Ryukishi07

Ryukishi07 (竜騎士07, Ryūkishi Zero Nana, born November 19, 1973) is the pen name of a Japanese author and artist well known as the creator of the visual novel franchises Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Umineko no Naku Koro ni. He is the representative member of 07th Expansion. Ryukishi07's writing has been described as alternating between "macabre scenes and schoolboy humor". He has said that, "a story should be like a roller coaster. That is to say before writing a really cruel scene, I have to lift the people's spirits, for example, with a fun scene... Before writing a scene of pure despair, we must go through scenes of hope. And indeed, when I write, all of this amuses me very much." His illustration style is recognizable from the large hands he draws on people.

He has cited Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None as one of his major influences.

Career

Ryukishi07, who was interested in video games, anime, and manga, studied at a vocational school that specialized in art. During that time, he wrote doujinshi. During his time in college, he tried to write manga and novels, but he came to realize that "No matter your passion for something, without skill, you can never make it as a professional." One day, he met with a colleague from a theatre troupe, and he was inspired to write a play called "The Hinamizawa Bus Stop" (雛見沢停留所, Hinamizawa Teiryūjo) which he submitted to a contest that he later lost.

After graduating from the vocational school, he dreamed of becoming a video game developer, so he focused on finding a job at a video game manufacturer. However, none of his attempts at this were successful. Reluctantly, he took up a position at a menswear store, but after a few months, he tentatively took up an offer for a civil service position based on the civil service test that he had taken during the job search.

Works

• Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (screenplay and illustrations, Kodansha Box novels)

• Onikakushi-hen
• Watanagashi-hen
• Tatarigoroshi-hen
• Himatsubushi-hen
• Meakashi-hen
• Tsumihoroboshi-hen
• Minagoroshi-hen
• Matsuribayashi-hen

• Kaidan to Odorō, Soshite Anata wa Kaidan de Odoru (怪談と踊ろう、そしてあなたは階段で踊る), novel, serialized in Faust
• Gakkou Youkai Kikou (light novel)
• Higurashi Daybreak (screenplay)
• Umineko no Naku Koro ni (screenplay and illustrations, Kodansha Box novels)

• Legend of the Golden Witch
• Turn of the Golden Witch
• Banquet of the Golden Witch
• Alliance of the Golden Witch
• End of the Golden Witch
• Dawn of the Golden Witch
• Requiem of the Golden Witch
• Twilight of the Golden Witch

• Rewrite by Key (partial screenplay, alongside writers Romeo Tanaka and Yūto Tonokawa)
• Verokia Dragoon Story (web novel, illustrated by Takehito Ekusa)
• Ōkami Kakushi by Konami (original plan/director)
• Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni (screenplay)
• Natsu no Kagerō (なつのかげろう), a 3D game collaboration with Twilight Frontier
• Rose Guns Days (screenplay and partial character design)
• Iwaihime (screenplay)
• TRianThology (screenplay for Vespio 2438)
• Harem Royale -When the Game Ends- (manga, illustrated by Yukari Higa)
• Kamaitachi no Yoru: Rinne Saisei (bonus content)
• Ciconia no Naku Koro ni (screenplay)
  • Phase 1: For You, the Replaceable Ones
• Bakemonotachi ga Usobuku Koro ni ~Bakemonohime no Kateikyoushi~ (light novel, illustrated by Remotaro)
• Gensou Rougoku no Kaleidoscope (screenplay)
• Loopers (screenplay)

Trivia

• The name "Ryukishi07" comes from the Final Fantasy series; "Ryūkishi" being the Japanese term for Dragon Knight and "07" goroawase for the name of Final Fantasy V character "Lenna", known in Japan as "Reina".