Tsugumi Ohba

Biography

Tsugumi Ohba is a Japanese manga writer who collaborated with artist Takeshi Obata on Death Note (2003–2006) and Bakuman (2008–2012), both serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump. Ohba writes under a pen name and maintains strict privacy — their real identity has never been confirmed publicly. Death Note is considered one of the most psychologically sophisticated manga ever published, praised for its precisely constructed cat-and-mouse narrative and its willingness to present an anti-hero protagonist whose logic is terrifyingly coherent. The series sold over 30 million copies and was adapted into a celebrated anime, a live-action film series, and a Netflix original film. Ohba's ability to construct elaborate psychological traps within a two-character chess match elevated the standard for psychological thriller manga.