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Moto Hagio

はぎお もと

Hagio Moto

Pen Names: Hagio MOTO (early pen name)（Alternate pen name used in some early submissions）, Hagio Moto (as author credit in some works)（Used in some recent works as an author credit）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1949-05-12 （Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan (Shirakawa-chō)）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Born in Omuta, Fukuoka; later residence in Saitama Prefecture, Japan

Career

Occupations
manga artist, author, novelist, illustrator, visiting professor
Active Years
1969-
Affiliations
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of Japan (honorary member), Japan Cartoonists Association (board member), Japan Art Academy (member), Joshibi University of Art and Design (visiting professor)
Memberships
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of Japan (honorary member), Japan Cartoonists Association (board member), Japan Art Academy (member)
Influenced By
Osamu Tezuka, Shotaro Ishinomori, Ray Bradbury, Takashi Mamiya
Influenced
Hiroshi Mori, Riku Onda, Fumiko Takano, Chica Umino

Education

Japan Designer Gakuin (Fukuoka)
Fashion Design Department
Period: 1968-1970
Year of Graduation: 1970
Country: Japan
Studied fashion design at a vocational school

Awards

Shogakukan Manga Award
1976
Work: The Poe Clan; There Are Eleven!
Organization: Shogakukan
Result: winner
Seiun Award (Comic)
1980
Work: Star Red
Category: コミック部門
Organization: Seiun Award / Japan SF Fan Groups
Result: winner
Seiun Award (Comic)
1983
Work: The Silver Triangle
Category: コミック部門
Organization: Seiun Award / Japan SF Fan Groups
Result: winner
Seiun Award (Comic)
1985
Work: X+Y
Category: コミック部門
Organization: Seiun Award / Japan SF Fan Groups
Result: winner
Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize (Short Story/Excellence in Manga)
1997
Work: A Cruel God Reigns
Category: マンガ優秀賞
Organization: Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Committee
Result: winner
Japan SF Grand Prize
2006
Work: Barbara Isekai
Organization: Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of Japan
Result: winner
Inkpot Award
2010
Work: For contributions and body of work
Organization: Comic-Con International
Result: winner
Japan Cartoonists Association Award (Minister of Education Award)
2011
Work: Body of work
Organization: Japan Cartoonists Association
Result: winner
Medal with Purple Ribbon
2012
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: decorated
Sense of Gender Award (Lifetime Achievement)
2013
Work: Nanohana and entire oeuvre
Category: 生涯功労賞
Organization: Gender SF Research Group
Result: winner
Asahi Prize
2017
Organization: Asahi Shimbun Foundation
Result: winner
Manga-go Iwate Special Prize
2018
Work: Nanohana / Nanohana: Fantasia 'Night on the Galactic Railroad'
Organization: Manga-go Iwate Committee
Result: winner
Person of Cultural Merit
2019
Organization: Government of Japan (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
Result: selected
Omuta City Honorary Award
2020
Organization: Omuta City
Result: winner
Eisner Award — Comic Hall of Fame
2022
Work: Induction into the Hall of Fame
Organization: Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
Result: inducted
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
2022
Organization: Government of Japan
Result: decorated
Angoulême International Comics Festival — Special Honor
2024
Organization: Angoulême International Comics Festival
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Poe Clan

1972 shōjo manga / fantasy

A long-running series about immortal 'vampire' youths, exploring friendship, melancholy and the loneliness of eternal youth.

immortalitylonelinessidentityfriendship
Adaptations
  • [Stage (Takarazuka Revue)] The Poe Clan (Takarazuka production) / 小池修一郎 (2018)
  • [Radio drama / Drama CD] The Poe Clan (radio drama / drama CD) (2007)
Translations
  • The Poe Clan (English translation)

Thomas' Heart

1974 shōjo manga / drama

A story themed around friendship and salvation centered on a boy who committed suicide; initially unpopular but later acclaimed in book form.

redemptionfriendshiploss
Adaptations
  • [Film (adaptation)] 1999 Summer Vacation (adapted from Thomas' Heart) (1988)

There Are Eleven!

1975 science fiction / shōjo manga

A science-fiction heavy long story featuring an ensemble of youths; adapted into an NHK television drama.

group dynamicsmysterycoming-of-age
Adaptations
  • [TV drama] There Are Eleven! (NHK youth drama series) (1977)
  • [Theatrical Anime] There Are Eleven! (film) (1986)

A Cruel God Reigns

1992 psychological suspense

A long psychological suspense dealing with domestic abuse and trauma; winner of the 1997 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize (Excellence).

familyabusetrauma

Barbara Isekai

2002 science fiction

A serialized science-fiction work; awarded the 2006 Japan SF Grand Prize.

otherworldcivilizationindividual vs society

Bibliography

  • The Poe Clan (1972-)
  • Thomas' Heart (1974)
  • There Are Eleven! (1975-1977)
  • A Cruel God Reigns (1992-2001)
  • Barbara Isekai (2002-2005)

Adaptations

  • The Poe Clan (Takarazuka Revue stage adaptation)
  • There Are Eleven! (NHK drama / film adaptation)

Translations of Works

  • The Poe Clan (English translation)
  • Selected works translated into English and French

Style & Themes

Literary Style
delicate, lyrical visualsdeep psychological exploration of emotionsblend of fantasy and science-fiction elements
Recurring Motifs
immortality / eternityfamily relations and parent-child conflictidentity and transformationloneliness and community

Health

  • Head injury (serious injuries from traffic accident)
    1982
    Sustained serious injuries in a bus-truck collision near Moscow in 1982. Affected her personally and creatively, but she recovered and continued to work.

Legacy

Revolutionized shōjo manga by incorporating science-fiction and fantasy; has had major influence domestically and internationally. Recipient of numerous awards and honors and regarded as a seminal figure in manga.

Museums

  • Moto Hagio: The Poe Clan Exhibition (touring exhibition) Matsuya Ginza, Nagoya PARCO, Hankyu Umeda, etc. (touring) Opened in 2019

Academic Societies

  • Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of Japan
  • Japan Cartoonists Association
  • Japan Art Academy

Archives

  • Moto Hagio works catalog / official archive (exhibits and catalogs)

In Popular Culture

  • Often called 'the godmother of shōjo manga' in media and criticism

Quotes

  • Meeting manga enriched my life.
    Source: Acceptance remarks at Angoulême International Comics Festival (2024) (2024)

Trivia

  • Blood type: O.
  • Reported to have strong photographic memory for images seen once.
  • Debuted in 1969 with 'Lulu and Mimi'.
  • In 2012 became the first shōjo manga artist to receive the Medal with Purple Ribbon.
  • Inducted into the Eisner Hall of Fame in 2022.