Shio Satō

(6 December 1952 A recent book edited by Anasawa et al. (2024) a group of female manga artists considered influential in the development of shōjo manga. She wrote under the pen name Shio Satō – as her surname Satō had the same pronunciation as , she combined it with , with the kanji form modified as 史生. She made her professional debut in 1977 with the publication of "Koi wa Ajina Mono!?" in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic (Shogakukan). Her definitive works include (The Dreaming Planet) and .

Her stories were usually serious science fiction (SF) drawn in a "subdued" style. Satō regards her interest in science fiction from the patience and thorough answers of her father when she was young and asking "Why?" to everything. Her science fiction influences include Isaac Asimov, Cordwainer Smith and James Tiptree Jr. A major influence on her work Yumemiru Wakusei (1980–1984) was the film Lawrence of Arabia. Satō further widened her perspective to integrate these elements into SF. In One Zero (1984–1986), she depicted future technologies such as artificial intelligence encountering the endless war between Buddhist and anti-Buddhist gods.

In spite of the small number of publications and no adaptation to other media, Satō's manga works have a devoted fan base. Her works mostly appeared on manga magazines such as Bessatsu Shōjo Comic, Petit Flower (Shogakukan), and (Shinshokan). "The Changeling", an SF short story published on Petit Flower in 1989, is her only story translated in English to this day. In addition to being published in the English-language anthology Four Shōjo Stories, it was serialised in Animerica in 1995 (Vol.3 issues 5 and 6).

Biography She wrote her first manga story when she was a second-grade student at a high school of Miyagi Prefecture, referring to Shotaro Ishinomori's introductory books published in 1965 and 1966. She later told about the direct influence from Hoshi no Tategoto by Hideko Mizuno, which had been her "starting point".

After graduating from high school, Satō moved to Tokyo and worked for a printing company. She became an assistant to Moto Hagio and Keiko Takemiya in 1972. In those days, these two new star manga artists were frequently visited by many people including young manga artists, both professional and amateur, from all over Japan. Satō improved techniques of writing manga and broaden her network there. Yasuko Sakata offered opportunities to include Satō's earliest SF manga stories in her offset-printing circulation. An editor from Shogakukan saw Satō's unfinished SF story "Hoshi no Oka yori" (From the Star Hill) and encouraged her to finish it. It then won her the 11th newcomer award of Bessatsu Shōjo Comic competition in 1976. She made her debut in the magazine in the following year, with another comical non-SF daily story. Even after that, she continued to work as an assistant to Hagio and Takemiya until the demands of her own works prevented her from doing so.

The 1980s was her most productive period. In addition to the series of Yumemiru Wakusei in 1980–1984, (Pavane for a Dead Princess) in 1981–1982, and One Zero in 1984–1986, she wrote masterpieces such as "Raryō-Ō" (The Prince of Lanling) in 1985, "Moon Child" in 1986, and "Changeling" in 1989. Amidst the busy situation, she started collaborative work with Mei Tokunaga. Between 1985 and 1989, they jointly produced five stories including Seirei-Ō (The King of Spirits).

Her last publication was Majutsushi Sagashi (Wizard Hunt) on Petit Flower in 2000. In 2001, Satō was hospitalized due to breast cancer. Although once recovered, she created no new work then. Satō died from brain cancer in Kiyose, Tokyo, on 4 April 2010, aged 57.

Works

Serial works and tankōbon

Most of Satō's works were a short story with four or fewer episodes. They were compiled into a book (so-called ), often bundled with other short stories. Exceptions were two long series of Yumemiru Wakusei and One Zero, each of which had 21 episodes and was compiled into four volumes of tankōbon.

