, also known as Micky Bird or Mickey Bird, is a Japanese manga artist, character designer,

essayist An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal ...

, and screenplay writer. Tori has won multiple awards for his work, including two

Seiun Award The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Japan Science Fiction Convention. ...

s (in 1994 for ''Dai-Hon'ya'', and in 1998 for ''SF Taishō'') and one

Bungeishunjū Manga Award The was an annual award established in 1955 and given out by Bungeishunjū in Japan for gag, , one-panel, and satirical manga. The award was also given out for works considered the magnum opus of manga creators. Past winners of the award inclu ...

(in 1995 for ''Tōku e Ikitai''). His pen name was created by mixing up the

pronunciation Pronunciation is the way in which a word or a language is spoken. This may refer to generally agreed-upon sequences of sounds used in speaking a given word or language in a specific dialect ("correct pronunciation") or simply the way a particular ...

of the kanji making up his real name. He worked as a writer on '' WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3''. Tori attended Meiji University, majoring in English literature, though he left his studies before receiving a degree. He was a member of the '' rakugo'' research club during his time there, and attended at the same time as ''

owarai is a broad word used to describe Japanese comedy as seen on television. The word ''owarai'' is the honorific form of the word ''warai'' (by adding o- prefix), meaning "a laugh" or "a smile". ''Owarai'' is most common on Japanese variety show ...

'', ''

tarento Television personalities in Japan, known as in Japanese, are celebrities who regularly appear in mass media in Japan, especially as panelists on variety shows. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, bankable stars in America were described as " ...

'', and '' senpai'' Masayuki Watanabe. He made his professional debut in 1979 after winning an honorable mention for his story at the 12th Shōnen Champion Rookie Manga Awards, after which he became known mainly for his

gag A gag is usually an item or device designed to prevent speech, often as a restraint device to stop the subject from calling for help and keep its wearer silent. This is usually done by blocking the mouth, partially or completely, or attemptin ...

manga such as ''Kuru Kuru Kurin'' and ''Tōku e Ikitai'', as well as manga featuring

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

elements. For many years, his manga appeared in the television guide "TV Bros."

Works

Manga

*''Komaken Harēshon'' (1979, ''

Weekly Shōnen Champion is a Japanese ''shōnen'' manga magazine published by Akita Shoten. History ''Shōnen Champion'' was first published on July 15, 1969. It has had numerous popular series by manga artists such as Osamu Tezuka, Go Nagai, Shinji Mizushima, Masa ...

'',

Akita Shoten is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Teio Akita on 10 August 1948. As of 2020, the company's president is Shigeru Higuchi. Magazines Male-oriented manga magazines ''Shōnen'' magazines * – Bimo ...

) **released in the

tankōbon is the Japanese term for a book that is not part of an anthology or corpus. In modern Japanese, the term is most often used in reference to individual volumes of a manga series: most series first appear as individual chapters in a weekly or ...

''Shimatta.'' *''Shimatta.'' (1979–1984, Jets Comics,

Hakusensha is a Japanese publishing company. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company mainly publishes manga magazines and is involved in series' productions in their games, original video animation, music, and their animated TV series. The c ...

) *''Bara no Susumu-sama'' (1980, ''Weekly Shōnen Champion'', Akita Shoten) *''Runrun Company'' (1980–1982, ''Weekly Shōnen Champion'', Akita Shoten) *''Tamanegi Parco'' (1981–1982, ''

Monthly Shōnen Champion is a Japanese manga anthology. It is published by Akita Shoten since March 1970. Manga artists and series * Daijiro Morohoshi **''Mudmen'' *Hideo Azuma **'' Chibi Mama-chan'' **'' Kakuto Family'' **'' Yadorigi-kun'' *Hideyuki Yonehara **'' Choc ...

'', Akita Shoten) *''Sukekoma-kun'' (1982, ''

Young Champion is a Japanese seinen manga magazine. The magazine was established in 1988. It is published by Akita Shoten and has its headquarters in Tokyo. History Manga series * '' Alien Nine'' by Hitoshi Tomizawa (1998-1999) * '' Babel II: The Returner' ...

