Nisio Isin (西尾 維新, Nishio Ishin), frequently stylized as NISIOISIN, is the pen name of a Japanese novelist and manga author.
Biography[]
Nisio Isin attended and left Ritsumeikan University without graduating. In 2002, he debuted with the novel Kubikiri Cycle, part of the Zaregoto Series, which earned him the 23rd Mephisto Prize at twenty years of age. He currently works with Kodansha on Faust, a literary magazine containing the works of other young authors who similarly take influence from ligh novels and otaku culture, and Pandora, the Kodansha Box magazine. He was also publishing a twelve volume series named Katanagatari over twelve months for the Kodansha Box line; Ryusui Seiryoin was matching this output, and the Kodansha Box website stated that this is the first time in the world two authors have done twelve volume monthly novel series simultaneously from the same publisher. In February, 2008, his novel Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases, which is based on the Death Note manga, was released in English by Viz Media. Del Rey Manga has already released the first and second volume in his Zaregoto Series. Most of his Monogatari Series and Katanagatari light novels, as well as his Juuni Taisen novel, the first volume of Zaregoto, and the Medaka Box manga series, have all been adapted into anime series.
Style[]
Nisio's work is characterized by references to other works, as well as parodies of famous manga series. Among these, Hellsing and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure references are particularly common. He is well regarded as an author who has blended the conventions of mystery novels and character-driven light novels.
As well as stepping on the conventions and stereotypes of anime and light novels, he is known for creating characters with unusual features, such as extremely strange names which are plays on words, like Nanami Nanananami, Kishiki Shikigishi, Kissshot Acerolaorion Heartunderblade, Backyard Bottomslash, Quarter Queen, Usagi Sagano, Kuroneko Byouinzaka and Kiki Shikizaki.
He said that he learned much from the novels of Kiyoshi Kasai, Hiroshi Mori, Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Ryusui Seiryoin, and Kouhei Kadono. He also said that the five writers were, metaphorically speaking, the God-like beings who had shaped and molded his writing style.