Nobuhiro Watsuki is the mastermind behind the legendary title Rurouni Kenshin. There are several interesting facts about this mangaka who is often described as a pig. Here are six facts about Nobuhiro Watsuki that every fan should know!
1. Watsuki’s Debut with a Drama-Mystery Story
Watsuki’s debut started with a one-shot manga titled Hokuriku Yuurei Kobanashi. It tells the story of Kunta, a high school boy who is possessed by a girl who committed suicide years before. The girl’s spirit asked Kunta to find her body and eventually revealed the mystery behind her death. This manga lacks the usual battle scenes, which is quite unexpected from Watsuki.
2. Watsuki Was a Disciple of Legendary Mangaka
It is not unusual for a mangaka to be a disciple of a senior mangaka. Most of the time, they become assistants and learn from them. Watsuki has worked as an assistant with Ryuji Tsugihara (Restore Garage 251), Yoichi Takahashi (Captain Tsubasa), who taught him the basics of manga techniques, Takeshi Obata, and Haruto Umezawa (HARELUYA II BØY).
3. Watsuki’s Former Assistants Became Famous Mangakas
When Watsuki became a professional mangaka, he hired his own assistants. They were known as Watsuki-gumi, and there is even a semi-documentary comic about their younger years. Some of the famous mangakas that were once part of Watsuki-gumi include Hiroyuki Takei (Shaman King), Shinya Suzuki (Mr. Fullswing), and Eiichiro Oda.
4. Eiichiro Oda Helped in the Making of Rurouni Kenshin
As mentioned earlier, Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece, was also once an assistant of Watsuki. During this time, Oda also inspired several characters, including Kamatari, known as Okama no Kamatsukai. In Jinchu’s story, you can even see a bomb with the Straw Hat Pirate’s symbol, a testimony to Oda’s influence.
5. Watsuki Thought Kenshin Could Be Cooler Even After Serialization Ended
In 2006, the perfect edition of Rurouni Kenshin was released. In the cover page, Watsuki included re-designed characters with new backgrounds and storylines. Could this mean a new version of Rurouni Kenshin is possible? It’s highly likely.
6. Watsuki’s Wife is Now His Assistant
During the serialization of Busou Renkin, Watsuki often mentioned “Kurosaki-sensei” in his writing, especially when it came to character creation. Kurosaki-sensei, whose full name is Kaoru Kurosaki, is Watsuki’s wife. She works as a novelist and is responsible for the novelizations of Busou Renkin and the live-action Rurouni Kenshin. Many fans have commented that since they got married, Watsuki’s references have become richer. Watsuki himself admitted that his wife’s ideas have significantly helped make his stories more interesting.
These are just some of the interesting facts about Nobuhiro Watsuki, the mangaka behind Rurouni Kenshin. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.
