Yoshitoshi ABe

Yoshitoshi ABe (安倍 吉俊) is a Japanese graphic artist who works predominantly in anime and manga. He received his Master of Fine Arts from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. His works have an edgy style due to, among other things, his not using a ruler while drawing as is usual for most anime-style art. He first gained fame in his work on the avant-garde anime Serial Experiments Lain. He is also responsible for the concept and character design for the series NieA under 7. He is the creator of the doujinshi Haibane Renmei, which was then adapted into an anime.

He is a colleague and friend of Chiaki J. Konaka, with whom he collaborated on the series Serial Experiments Lain and Texhnolyze. He usually uses the Romaji form of his name instead of the kanji, with the "B" in "ABe" capitalized, as a reminder of his early works, for which he used the pen name "AB".

He is known to be a fairly tech-savvy mangaka, drawing a sketch with just his finger and an application on an iPad. He released self-published dōjinshi on digital support bypassing the traditional print publishers with Pochiyama at the Pharmacy in 2008 aimed at iPhone and iPod Touch and I am an Alien, I have a Question in 2010 for Kindle.

Anime

 * Serial Experiments Lain (1998) (character design)
 * NieA_7 (2000) (character design, scenario)
 * Haibane Renmei (2002) (most of the production elements, particularly original story, character design and scenario)
 * Texhnolyze (2003) (character design)
 * Welcome to the N.H.K. (2006) (illustrations for the original novel)
 * Despera (2009) (character design)

Music

 * Love Song (2005) (cover art and booklet illustrations)

Video Games

 * Wachenröder (1998)

Printed works

 * Dōjinshi
 * Furumachi (August, 1996)
 * Shooting Star (December, 1996)
 * White Rain (July, 1997)
 * Sui-Rin (August, 1998)
 * Charcoal Feather Federation (Haibane Renmei) (December, 1998)
 * T.Prevue Version 0.9 (August, 1999)
 * Faces (December, 1999)
 * K.S.M.E (July, 2000)
 * Sketches (December, 2000)
 * NieA Under 7 - Under (August, 2001)
 * Haibane Renmei - The Haibanes of Old Home (Ch.1) (August, 2001)
 * Haibane Renmei - The Haibanes of Old Home (Ch.2) (December, 2001)
 * Haibane Renmei - Haibane Lifestyle Diary (August, 2002)
 * Haibane Renmei - The Haibanes of Old Home (Extra) (December, 2002)
 * Ryuu Tai (July, 2003)
 * Not Found (December, 2003)
 * Haibane Renmei - Kyakuhonshuu - Volume 1 (August, 2004)
 * Haibane Renmei - Kyakuhonshuu - Volume 2 (December, 2004)
 * Haibane Renmei - Kyakuhonshuu - Volume 3 (December, 2004)
 * Miscellaneous (December, 2004)
 * GRID. (August, 2005)
 * Haibane Renmei - Kyakuhonshuu - Volume 4 (December, 2005)
 * Haibane Renmei - Kyakuhonshuu - Volume 5 (December, 2005)
 * Yakkyoku no Pochiyamasan (December, 2005)
 * Haibane Renmei - Kyakuhonshuu - Volume 6 (August, 2006)
 * Yakkyoku no Pochiyamasan 2.0 (August, 2006)
 * Yakkyoku no Pochiyamasan 3.0 (August 19, 2007)
 * f.p.o. (Fixed Point Observation) (August 17, 2008)
 * Ryuhshika (August 17, 2008)
 * Yakkyoku no Pochiyamasan 4.0 (December 30, 2008)


 * Artbooks
 * Serial Experiments Lain - An Omnipresence in the Wired (May, 1999)
 * Visual Experiments Lain
 * Essence (May, 2001) *Released in the US*
 * NieA Under 7 - Scrap (July, 2001)
 * Haibane Renmei - In the Town of Guri, in the Garden of Charcoal Feathers (December, 2003)
 * yoshitoshi ABe lain illustrations - ab# rebuild an omnipresence in the wired (Japan: December 2005; US: April 2006)
 * Gaisokyu (August, 2007)


 * Manga
 * Contribution to Afternoon (April 1994)
 * NieA Under 7 (Vol. 1) (June, 2001)
 * NieA Under 7 (Vol. 2) (August, 2001)
 * Ryushika Ryushika (2009)


 * Contributions
 * Mutekei Fire - Tarame Paradise Doujins
 * Mutekei Fire - Great Pictorial Guide of Uki-Uki in the World Doujins
 * Mutekei Fire - Tokimeki Shitsumon Bako Doujins
 * Range Murata - Flat
 * Range Murata - Rule - Fa Documenta 003
 * Range Murata - Robot - Volume 01
 * Range Murata - Robot - Volume 02
 * Range Murata - Robot - Volume 03
 * Range Murata - Robot - Volume 04
 * Range Murata - Robot - Volume 05
 * Range Murata - Robot - Volume 06
 * Foo Swee Chin - Muzz Doujins 1-2
 * Akai Kiba (Red Fang) - Volumes 1-4
 * Hell Girl, episode 13 - sketches and wallpaint


 * Cover Illustrations
 * Kami no Keifu Novels 1-3
 * Welcome to the N.H.K.
 * Negative Happy Chainsaw Edge
 * Chojin Keikaku (bunko edition only)
 * Slip Manga Collection
 * All You Need is Kill


 * Misc.
 * "AB Note" yoshitoshi ABe Sketchbook (GoFa 2003)
 * "GoFa Portfolio Collection A" 20 A4 Prints (sold by GoFa at AX2003 - 100 made)
 * "GoFa Portfolio Collection B" 20 A4 Prints (Sold by GoFa at AX2003 - 100 made)
 * "Kaira" Wani Magazine Comics Special (July, 2008)