Koji Kumeta
Mangaka specialising in (often surreal) Shonen Gag Series. Most known for Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei, his only work ever to receive an Animated Adaptation for the longest time, and it was recently announced that Katte ni Kaizou is getting an anime adaptation. Also notable for his Art Evolution. Eternal enemy of Ken Akamatsu.
If his Author Avatar is to be believed, he is poor, lonely and constantly under stress. Also far less successful than in real life.
His works include, in chronological order:
- Yuke!! Nangoku Ice Hockey-bu: Japanese student returns from Canada and attempts to introduce ice hockey to his new school... but before long the manga becomes more preoccupied with silly penis jokes and even more silly sexual puns (Wagner (the composer) -> Vaginer). According to the author, "a manga that is embarrassing to buy and embarrassing to read, but even more embarrassing to the one who is writing it".
- P Root Paradise Haruhei is studying to enter the university. At his prep school, he meets Natsuki, the girl of his dreams. He is shocked to learn that she is working as a hostess and comes up with various plans to make her stop this, but despite his efforts, Natsuki keeps working, and Haruhei himself just enters deeper and deeper into the hostess club business.
- Sodatte Darling!! Urara is not satisfied with any of the guys around her, and decides to raise her own ideal man from the elementary school student she so conveniently happens to be engaged to. Kumeta's first and last romantic comedy manga, for good reason.
- Taiyou no Senshi Pokapoka: In the Style Of a Shonen Jump-esque action-comedy, a boy obsessed with digging finds a magical bracelet, and then goes on an adventure to find the mythical Shambhala, together with the prehistoric boomerang-wielding warrior Pokapoka. On the way, they encounter the school's World Domination club, gigantic clay robots, black drills and many other things.
- Katteni Kaizo: Follows Cloudcuckoolander Kaizo, a delusional high school student insistant that aliens, conspiracies and cyborgs are all very real, and his friend Umi, apparently the Only Sane Man but really a total loony. Possibly the spiritual predecessor to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, although on a much more disturbed angle and not as Trope Overdosed.
- Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei: Suicidal teacher meets class full of crazy. Hilarity Ensues. And plenty of Mind Screw.