655/http://www.mangataisho.com/blog/2008/01/2008.html | archive-date=2008-01-27 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| {{nominated}}
| 
|-
| 2008
| ''[[What Did You Eat Yesterday?]]''
| [[Manga Taishō]]<ref name="MangaTaisho">{{cite web | url=http://www.mangataisho.com/blog/2008/01/2008.html | author=ManTai | title=Manga Taisho 2008 Nomination Announcement! | work=ManTai Official Blog | access-date=2008-01-21 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127132655/http://www.mangataisho.com/blog/2008/01/2008.html | archive-date=2008-01-27 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| {{nominated}}
| 
|-
| 2008
| ''[[Ōoku: The Inner Chambers]]'' 
| [[Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize]]<ref name="12th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize">{{cite web | url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-03-14/12th-tezuka-osamu-cultural-prize-nominees-announced | author=Anime News Network | title=12th Tezuka Cultural Prize Nominees for Manga Announced | access-date=2008-10-22}}</ref>
| {{nominated}}
| 
|-
| 2008
| —
| [[Eisner Award]] (Best Writer/Artist).<ref name="2008 Eisner Awards">{{cite web | url=http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_main.shtml#nominees | author=Comic-Con International | title=2008 Eisner Awards: 2008 Eisner Nominations Most Diverse Yet | work=Comic-Con International Official Site | access-date=2008-04-14 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619144010/http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_main.php | archive-date=2012-06-19 }}</ref>
| {{nominated}}
| 
|-
| 2009
|  ''[[Ōoku: The Inner Chambers]]'' 
| [[Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize]] (Grand Prize)<ref name="13th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize">{{cite web | url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-19/13th-tezuka-osamu-cultural-prize-winners-announced | author=Anime News Network | title=13th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Winners Announced | access-date=2009-04-19}}</ref>
| {{won}}
| 
|-
| 2009
|  ''[[Ōoku: The Inner Chambers]]'' 
| [[James Tiptree, Jr. Award]]
| {{won}}
| English-language translation by [[Viz Media]]
|-
| 2010
|  ''[[Ōoku: The Inner Chambers]]'' 
| [[YALSA]] Great Graphic Novels for Teens<ref name="2010 YALSA">{{cite web | url=http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/greatgraphicnovelsforteens/2010top10.cfm | author=YALSA | title=2010 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens | work=American Library Association Official Site | access-date=2010-01-26}}</ref>
| {{won}}
| English-language translation by [[Viz Media]]
|-
| 2010
|  ''[[Ōoku: The Inner Chambers]]'' 
| [[Shogakukan Manga Award]] (Shōjo)<ref name="56th Shogakukan Manga Award">{{cite web | url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-01-21/56th-shogakukan-manga-award-winners-announced | title=56th Shogakukan Manga Award Winners Announced | access-date=2011-01-22}}</ref>
| {{won}}
| 
|-
| 2019
|  ''[[What Did You Eat Yesterday?]]'' 
| [[Kodansha Manga Award]] (General)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hodgkins |first1=Crystalyn |title=43rd Annual Kodansha Manga Awards' Winners Announced |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-05-10/43rd-annual-kodansha-manga-awards-winners-announced/.146582 |website=Anime News Network |access-date=14 June 2019 |date=May 10, 2019}}</ref>
| {{won}}
| 
{{end}}

==Works==
===One-shots===
*{{nihongo|''[[Truly Kindly]]''|本当に、やさしい。|Hontou ni, yasashii.}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Solfege (manga)|Solfege]]''|ソルフェージュ}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Kodomo no Taion]]''|こどもの体温||lit. ''A Child's Temperature''}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Lovers in the Night]]''|愛とは夜に気付くもの|Ai Towa Yoru ni Kitzuku Mono}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Garden Dreams]]''|彼は花園で夢を見る|Kare wa Hanazono de Yume wo Miru|lit. "He Dreams in the Flower Garden"}}
*{{nihongo|''[[All My Darling Daughters (manga)|All My Darling Daughters]]''|愛すべき娘たち|Ai Subeki Musumetachi}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Don't Say Anymore, Darling]]''|それを言ったらおしまいよ|Sore wo Ittara Oshimai yo|lit. "If You Say That, It's Over"}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Not Love but Delicious Foods]]''|愛がなくても喰ってゆけます。|Ai ga Nakutemo Kutte Yukemasu.}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Shitsuji no Bunzai]]''|執事の分際|lit. "A Butler's Place"}}

