Tsugumi Ohba

"I decided from the beginning that right and wrong wouldn't be a part of Death Note."

- Tsugumi Ohba (Death Note 13: How to Read, p 69)

Tsugumi Ohba (大場 つぐみ, Ōba Tsugumi) is a Japanese manga writer. They are the writer and creator of Death Note, which they worked on with manga artist Takeshi Obata.

Ohba's real identity is a closely guarded secret, and the real name, gender, and date of birth of the author are undisclosed. Ohba is commonly given male pronouns for English translations, but their gender has not been verified.

There are many facts about the writer gleaned from the profile placed at the beginning of each Death Note manga volume, two being that Ohba collects teacups and that they develop manga plots while holding their knees on a chair (like L).

Works
Ohba's works have been or are currently being published in the Weekly Shōnen Jump.


 * Death Note centers around a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing the victim's name and picturing his or her face. The plot follows his attempt to create and lead a world cleansed of evil using the Death Note and the complex conflict between himself and his varied antagonists.
 * Bakuman follows two boys in the 9th grade who wish to be mangaka.
 * Platinum End is about a boy who is saved by his guardian angel and receives two powers, using them to find a reason to live.

Trivia

 * In Japan, it is commonly speculated that Ohba's true identity is Hiroshi Gamo, which is documented on Ohba's Japanese-language Wikipedia page.