Takeuchi Naoko (武内直子) is a name you should be familiar with. She's the creator of the Sailormoon series and one of motivators of the magical girl series! As a gifted storyteller, songwriter, illustrator, and pharmacist, Takeuchi much more than a treasure; she's a legend in manga history.
Born in the Yamanashi Prefecture on March 15, 1967 (three days before my b-day!), Takeuchi dreamed of becoming a great manga artist.[1] She was a member of the astronomy and drawing clubs in her high school and debuted as a manga artist when she was eighteen. Soon after, she received the Nakayoshi Comic Prize for her first short story and the New Artist 
Award with "Love Call" in 1986.[2] Takeuchi attended Kyoritsu Yakka University and graduated with a Chemistry degree, working as a licensed pharmacist afterwards.[3]
After finishing her second manga, The Cherry Project, Takeuchi showed interest in creating a story about "fighting magical girls for love and justice;" thus the plans for Codename wa SailorV were in place.[1] The sailor-suited soldier (as suggested by her editor Osa-P) debuted in 1991 and become a great hit. Her publishing company, Kodansha, wished to her to continue the manga while they created a simultaneous anime program.[3] Takeuchi decided to create a spin-off "team show with an all-female group" since she was a fan of live-action team shows. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon won the Kodansha Manga Award for girl's comics in 1993 and took the world by storm.[4]
After her success, he married Yu Yu Hakushou creater Yogsahi Toshihiro and had a son. She continued to write manga including "Love Witch," "Miss Rain," and "PQ Angels."[5]. Takeuchi was strongly involved in Pretty Guardian Sailormoon which explains why the plotline explored many depths of the manga rather than the anime.
Many of us wonder how Takeuchi came up with the idea of Sailormoon. At the 1998 San Diego Comic-Con, she answered that she "wanted to create a character that would empower her readers" and relate to them as well (the sailor 'fuku' uniform is a very common outfit of the young schoolgirl).[6] She familiarizes herself with Sailormoon, stating that she was "close to her personality."[4] Usagi's family members (Ikuko, Kenji, Shingo) are the names of Takeuchi's own immediate family (her mother, father, brother respectively).[1]
For more information on Takeuchi Naoko and her works, please visit Takeuchi-Naoko.com. To view her complete BSSM artworks, please visit manga style!
1 Takeuchi-Naoko.com.
2 Takeuchi Naoko. Hitoshi Doi's Sailormoon Page.
3 Artist Biography: Takeuchi, Naoko. Voice from the Gaps.
4 Public Interview with Takeuchi Naoko. The Online World of Anime & Manga.
5 The Manga of Takeuchi Naoko.
6 Naoko Takeuchi. Black Moon.