(1979, ): Tankōbon of five short stories including "Kinseiju" (1978), "Legion" (1978), and "Hoshi no Oka yori" (1977). Kinseiju (1992, Shinchosha): Reprint plus another story "Aoi Inu" (1977). (1980, Shinshokan): Tankōbon of six short stories including "Midnight Fever" (1979), "Koi wa Ajina Mono!?" (1977), and "Haru o Yumemishi" (1978). (1980–1984, serialized in Petit Flower, Shogakukan) Tankōbon in four volumes (1982–1984, Shogakukan). (1981–1982, serialized in , Shinshokan) Tankōbon (1983, Shinshokan) includes "Yume Kui" (1982). (1982–1984, serialized in Grape Fruit, Shinshokan) Tankōbon (1985, Shinshokan) includes "Omae no Yasashii Te de" (1983). (1984, Shinshokan): Tankōbon of "Ahōsen" (1980) inspired by Ship of Fools by Sebastian Brant, its sequel stories, and another short piece. (1984–1986, serialized in Petit Flower, Shogakukan) Tankōbon in 4 volumes (1985–1986, Shogakukan) (1987, Shogakukan): Tankōbon of "Datenraku" (a spin-off story of One Zero), "Moon Child" (1986), and its sequel story "Daen Kidō Rhapsody" (1986). (1987, serialized in Grape Fruit, Shinshokan) Tankōbon (1988, Shinshokan) includes "Masaka no Toki no Harlequin Romance" (1986) and "Banana Trip ni Sairyō no Hi" (1985). (1988, Hakusensha): Tankōbon of "Raryō-Ō" (1985), "Emerald Garden" (1987), and two joint works with Mei Tokunaga ("Aleph" in 1985 and "Taopi" in 1987). (1989, Shogakukan): Tankōbon of five short stories including "Changeling" (1989), its sequel story "Nepenthes" (1989), and "Ophelia Sagashi" (1989, with Mei Tokunaga). (1989, Shogakukan): Tankōbon of two joint works with Mei Tokunaga ("Seirei-Ō" in 1988 and "Asylum" in 1989) and an essay by Satō. (1994–1995, serialized in Petit Flower, Shogakukan) Tankōbon (1995, Shogakukan): "Oni Ou Mono" (1994) and its sequel story "Kami Yarai" (1995). (1998–1999, serialized in Petit Flower, Shogakukan) Tankōbon (1999, Shogakukan) includes "Babylon made Nan Mile" (1997). Majutsushi Sagashi (魔術師さがし) (2000, serialized in Petit Flower, Shogakukan) Tankōbon (2000, Shogakukan): "Majutsushi Sagashi", its spin-off story, and another short story "Maru Ta no Onna" (1988).

Bunkobon reprint Yumemiru Wakusei (1996, Shogakukan) in three volumes. One Zero (1996, Shogakukan) in three volumes. Datenraku (2001, Shogakukan): In addition to the three stories included in the tankōbon edition of Datenraku, the edition contains "Yume Kui", "Changeling", and "Nepenthes". Seirei-Ō (with Mei Tokunaga) (2001, Shogakukan): five stories that Satō and Tokunaga jointly produced. (2001, ): "Ahōsen", its sequel stories, "Raryō-Ō", and "Yadorigi".

Illustration book

(1984, Shinshokan): collection of illustrations for Yumemiru Wakusei, additional short stories, and interviews.

Special edition After the author's death, published special edition books under the series of "Satō Shio Collection", between 2012 and 2016.

Shiseru Ōjo no Tame no Pavane (2012, Fukkan Dot Com): Kinseiju (2012, Fukkan Dot Com): Kono Mazushiki Chijō ni (2012, Fukkan Dot Com): Ryū no Yume, Sonota no Yume (2013, Fukkan Dot Com): Haru o Yumemishi (2013, Fukkan Dot Com): Yadorigi (2014, Fukkan Dot Com): Yumemiru Wakusei: Aizōban (2014, Fukkan Dot Com) in 4 volumes: One Zero: Aizōban (2015, Fukkan Dot Com) in 4 volumes: Datenraku (2016, Fukkan Dot Com):

Anthologies These are anthology works in which one or more stories by Satō appeared: (1982, Sanrio): the first publication of "Yume Kui". (ed.) (1991, Shinchosha): the first publication of "Ryū no Himegimi", a sequel story of Yumemiru Wakusei. Masuyama, Norie (ed.) (1991, Shinchosha): Re-publication of "Ame no Ryū", another sequel story of Yumemiru Wakusei. Four Shōjo Stories (1996, Viz Media): including English translation of "Changeling". (2024, Kawade Shobō Shinsha): collection of eight short stories. (2024, Kawade Shobō Shinsha): including Satō's two short stories, illustrations, biography, bibliography, interviews, and contributions from those who were familiar with Satō.

Satō also edited a manga anthology book and contributed a short story "Emerald Garden" for it.

Satō, Shio (ed.) (1987, Hakusensha).

Explanatory notes