Hiroyuki Takei
Born in 1972 in Yomogita, Aomori Prefecture, Takei worked as an assistant to Nobuhiro Watsuki on 'Rurouni Kenshin' alongside Eiichiro Oda, and won an honorable mention at the 48th Tezuka Award in 1994 with the short story 'Itako no Anna.' His first series, 'Butsu Zone,' ran in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1997, and he is best known for 'Shaman King,' which began in the same magazine in 1998. His later works include 'Jumbor Barutronica' (2007) and 'Karakuridoji Ultimo,' a collaboration with American comics creator Stan Lee.