Shinji Kuno

Shinji Kuno (born March 8, 1983) is a Japanese manga artist from Ikeda, Hokkaido, Japan, with blood type B. Early influences from Osamu Tezuka and Shotaro Ishinomori helped shape his interest in manga and tokusatsu storytelling, and that foundation is visible in the way his career has remained closely tied to Japanese pop-culture history. A lifelong fan of Kamen Rider since childhood, Kuno has also been outspoken in his criticism of Tatsuya Egawa’s comicalize of Kamen Rider The First, which he described as a low-quality product. Kuno worked as an assistant to Mitsuru Adachi and Kaoru Shintani, placing him within a respected manga lineage and giving him practical experience in established studios. Among the people who later worked under him as assistants were Masayuki Fujihara, Tetsuo Yamashita, Naoki Mizutani, Michiaki Watanabe, and Eisaku Kubonouchi. He studied at Osaka University of Arts, where he was classmates with Masamune Shirow, Hideaki Anno, and Takami Akai. Kentaro Yano was his senior, while Aki Katsu and Meimu were his juniors. He also maintained friendships with Masami Yuuki, Kazuhiro Fujita, Bang Ippongi, Moo. Nenbei, and Yumiko Igarashi, underscoring his wide network among Japanese manga and anime creators. Kuno’s background places him at the intersection of manga, anime culture, and tokusatsu fandom, and he maintains an official website at kunoshinji.com.