Ken Akamatsu was born in the Kanagawa prefecture. He eventually became a successful illustrator for Comiket, using the pen name Awa Mizuno. While still in college, he won a contest held by the Weekly Shonen Magazine with his story 'A Kid's Game for One Summer'. His manga 'A.I. Love You' was a success, as was its follow-up, the serial 'Love Hina'. 'Love Hina', which contains autobiographical elements, was also published in America in 2002. The series was inspired by Rumiko Takahashi's popular manga 'Maison Ikkoku'. After 'Love Hina', Akamatsu began working on a new manga series, 'Negima!: Magister Nega Magi'.
