Veteran Japanese artist Mia Ikumi has passed away at the age of 42. The news came out through the website of Anime News Network, which also featured mentions of some of her best work. The artist reported demise was due to subarachnoid hemorrhage on March 7, 2022, soon after her family held a private burial for the mangaka. The creator of Tokyo Mew Mew has influenced the anime industry for a very long time.
The artist has had a very successful career. Moreover, she started her career at a very young age. Her works have delighted mostly the younger masses. However, they come in the likes of many older anime fans too. With the news of Mia Ikumi’s passing away, many fans have admitted to reminiscence all of her works. Some of the fan favorites include Tokyo Mew Mew, Super Doll Licca Chan, and many more.
Mia Ikumi: Early Life And Career
The anime and manga industry has lost way too many talents in the past few years. These include Code Geass voice actor Nirihiro Inoue, Berserk creator Kentaro Miura, veteran legend Kazuyoshi Torii and now, Mia Ikumi. The Japanese artist found her breakout at the age of 18 with The Sleeping Princess of Berry Forest. Soon, she traveled her way to some of the very renowned magazines. Some names include Nakayoshi and the very famous Kodansha comics. Mia Ikumi’s work that got her in recognition was Super Doll Liccha Chan in Nakayoshi magazine. The series began serialization in 1998 and went on till another year, 1999. Soon, Ikumi found a fresh interest and a brand new idea for her next manga. This time she collaborated with writer Reiko Yoshida.
The project was called Tokyo Mew Mew, which led on to be the best work of her entire life. The series went on for a total of three years, from September 2000 to February 2003. It had seven volumes that got published under Kodansha. The text soon got globally known when Tokyopop published a translated version in English. Moreover, Kodansha released it once again in 2011. The manga was later adapted into a hit anime series of the same name. Studio Pierrot produced the show from February 2002 to January 2003. It stretched up to 52 episodes.
Tokyo Mew Mew Scheduled For July 2022
After a series of sequels and new versions of the hit series, Tokyo Mew Mew will be up for TV broadcasts once again. The series is scheduled for July of this year. The show is currently under production. Moreover, Studio Yumeta Company and Graphinica have joined for this project. It is also notable that this time the series is written by Yuka Yamada. Till now, the makers have not revealed any release date, but it is likely to come out very soon. All in all, the 2022 version will surely be a must-watch for anime fans.
Lastly, the news of the sudden demise of the manga artist was made public by Kodansha itself. The event has saddened many fans, which led them to share their grief on the internet once the news was out. Mia Ikumi is best known for her work, Tokyo Mew Mew. However, she has worked on many other solo pieces, such as Repure, Koi Cupid, and Only One Wish. The artist will be remembered forever through her outstanding works in the anime and manga industry.