This is a lovely collection of Rumiko Takahashi's art and stories. My favorite section was about InuYasha, but the others were interesting to look at, too. Great for classic and modern anime fans.

As someone who really likes Rumiko Takahashi's works, this art book was my jam! She's always had a real nice sense of color, so seeing her work as it has evolved from her first serialized work to her latest is neat! I also liked reading the commentary! It's fun to get the creator's perspective on things!

A nice look back through Rumiko Takahashi's career. There are so many beautiful pieces of art in this collection. A lot of the book is long spans of manga pages, and I wish there was more comments from the author to see her thoughts and inspirations.

While I wouldn't necessarily call myself a Rumiko Takahashi fan, it would be impossible not to be familiar with her style as an anime/manga fan growing up in the 2000s. Though I have not read much of her work, I watched my fair share of Inuyasha on Adult Swim, and Ranma 1/2 is the first manga I ever noticed anyone else reading in public. I am interested in the development of manga as on art form in general, and I have a soft spot for manga art books, so I decided to give this one a read.

This art book is divided into sections for each of Takahashi's series, arranged chronologically from her first to her most recent. Each section contains reproductions of original drafts of chapters from the series, many of which are in full color. It is cool to be able to see the lines from where dialogue has been printed and pasted onto the page and other details of how manga is constructed. These manga pages are in the original Japanese and untranslated; part of me wishes they were able to present the original Japanese pages but then also have some kind of text translation on the margins, but that would likely be tricky so I understand why there is no translation--just don't expect to actually be able to read from these excerpts unless you read Japanese. This is meant as an art book after all.

These chapter reproductions are accompanied by brief notes/commentary from Takahashi, mostly about the development of each series in general. After these pages, each section contains tons of full-color images, as well as a section where Takahashi identifies some of her favorite panels from the series and why they stand out to her. I found it so cool to get insight into her approach to creating manga, especially as someone who has been doing so for 45+ years. However, I did feel that this commentary was uneven across each section of the book. For example, the first couple of sections feel like they speak very specifically to how Takahashi designed and came up with specific characters and concepts for those series, but for other sections, like the one on Inuyasha, the commentary switches to very general statements about her approach to creating manga in general. I have the most familiarity with Inuyasha so I was a little disappointed to not hear more about its development.

Overall I would recommend this to any anime/manga fan who wants an attractive volume to flip through that will give them insight into the creation of manga as a process and career. It is a little too specific in its scope for general library collections, but if you are interested in Takahashi it is definitely worth seeking out.

Since 1978, Rumiko Takahashi has been spinning tales of romance, action, horror, and the supernatural. Her latest manga, MAO, is on track for an anime adaptation. One of her classic series has recently wrapped its remake, with a second returning this fall. There’s never not a good time to appreciate her art, but we feel like now is an especially apt one.

Next month, explore her work in depth in a brand new artbook, with extra commentary and interviews translated into English. Before its release, take a peek inside with us and see what awaits!



Full-Color Art

Unsurprisingly, The Art of Rumiko Takahashi: Colors 1978-2024 contains gorgeous full-color spreads. Even storied fans will find art they’ve never seen before… or at least never seen in all its color glory. These spreads highlight manga covers, character art, and more.

One of the best things about this book is watching Takahashi’s art refine and evolve between Urusei Yatsura and MAO. She’s always got that certain style, but moving from project to project shows you how her work has grown and changed over the course of her career. Finishing with the ongoing MAO, it’s a gorgeous and colorful timeline.



Manga Pages with Commentary

Each section kicks off with several pages of Rumiko Takahashi’s original manga, complete with her commentary. Check out breakdowns of unique panels and see what she thought of characters like Ataru and Lum.

In many cases, this may be readers’ first time seeing certain pages in full color. Paired with the artist’s behind-the-scenes thoughts and observations, this is a valuable and informative collection for any fan!



And More…

Fans of Rumiko Takahashi will love the extras scattered throughout the book. For example, you can peruse early sketches of what Lum might have looked like!

Best of all (or at least our personal favorite) is an extensive interview with Takahashi at the back of the book. The interview starts with a discussion of MAO before diving backwards into her earlier works, her work ethic, and more. What’s the most iconic part of Lum’s design? (Hint: you’re probably guessing wrong.) What are the three pillars of Ranma 1/2? What’s the hardest thing about writing a comedy manga? And how much plotting does she actually do for her long-running manga? These questions and more are answered in the final pages of the artbook.

The art alone would be ample reason to pick up Colors. But for an artist as storied, successful, and beloved as Takahashi, only a publication this in-depth will do. It’s a definite must-have for any fans.