'', Akita Shoten) *''Rare Masters'' (1982–1994, Kawade Personal Comics,

Kawade Shobō Shinsha , formerly , is a publisher founded in 1886 in Japan and headquartered in Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo. It publishes the magazine '' Bungei'' and administers the Bungei Prize. History Kawade Shobō Shinsha traces its history to 1886 when a new br ...

) *''Yūsei kara Bishōjo X'' (1983, '' Petit Apple Pie'',

Tokuma Shoten is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company’s product portfolio includes music publishing, video game publishing, movies, anime, magazines, ...

) *''Kuru Kuru Kurin'' (1983–1984, ''Weekly Shōnen Champion'', Akita Shoten) **made into a

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network S ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

series starring

Sayuri Iwai Sayuri may refer to: People * Sayuri (given name) * Sayuri (musician) (born 1996), Japanese musician * Yakob Sayuri (born 1997), Indonesian footballer {{disambig ...

Joe Shishido was a Japanese actor most recognizable for his intense, eccentric yakuza film roles and his artificially enlarged cheekbones. He appeared in some 300 films but is best known in the West for his performance in the cult film '' Branded to Kill'' ...

, Hisahiro Ogura, and

Narimi Arimori Narimi Arimori (有森也実 ''Arimori Narimi'', born 10 December 1967 in Yokohama, Japan) is a Japanese actress. Filmography Film *''Hoshizora no Mukō no Kuni'' (1986) – Risa *''Final Take'' (1986) – Koharu Tanaka *'' Tora-san's Bluebird ...

*''Torimikin!!'' (1983–1984, Jets Comics, Hakusensha) *''Yoshida-san Kiki Ippatsu'' (1983–1986, ''Super Action'',

Futabasha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Higashigokenchō, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.会社概要
" Futabasha. R ...

*''Tokimeki Brain'' (1984, ''

'', Akita Shoten) **released in the tankōbon ''Uratori'' *''Uratori'' (1984–1986, CBS/Sony Comics, CBS/Sony Shuppan) *''Poritan'' (1985, '' Monthly Comi Comi'', Hakusensha) *''Ai no Sakaagari'' (1985–1986, '' Heiban Punch'',

Magazine House is a Japanese publisher, formerly named Heibon Shuppan Co., Ltd. History The company was founded in October 1945 by Kinosuke Iwahori and Tatsuo Shimizu. Its first publications were the magazines ''Heibon'' and ''Heibon Weekly''. In 1964, it l ...

) *''Damatte Ore no Tsuite Koi'' (1985–1986, Seirindō) *''A Heebie Jeebie'' (1986–1987, Monthly Comi Comi, Hakusensha) *''Sharibari'' (1987, ''Super Action'', Futabasha) *'' Anywhere But Here'' (1988–2003, '' TV Bros.'', Tokyo News Tsūshinsha, released in tankōbon by Kawade Shobō Shinsha, published in North America by Fantagraphics Books) *''Tori no Ichi'' (1987–1989, Seirindō) *''Yama no Oto'' (1988, ''

SF Magazine is a science fiction magazine published by Hayakawa Shobō in Japan. It was Japan’s first successful science fiction prozine. History ''S-F Magazine'' was established in 1960. It began publication with the February 1960 issue, which appea ...

'', Hayakawa Shobō) *''Terrible Shōnendan'' (1989, ''

Weekly Shōnen Sunday is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan since March 1959. Contrary to its title, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' issues are released on Wednesdays. ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' has sold over 1.8billion copies since 1986, ...

'',

Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics ( manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the H ...

) *''Tori Miki no Kinekomika'' (1989–1992, Sony Magazines) *''Tori Miki no Mō Anshin'' (1989–1993, Seirindō) *''Kenka no Ichizoku'' (1990–1993, Tokuma Shoten) *''Dai-Hon'ya'' (created by Kansei Takita, 1992–1993, ASCII Comics, ASCII Shuppansha) *''Tori Miki no Jiken no Chiheisen'' (1993–1997,

Chikuma Shobō is a Japanese book publisher headquartered in , Taitō, Tokyo. Founded in 1940 by Furuta Akira (1906–1973) in cooperation with the writer and critic Yoshimi Usui, it first published the intellectual monthly ''Tembo'' (Views) in 1946. In 1953 ...