===Series===
*{{nihongo|''[[The Moon and the Sandals]]''|月とサンダル|Tsuki to Sandaru}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Ichigenme... The First Class is Civil Law]]''|1限めはやる気の民法|Ichigenme wa Yaruki no Minpō}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Gerard & Jacques]]''|ジェラールとジャック|Gerard to Jacques}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Antique Bakery]]''|西洋骨董洋菓子店|Seiyō Kotto Yōgashiten}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Flower of Life (manga)|Flower of Life]]''|フラワー・オブ・ライフ|Furawā obu Raifu}}
*{{nihongo|''[[Ōoku: The Inner Chambers]]''|大奥|lit. "The Shogun's Harem"}}
*{{nihongo|''[[What Did You Eat Yesterday?]]''|きのう何食べた?|lit. "What Did You Eat Yesterday?"}}
*''Tamaki to Amane'' (環と周)

===Illustrations===
====Shōnen-ai novels====
*{{nihongo|''Garasu Zaiku no Tenshi''|硝子細工の天使}}
*{{nihongo|''Kono Ame ga Yuki ni Kawaru Made''|この雨が雪にかわるまで}}
*{{nihongo|''Baby Love''|ベイビィラヴ}}
*{{nihongo|''Position''|ポジション}}
*{{nihongo|''Innocent Sky''|イノセント・スカイ}}
*{{nihongo|''Saginuma Yakkyoku de...''|サギヌマ薬局で…}}
*{{nihongo|''Second Messenger''|セカンドメッセンジャー}}
*{{nihongo|''Hanayakana Meikyū''|華やかな迷宮}}
*{{nihongo|''Itsutsu no Oto''|五つの音}}
*{{nihongo|''Kamakura saryou koimonogatari''|鎌倉茶寮恋物語}}
*{{nihongo|''Usotsuki no Koi''|嘘ツキの恋}}
*{{nihongo|''Muzai Sekai''|無罪世界}}

====Miscellaneous====
*{{nihongo|''Manga wa Ima Dounatte Oru no ka''|マンガは今どうなっておるのか}} - A book about the state of manga today by famed manga scholar, [[Fusanosuke Natsume]]
*{{nihongo|''Kore ga Watashitachi no DVD Best Selection 70''|これがワタシたちのDVDベストセレクション70}} - Mag Garden
*{{nihongo|''Motto! Kore ga Watashitachi no DVD Best Selection 70''|もっと!これがワタシたちのDVDベストセレクション70}} - Mag-Garden
*{{nihongo|''Unmeironsha Jyakku to Sono Aruji''|運命論者ジャックとその主人}} - New Japanese edition of [[Denis Diderot]]'s ''[[Jacques le fataliste et son maître|Jacques the Fatalist and his Master]]''
*{{nihongo|''Ano hito to Koko Dake no Oshaberi''|あのひととここだけのおしゃべり}} - Interviews of selected manga artist

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060808025840/http://yoshinagafc.web.infoseek.co.jp/ The Fumi Yoshinaga Resource Index] {{in lang|ja}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070313144613/http://gender-sf.org/sog/2005/2005_02.html/ The Japanese Association for Gender Fantasy & Science Fiction - Sense of Gender Award] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Fumi Yoshinaga}}
{{What Did You Eat Yesterday?}}
{{Kodansha Manga Award - Shōjo}}
{{Shogakukan Manga Award - Shōjo}}
{{Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize}}
{{Kodansha Manga Award - General}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yoshinaga, Fumi}}
[[Category:Fumi Yoshinaga| ]]
[[Category:Women manga artists]]
[[Category:Manga artists from Tokyo]]
[[Category:Winner of Kodansha Manga Award (Shōjo)]]
[[Category:Japanese female comics artists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Japanese female comics writers]]
[[Category:Keio University alumni]]