Danica Davidson
July 7, 2025 
There is sad news coming out of Japan as we learn about the passing of mangaka Ukyou Takao, whose works include To Heart and Muv-Luv.
According to his family, he passed away from a heart attack on June 30. Anime News Network lists his date of birth as December 31, 1971, making him only 53 years old. The family has already participated in a private funeral.
Oftentimes manga are adapted into anime, but in the case of To Heart, it was first a game, then an anime, and then Takao did a manga adaptation. He was also behind the manga To Heart Remember my memories, which serves as a sequel.
After working on To Heart, he adapted the visual novel Muv-Luv into a manga.
REIN, which was published in 1998, and Chikyū Yōnenki no Owari ni…, which was published in 2002, are two original works by him. Unfortunately, they have not been licensed in English.
Besides making manga for more general audiences, he additionally worked on ecchi stuff for the 18+ manga magazine Manga Hot Milk.
ADV Manga published To Heart in the United States, with the first volume coming out in April 2004. Amazon gave this official description of the plot:
To Heart Plot
Akari is a cute but somewhat inhibited teenage girl who attends high school with her childhood chums, Hiroyuki and Masashi. Though she regards these two along the lines of siblings, Akari finds her world becoming troublesome as her adolescent affection for the generous and warm-hearted Hiroyuki begins to grow onto something more. The complications only thicken when a beautiful senior, Serika Kurusugawa, steps into the picture. Akari finds her solution in an unlikely place: An android named Multi, who happens to be training to become a full fledged maid robot, just might be able to use her machined mind to help Akari overcome her shyness and win Hiroyuki’s love!
We send our sympathies to Takao’s family.
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
