is a Japanese

animator An animator is an artist who creates multiple images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video gam ...

and

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicat ...

from Kyoto Prefecture, who used to work for the anime studio

Kyoto Animation , often abbreviated , is a Japanese animation studio and light novel publisher located in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. Founded in 1985 by Yoko and Hideaki Hatta, it has produced anime works including ''The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya'' (2006), ''Cla ...

. When illustrating a

light novel A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a ''wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...

, she uses the pen name . She is best known as being the character designer for the anime adaptations of ''

Lucky Star Lucky Star, The Lucky Star or Lucky Starr may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Anime and manga * ''Lucky Star'' (manga), a manga, anime, and video game series * "Lucky Star", one of the Angel Frames from the anime and manga series ''Galaxy ...

'' and ''

K-On! is a Japanese four-panel manga series written and illustrated by Kakifly serialized in Houbunsha's ''Manga Time Kirara'' magazine between the May 2007 and October 2010 issues, and also serialized in Houbunsha's ''Manga Time Kirara Carat ...

'', the anime original

Tamako Market is a Japanese anime television series produced by Kyoto Animation, directed by Naoko Yamada, and written by Reiko Yoshida. The series aired in Japan between January 10 and March 28, 2013. The anime has been licensed in North America by Senta ...

and for being the illustrator of the light novel

Kokoro Connect is a Japanese light novel series written by Sadanatsu Anda, with illustrations by Shiromizakana. It centers around five high school students facing numerous supernatural phenomena that forces them to reveal secrets that will test their bo ...

. She is the older sister of BUNBUN (also known as abec), also a light novel illustrator, responsible for the illustration of the light novel

Sword Art Online is a Japanese light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. The series takes place in the then-near future and focuses on protagonists Kirito (Sword Art Online), Kazuto "Kirito" Kirigaya and Asuna (Sword Art On ...

, Sword Art Online: Progressive, original character designer on the anime

Sakura Quest is a 25-episode Japanese anime television series produced by P.A. Works and directed by Sōichi Masui. It aired from April 5 to September 20, 2017. The anime is described as part of P.A. Works' "working series", which tells the stories about p ...

, and many more works. She is very close to her younger brother and was once part of a ''

doujinshi , also romanized as ', is the Japanese term for self-published print works, such as magazines, manga, and novels. Part of a wider category of '' doujin'' (self-published) works, ''doujinshi'' are often derivative of existing works and created by ...

'' circle with him.

Career

After graduating from junior college, Horiguchi joined Kyoto Animation in 2003. Her first position was as an animator for the television anime Crayon Shin-chan, and began work as a key animator for the first time on Episode 163 of Inuyasha. Her first work as a character designer was for Lucky☆Star. She has also worked on anime such as K-ON! and Tamako Market. In 2007, she illustrated her first light novel, and since then, she continued to do it for many works on the market. Horiguchi's last credited work at Kyoto Animation was as the character designer and animation director on Tamako Market in 2013. Since then she decided to become a freelancer and work on different projects of anime and mainly as an illustrator of light novels.

Works

Anime

*''

'' (2007) - character design, chief animation director *''

'' (2009) - character design, chief animation director *''

'' (2013) - character design, chief animation director *''Ano Hi no Kanojo-tachi'' (2018) - character design, animation director, original character designer for Miu Takigawa *''

Hello World ''Hello'' is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses ''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the ''Norwich C ...

'' (2019) - character design

Light novel illustrations

*''Lucky Star Yuruyuru Days'' *''Hayate no Gotoku! Nagi ga Tsukaima!? Yattoke Sekai Seifuku'' *''Tobira no Soto'' *''Zarathustra e no Kaidan'' *''Ryokuma no Machi'' *''

'' (2010-2013) *''Akaoni wa Mō Nakanai'' *''Buta wa Tondemo Tada no Buta?'' *''Tamako Market'' *''Aoi Haruno Subete'' (2014) *''Demons' Crest'' (2022)

Others

*'' 22/7'' (character design, original character designer for Miu Takigawa) *

Vocaloid 4 Vocaloid 4 is a singing voice synthesizer and successor to Vocaloid 3 in the Vocaloid series. History In October 2014, the first Vocaloid confirmed for the Vocaloid 4 engine was the English vocal Ruby. Its release was delayed so it could be re ...

library Tone Rion V4 & Yumemi Nemu (character design) *''

Sakura Wars is a Japanese steampunk media franchise created by Oji Hiroi and owned by Sega. It is focused around a series of cross-genre video games. The first game in the series was released in 1996, with five sequels and numerous spin-off titles being ...

'' (2019) (guest character design)

References

External links

Yukiko Horiguchi's personal website
* 1983 births Anime character designers Japanese animators Living people Japanese women animators Japanese women illustrators Kyoto Animation people {{anime-bio-stub