A Guide to the Authors of "Oshi No Ko"｜Summary of Past Works, Gender, Twitter Accounts, and More

"Oshi No Ko" is a hugely popular manga series serialized in both "Weekly Young Jump" and "Shonen Jump+". The creators are Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari, and the comic series has surpassed a total of 18 million copies in circulation.

The first season of the anime aired starting April 12, 2023, with the first episode being an extended 90-minute special. The opening theme is performed by the music duo YOASOBI, while the ending theme is handled by the four-piece rock band Ziyoou Vachi.

This article compiles information about the creators of the "Oshi No Ko" manga.

What is "Oshi No Ko"?

Goro, an obstetrician and gynecologist, is a devoted fan of Ai, a member of the idol group "B Komachi." He falls into deep despair when Ai announces a hiatus from her activities. However, Goro discovers that a pregnant woman who visits him for an examination is none other than Ai herself. Ai asks for his help so she can continue her idol career without revealing her pregnancy. Goro decides to support her—a decision that ends up entangling him in a major incident because of Ai's pregnancy.

"Oshi No Ko" is serialized in "Weekly Young Jump" and has been popular since its debut, winning first place in the 2021 "Next Manga Awards" (Print Comics category). It is also published on the web manga distribution service "Shonen Jump+", where it can be read for free one week after its print serialization in "Weekly Young Jump".

The TV anime adaptation began airing on April 12, 2023. The first episode of the anime was a 90-minute extended version, and, in an unprecedented move, it was also screened in theaters nationwide under the title "Oshi No Ko Mother and Children" starting March 17, 2023. It is highly unusual in the anime world for a first episode of this length to also receive a theatrical premiere.

Who are the authors of "Oshi No Ko"? What is their relationship?

"Oshi No Ko" is created by a duo: Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari. Akasaka, known for the blockbuster manga "Kaguya-sama: Love is War", is in charge of the original story and concept. Yokoyari, who is responsible for the art, is best known for "Scum's Wish", which has also been adapted into an anime and a live-action drama.

When "Oshi No Ko" began serialization in "Weekly Young Jump" in 2020, Akasaka was already running "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" in the same magazine, resulting in the rare case of two weekly series by the same creator running simultaneously. Incidentally, the serialization of "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" ended on November 2, 2022, but Akasaka started a new series called "Renai Daikou" as the original author in "Weekly Young Jump" starting from April 27, 2023.

Akasaka and Yokoyari originally met more than a decade ago through the VOCALOID fandom, before either had established careers as manga artists. Akasaka has mentioned that because he has known Yokoyari for so long and is familiar with her style, he creates "Oshi No Ko" in a way designed to energize her. He has said that even the shocking developments that occur for Ai in volume 1 were made with Yokoyari in mind.

There have been misleading rumors online that Akasaka and Yokoyari were married and have since divorced, but both state that they’ve never been married to each other. Yokoyari is currently married, while Akasaka has announced that he was once married and is now divorced.

Though Akasaka and Yokoyari started out as friends, they remain close even after the launch of "Oshi No Ko", and reportedly plan trips such as visiting Disneyland with other friends.

Why did Akasaka choose Yokoyari?

At the time the idea for "Oshi No Ko" was conceived, Yokoyari had just published a one-shot called "Kawaii" ("Cute"), which depicted the darkness within the hearts of junior idols—a decisive factor for Akasaka in choosing her as collaborator.

Additionally, about two years before the serialization of "Oshi No Ko", Akasaka showed the plot to Yokoyari, who responded enthusiastically, saying, "This is really good!"

Later, when the timing was right as Yokoyari’s previous serialized manga ended and both artists ended up sharing the same editor, Sakai, the wheels for their collaboration on "Oshi No Ko" were set in motion.

It is said that when Akasaka offered the illustration job to Yokoyari, he asked, "Can you draw a once-in-a-millennium idol?" Yokoyari liked this because it reminded him of the story where Yoko Kanno, the composer of the song "Seikan Hikou" from the anime 'Macross F,' asked Takashi Matsumoto, the lyricist, to write a song for the galaxy's number one idol.

What are the past works of the "Oshi No Ko" creators? Some have even been adapted to anime!

Representative and previous works of Aka Akasaka

Akasaka's best-known work is "Kaguya-sama: Love is War," a romantic comedy about a student council president and vice-president trying to trick one another into confessing love first. In addition to its anime adaptation, a live-action movie starring Sho Hirano (formerly of King & Prince) and Kanna Hashimoto was a huge hit.

Besides "Kaguya-sama," Akasaka has also serialized adaptations such as the manga version of the Dengeki Bunko light novel "Sayonara Piano Sonata," and the series "ib: Instant Bullet" in the magazine "Dengeki Maoh."

