Yokusaru Shibata  

Following his high school graduation, Yokusaru Shibata relocated to Tokyo where he served as an assistant to Makoto Kobayashi, Harold Sakuishi, and Jun Watanabe prior to making his debut in 1992 with Tanikamen in Young Animal magazine. His most renowned work is Air Master, a long-running series that was later adapted into a TV anime in 2003. During his time in high school, Yokusaru was part of the wrestling club, which heavily influenced his work. He later shifted his focus from Young Animal to Weekly Young Jump due to his inability to draw what he truly desired. As a child, Yokusaru aspired to become a professional shogi player. He participated in an exhibition match against professional shogi players and received recognition from Japan Shogi Association in 2008. Another of his popular works is 81 Diver, which inspired a live-action TV series, video games for Playstation 2, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, and pachinko machines that feature animated scenes from the manga. Additionally, Yokusaru contributed character designs for the PS Vita game Samurai & Dragons (サムライ&ドラゴンズ). He is also passionate about Tokusatsu and Super Sentai, particularly from Super Hero Taisen.