) *''Tomason no Wana'' (1994–1995, '' Comic'○○'', Bungeishunju) *''SF Taishō'' (1994–1996, ''SF Magazine'', Hayakawa Shobō) *''Man'en Gannen no Rugby'' (created by

Yasutaka Tsutsui is a Japanese novelist, science fiction author, and actor. His ''Yumenokizaka bunkiten'' won the Tanizaki Prize in 1987. He has also won the 1981 Izumi Kyoka award, the 1989 Kawabata Yasunari award, and the 1992 Nihon SF Taisho Award. Writing ...

, 1995, Jitsugyō no Nihonsha) *''Hitotachi'' (1995, '' Manga Share da!!'', Bunkasha) *''Shakujin Densetsu'' (1995-current, '' Comic Bingo'', Bungeishunju) *''Doyō Waide Satsujin Jiken'' (co-authored with Masami Yuki, 1996–1997, ''Weekly Shōnen Captain'', Tokuma Shoten) *''"Gyōdai Chōdai"'' (1998–1999, Bunkasha) *''Bōchōsuru Jiken'' (2002, Chikuma Shobō) *''The Last Book Man'' (co-authored with Kansei Takita, 2002, Hayakawa Shobō) *''Excite na Jiken'' (co-authored with Gō Ōhinata, 2004, Akita Shoten) *''Reishoku Sōsakan'' (2008-current, ''

Weekly Morning is a weekly Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Kodansha. It debuted in 1982 as . The digital edition of the magazine is titled . In 2006 a spin-off magazine called was launched (formerly bimonthly), featuring stories like ''Saint ''� ...

'', Kodansha) *''Plinius'' (co-authored with

Mari Yamazaki is a Japanese manga artist known for her seinen comedy manga ''Thermae Romae''. She was born in Tokyo, but now lives in Chicago. She was awarded the 3rd Manga Taishō and the Short Story Award in the 2010 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prizes. An anime ...

Shinchōsha is a publisher founded in 1896 in Japan and headquartered in Yaraichō, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Shinchosha is one of the sponsors of the Japan Fantasy Novel Award. Books * Haruki Murakami: '' Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World'' (198 ...

) Sources:

Non-manga books

*''Tori no Me Hito no Me'' (1989,

, essays) *''Fukikae Eiga Daijiten'' (co-authored with the , 1995, San-Ichi Shobo) *''Mangaka no Himitsu: Tori Miki & Ninki Sakka Kyūnin no Honne Talk'' (1997,

) **The nine include

Go Nagai , better known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with ''Meakashi Polikichi'', but is best known for creating popular 1970s ...

, Masami Yuki, Sensha Yoshida, Noriko Nagano,

Hideo Azuma was a Japanese manga artist. Azuma made his professional debut in 1969 in the Akita Shoten manga magazine '' Manga Ō''. He was most well known for his science fiction ''lolicon''-themed works appearing in magazines such as '' Weekly Shōnen ...

, Kotobuki Shiriagari, Hisashi Eguchi, Naoki Karasawa, and Mitsue Aoki *''Tori Miki no Eiga Fukikae-Ō'' (2004, Yosensha)

Anime

*'' Majo demo Steady'' (1986, Hayakawa Shobō, character designer)

Television

*''Tsuru-chan no Omoikkiri Poko Poko'' (1986,

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Comp ...

, regular appearances on the "Itaibanashi" segment derived from ''Ai no Sakaagari'')

Awards

*1979: Honorable Mention,

12th Shōnen Champion Rookie Manga Awards for ''My Alien'' *1993: Winner, 1st Ankoku Seiun Awards for *1994: Winner (Comics category), 25th

s for ''Dai-Hon'ya'' *1995: Winner, 41st

s for ''Tōku e Ikitai'' *1998: Winner (Comics category), 29th Seiun Awards for ''SF Taishō'' Sources:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tori, Miki 1958 births Japanese essayists Japanese screenwriters Living people Anime character designers Manga artists from Kumamoto Prefecture People from Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto