Ume Aoki

is a Japanese manga artist, illustrator, animator, voice actress, and dōjin artist from Hyōgo Prefecture. She officially romanizes her name as aokiume. She illustrates under the pennames apricot+ for many of her dōjinshi, and for the visual novel Sanarara.

Aoki provided the voice for her Metapod persona in the Shaft anime adaptation of her four-panel comic strip Hidamari Sketch. She later created the original character designs for Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a Shaft anime production; and has been involved with the franchise—spanning several films, mobile games, manga, novels, and further television anime series—since then.

Works Hidamari Sketch (2004–present; original manga published in Manga Time Kirara Carat) – Voice of 'Ume-sensei' in anime adaptation Sanarara (2005) – Character design, artwork (2006–present; original manga published in Dragon Age Pure) Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011–present) – Original character design (2012–present; original manga published in Manga Time Kirara Carino) (2014–present; manga published in Hakusensha's Rakuen (Le Paradis)) Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story (2017–2024) – Original character design