Strawberry Shortcakes, Blue Manga Creator Kiriko Nananan Dies at 52

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© Kiriko Nananan, Tokyo News Service

Publisher Tokyo News Service revealed on Friday that manga creator Kiriko Nananan died on December 25, 2024. She was 52.

The publisher stated it revealed the news now, one year later, due to the wishes of Nananan and her family.

Nananan made her debut as a manga creator with the manga hole in 1993. She mainly published manga for the magazines COMIC Are!, CUTiE comic, and Feel Young.

Nananan was known for her works Blue, Strawberry Shortcakes, and Kabocha to Mayonnaise. These manga were all adapted into live-action films.

Fanfare and Ponent Mon released Blue in English in 2006. Viz Media released Nananan's Heartless Bitch and Itaitashii Love manga as part of its Secret Comics Japan release in 2000. Fantagraphics Books released Nananan "Kisses" short manga as part of its Sake Jock release.

Her other manga include Candy no Iro wa Aka, Haruchin, and Water.

Sources: PR Times, Tokyo News Service, Cinema Today (石井百合子), Comic Natalie