Representative and previous works of Mengo Yokoyari

Aside from "Oshi No Ko," Yokoyari is best known for "Scum's Wish," serialized in "Monthly Big Gangan." Centering on a teenage couple harboring secrets, it was adapted into both an anime and a live-action drama in 2017.

Yokoyari also illustrated the manga "Kimi wa Midara na Boku no Joo", written by Rin Okamoto, author of "Elfen Lied" and "Brynhildr in the Darkness," which became known for its intense and risqué depictions.

Other serial works by Yokoyari include "Haruwaka," "Mega Heart," and "Retort Pouch!"

Are the authors of "Oshi No Ko" on Twitter?

Both Akasaka and Yokoyari have Twitter accounts.

Akasaka retweets information related to his works and posts announcements. On November 3, 2022, he announced on Twitter that he would retire as a manga artist following the conclusion of "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" and focus on creating stories as an original author from then on.

Yokoyari shares her thoughts on daily life, along with updates about "Oshi No Ko" publication and new releases. Occasionally, she also posts illustrations, such as a February 22, 2023 drawing of the character Power from "Chainsaw Man", which received over 50,000 likes.

What are the authors’ gender and ages? Do they show their faces?

Aka Akasaka’s gender

Akasaka is male and, as of May 25, 2025, is 36 years old. On the official YouTube channel "Yanjan Manga TV (Shueisha Young Jump Official)", a video shows Akasaka introducing his home studio and personal collections.

In the comments section of that video, some noted, "Honestly, I thought he was a woman," suggesting some readers had mistaken his gender. Yokoyari also tweeted, "Aka-sensei is often assumed to be a girl."

Akasaka has appeared on TV and other media wearing a mask, but his face is visible in those appearances.

Photo: Akasaka (right) as a guest on announcer Hisanori Yoshida’s radio program:

Mengo Yokoyari’s gender

Yokoyari is female, and as of May 25, 2025, is 37 years old. She is one academic year above Akasaka, so he refers to her as "Mengo-nee-san" (Big Sister Mengo).

Due to the nature of her work, she is often mistaken for a man. On her own Twitter, she wrote, "I'm really not hiding my gender at all, so I’m honestly curious why people are still surprised."

While Akasaka has shown his masked face in media, Yokoyari is completely against revealing her face publicly. During an appearance on ABEMA’s program “Nananie Chika ABEMA,” comedian Rintaro from EXIT, who saw Yokoyari’s face, described her as "having a very gentle atmosphere, similar to singer-songwriter aiko," and said she was "a cute person."

Cosplayer Miiko has posted photos to Twitter of spending time with Yokoyari, but her face is hidden in all images.

Yokoyari quote-retweeting Miiko’s post:

Programs the two creators have appeared on

Akasaka and Yokoyari appeared as guests on the inaugural episode of ABEMA's "Nananie Chika ABEMA," hosted by Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori.

Neither author showed their faces during the appearance, but viewers learned more about their close relationship, such as Yokoyari referring to Akasaka as "Akapi" and the two planning a trip to Kyoto together.

The program also covered how "Oshi No Ko" was born. Supposedly, Akasaka's assistant said, "I want to be reincarnated as an idol’s child," and Akasaka himself, having more opportunities to work with celebrities, began wanting to create a manga about the hardships and efforts stars endure.

An interesting behind-the-scenes story revealed that Ai’s line in the first chapter, "Lying is the ultimate form of love!" was originally going to be omitted due to page constraints. But Yokoyari insisted, "This must stay," saying it was a great line and should even be used as a catchphrase, which is why it was included.

Also appeared in YouTube videos!

Akasaka and Yokoyari appear (with their faces hidden) in videos on the official Oshi No Ko YouTube channel, discussing the opening theme artist YOASOBI and ending artist Avu-chan from Ziyoou Vachi. Viewers can hear the creators' real voices.

Summary

The popular manga "Oshi No Ko" is the work of a duo: Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari. Akasaka is responsible for the original story, and Yokoyari handles the art. Both operate Twitter accounts, where they post about their works as well as their daily lives.

Akasaka’s best-known work is "Kaguya-sama: Love is War." When "Oshi No Ko" started, he was also serializing "Kaguya-sama" in "Weekly Young Jump," making him unique for running two series at the same time weekly.

Yokoyari’s representative work is "Scum's Wish," a notable story about a teenage couple with secrets, which was adapted into both an anime and live-action drama in 2017.

Akasaka is male, while Yokoyari is female. Akasaka appears on TV and radio as a guest, showing himself with a mask. Yokoyari has stated she is completely opposed to revealing her face and avoids any media appearances that would reveal it.

（C）赤坂アカ・横槍メンゴ／集英社
(C)Aka Akasaka x Mengo Yokoyari/Shueisha "OSHI NO KO "Partners

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