Naoko Takeuchi 

    Naoko Takeuchi, born March 15, 1967, is a Japanese manga artist, best known for her manga series Codename: Sailor V and Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon, went on to become one of the most popular and successful manga around the world, with over 35 million copies sold worldwide. In 1993, she earned the Kodansha Manga Award for the series.

     Takeuchi is the daughter of Kenji and Ikuko Takeuchi and has a younger brother named Shingo. She used the names of her family members in the manga of Sailor Moon. Takeuchi attended Kofu Ichi High School where she wore sailor suits and joined the astronomy and manga clubs.This experience later influenced her work, Sailor Moon, as well as her previous manga such as Love Call and Rain Kiss. She wanted to become a manga artist at this age. However, Kenji suggested that Takeuchi should find another profession if she did not make it as an artist, so she went to university to study chemistry. Takeuchi graduated from Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy, where she received a degree in chemistry and became a licensed pharmacist. 

     Takeuchi debuted with her first work, LOVE CALL in 1986. LOVE CALL won Kodansha’s New Manga Artist Award, which helped launch Naoko’s career. After that, she worked on a collaboration project with another famous manga artist, Marie Koizumi, titled Maria, based on Jean Webber’s story Daddy Long Legs. The manga was a big hit, and gave Naoko Takeuchi more opportunities at Nakayoshi magazine to release longer, serialized stories. From there Naoko’s career took off; her series The Cherry Project, Codename: Sailor V, and Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon all became big hits.

     Takeuchi is married to another manga artist, creator of Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter, Yoshihiro Togashi. The couple have two children together, and live in Tokyo, Japan. Takeuchi's own studio is called Princess Naoko Planning (PNP), Takeuchi established PNP to manage her properties, mainly Sailor Moon, and she's currently busy with the Sailor Moon revival.