Waki Yamato

Waki Yamato (大和 和紀) is a Japanese mangaka. She debuted in 1966 with the short story Dorobou Tenshi.

Since this debut, Yamato steadily created and published a variety of works in the genre of shōjo manga. Among her early time works, Mon Cherie CoCo, 1971, was adapted into TV anime series, and her work, Haikara-san ga Tōru, 1975 to 1977, was very successful, winning the 1st Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo in 1977. It was also made into a musical for the Takarazuka Revue. Through these early works, she established her position as one of the most popular manga artists.

Works
After the success of Haikara-san ga Tōru, she continued to create many manga, including the comedy Aramis '78 (series), Yokohama Monogatari (The Story of Yokohama), and N. Y. Komachi (The Belle of New York). The latter two were historical manga, set during the Meiji period.

The heroines of these stories were active girls who traveled overseas. Yamato's early work Reidii Mitsuko (Lady Mitsuko), 1976, was based on the true story of Mitsuko Aoyama, who was the mother of Richard Nikolaus Graf Coudenhove-Kalergi.

Similarly, in Yokohama Monogatri, Uno visits California, marries her Japanese lover there and returns to Yokohama, while Mariko visits London to meet her Japanese husband. In N. Y. Komachi tomboy Shino travels to New York and becomes a camerawoman. At the end she settles in America with her husband Danny.

Asaki Yume Mishi
Yamato's major work is Asaki Yume Mishi. Yamato spent 13 years (1980-93) completing this famous long work, based on Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji. Yamato studied the historical details of the Heian period. But she made radical changes to the characters and plot, to fit contemporary mores. Yet her work remains one of the best visualizations of the Heian era.

Works

 * Dorobou Tenshi, (どろぼう天使, Thief Angel) debut short work, 1966
 * Mon Cherie CoCo, (モンシェリCoCo) 1971
 * Redii Mitsuko, (レディーミツコ, Lady Mitsuko ). 1975 - 1976
 * Haikara-san ga Tōru, (はいからさんが通る, "The Modern Girl Passes By") 1975 - 1977
 * Killa, (Killa) 1977 - 1978
 * Ten no Hate, Chi no Kagiri, (天の果て地の限り) 1978
 * Aramis ’78, (アラミス’78) 1978 - 1984
 * Kigen 2600 nen no Playball, (紀元2600年のプレイボール) 1979 - 1980
 * Gekkou-ju, (月光樹, Moonlight Shining Tree) 1980
 * Yokohama Monogatari, (ヨコハマ物語, The Story of Yokohama) 1981 - 1983
 * N. Y. Komachi, (NY小町, The Belle of New York) 1985 - 1988
 * Asaki Yume Mishi, (あさきゆめみし, Asakiyunemishi, based on Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji) 1980 - 1993
 * Hi-heel Cop, (ハイヒールCOP) 1989 - 1994
 * Tenshi no Kajitsu, (天使の果実, Fruit of the Angel, based on novel by Shizuka Ijuuin) 1993 - 1994
 * Niji no Natascha, (虹のナターシャ, Natascha of Rainbow, based on novel by Mariko Hayashi) 1995 - 1997
 * Nishimuku Samurai, (にしむく士, Samurai facing to the West) 1997
 * Baby-sitter Gin!, (ベビーシッター・ギン!) 1997
 * Kurenai Niwofu, (紅匂ふ)

Two of Yamato's works were adapted into anime television series: Mon Cherie Coco in 1972, and Haikara-san ga Tōru (also known as Mademoiselle Anne in Italy and Marc et Marie in France) in 1978. The latter also became a live-action movie in 1987. Haikara-san ga Tōru, Yamato's well-known and popular work, was awarded the 1st Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo in 1977.