Manga artist Hiroya Oku (59), known for works like “GANTZ” and “Inuyashiki,” revealed on his X (formerly Twitter) account on September 24, 2026 that “Yuki Ikeda is my pen name.” “Thunder 3,” serialized under the Ikeda name, is a popular series that even got an anime adaptation this past July. Oku explained that he used a pen name because chapter one’s twist “would lose its punch” if readers knew his real name going in — he wanted first-time readers to be truly surprised. On 5ch, users discussed how some fans had long suspected the truth based on similarities in art style, as well as the fact that the editorial department had previously described Ikeda as “Oku’s chief assistant, a separate person.”
9/24 (Thu) 21:48
Manga artist Hiroya Oku (59), known for numerous hit works including “GANTZ” and “Inuyashiki,” updated his X (formerly Twitter) account on the 24th to reveal that he is the author of that popular manga.
Oku came clean, writing: “Yes. As you all know. Yuki Ikeda is my pen name,” confirming he is the author of the popular manga “Thunder 3,” which also got an anime adaptation this past July.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
Well, obviously.
but the anime couldn't use that trick,
so as a workaround they resorted to sticking ●● marks near characters' faces.
What was that about, lol?
Because he got called by his bare name, no honorific.
Tastes like victory! (メシウマ — slang for savoring someone else's misfortune)
As usual, it's not just Oku — most manga artists and celebrities sneak onto 5ch too, lol
Wonder why that's the one part he can never draw right.
Total waste of my time.
so I figured it was either a former assistant or someone from the same studio —
turns out it was the man himself.
Then again, it's in Magazine, so I never imagined it could actually be him.
Come on, you know exactly what it is —
you'd get it if you saw it, straight up.
…huh?
I'd figured it was Oku's kid drawing it.
I dropped it right at the very beginning.
I did think the art looked similar, though.
Thunder 3 actually started first.
Apparently Kanreki Hime is meant to be Oku's magnum opus.
someone pointed this out in an earlier thread, and it turned out to be true.
Anyone who already knows will spot it from the art style anyway, so that's already factored in.
Kind of an interesting experiment, no?
Now that I've skimmed the PV, though… eh, I'll pass.
I wonder if their relationship with Shueisha isn't great?
Since Gantz, it's been:
"Inuyashiki (Kodansha)", "GIGANT (Shogakukan)",
"Kanreki Hime (Shogakukan)", "Thunder 3 (Kodansha)"
There was the whole 'former assistant' theory and other stuff going around.
Ah, that makes sense —
no wonder the art style is similar.
More than a 'theory' — I feel like the editor actually stated publicly that Ikeda was Oku's chief assistant and a separate person from Oku.
Checked the anime thread and yep, it's the usual Netflix-anime situation.
Still only on thread 2 over there, and doesn't look like they'll even get through it.
Isn't it on terrestrial broadcast, not Netflix?
Background and Key Points of This Story
Hiroya Oku is known for works like “GANTZ” and “Inuyashiki,” and in recent years has also been serializing “Kanreki Hime” in a monthly magazine. “Thunder 3” ran in a Kodansha monthly magazine and got a TV anime adaptation in July 2026; it was originally published under the name of an unknown newcomer, Yuki Ikeda. On the thread, some fans had long theorized that “Yuki Ikeda = Hiroya Oku” based on similarities in art style, while others noted that the editor in charge had previously stated that Ikeda was “Oku’s chief assistant, a separate person” — a discrepancy Oku himself has not addressed. Worth noting too: Oku says he chose to use a pen name because he wanted readers to experience chapter one’s story without any preconceptions tied to his own name.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread ““GANTZ” Creator Hiroya Oku: “Yuki Ikeda Is My Pen Name” — Reveals He’s the Author of Popular Manga “Thunder 3,” Explains Why He Used a Different Name.”
