The name Masamune Shirow almost needs no introduction. He is the creator of some of the most extraordinary manga and anime of all time. The manga of which he is most renowned is "Ghost In The Shell." Shirow has a gift of writing extremely complex stories and wielding them together with even more complex characters.
Masamune Shirow was born on November 23rd, 1961 in Kobe Japan. As early as elementary school, Shirow's interest in art was exceptional. He often worked with watercolors, and the mountain and sea around his home inspired him. His love for art eventually led him to enter the Osaka University of Arts. There he specialized in oil painting, but he self taught himself the style of manga. It was a friend in college that introduced him to the genre, and in 1983 he published Black Magic, one of his first works to ever see print.
The president of Seishinsha at the time, Harumichi Aoki, noticed Shirow's work and invited him to produce his work through his company, which was located in Osaka. Once Shirow graduated from college, he produced Appleseed specifically for Seishinsha. At the same time Shirow also became a high school teacher. He taught for half a decade, but then quit due to dissatisfaction with the work. His true calling, manga, welcomed him.
It was at this time that he began production of Orion and Ghost in the Shell, a piece that would eventually bring him fame. Masamune Shirow lives and works in Kobe, Japan. This is odd in itself, since most Japanese artists at his level of fame live and work in Tokyo. Shirow is an extremely private man, living and working in relative isolation. His work reflects his isolation, because it has a style to it that has not been approached by any other artist.
Shirow's influences are primarily television and animation. He was inspired by other artists as well, such as Katsuhiro Otomo and Hayao Miyazaki. Shirow's works are a result of his intense reading of a variety of subjects, from Nanotechnology to Philosophy. His interest in spiders and crustaceans are noted in his work. In his spare time he takes care of his pet spiders and reads as much as possible, though because of his busy schedule, he has little time for this.
Masamune Shirow is a very private individual, so private that hardly any photos of him exist. This adds to his mystery and for me personally, makes his work even more interesting. Lately, it has become evident that Shirow, like many of his contemporaries, is leaning to a more Cgi look for his work. His series Ghost In the Shell: Standalone Complex, starts the cartoon entirely in Cgi although the cartoon itself is 2d.
Masamune Shirow is a world renown artist. The characters in his works always seem to be young heroines, and his depictions of mecha are extremely detailed. Most of his works, especially Orion, have a science, religion, and philosophy mixed into the story. To read an exclusive interview with Shirow himself, go to http://www.asgard.gen.nz/anime/shirow/animerica.html.
