View source for Ume Aoki

[[File:Ume.jpg|right|thumb|Ume-sensei in [[wikipedia:Metapod|Metapod]] form]]

{{Nihongo|'''Ume Aoki'''|蒼樹 うめ|Aoki Ume}} is a Japanese mangaka born August 3. She illustrated under the pennames {{Nihongo|'''Apply Fujimiya'''|藤宮 アプリ|Fujimiya Apuri}} for the visual novel Sanarara (Nekoneko Soft) and Apricot+ for most of the doujinshi that she writes. Ume's most well-known work is Hidamari Sketch, also known as Sunshine Sketch. She is also the voice of the little caterpillar creature in the anime for Hidamari Sketch. Most notably, Aoki provided the original character designs for [[Main Page|Puella Magi Madoka Magica]]. She is from Hyōgo Prefecture.

==Works==
[[File:Ume tentei.jpg|thumb|right|200px|See if you can find Ume Aoki]]
*{{Nihongo|Hidamari Sketch|ひだまりスケッチ|}} (2004, ongoing) (manga, original creator)
*[[wikipedia:Hidamari_Sketch|Hidamari Sketch]] (2007) (anime, original creator)
*Hidamari Sketch ×365 (2008) (anime, original creator)
*Hidamari Sketch ×☆☆☆ (2010) (anime, original creator)
*Hidamari Sketch × Honeycomb (2012) (anime, original creator)
*{{Nihongo|Tetsunagi Kooni|てつなぎこおに。|}} (manga, original creator)
*{{Nihongo|Sanarara|サナララ}} (visual novel by Nekoneko Soft, illustrator)
*{{Nihongo|Two Smiling Faces|笑顔ふたつ|Egao Futatsu}} (manga, original creator)
*Puella Magi Madoka Magica (anime, original character design)
*{{Nihongo|Mado no Mukōgawa|マドの向こう側|}} (2012, ongoing) (manga, original creator)
*[[RKGKMDK]]

== Trivia ==
[[File:Thank_you_for_watching_the_end.jpg|thumb|300px|End card from the broadcast version of [[episode 12]]]]
*Ume Aoki's first ''Puella Magi Madoka Magica'' doujin sold out in a little over an hour. She had to apologize to the public for the inconvenience. There are photos of the event showing long lines.[http://blog.livedoor.jp/geek/archives/51259461.html]
*According to the Blu-Ray Episode 2 voice commentary:
**Ume Aoki's started the girls designs with the weapons first then she decided what clothes went with the weapons.  
**Madoka, Homura and Mami's character designs were easy for Ume Aoki.  On the other hand, Sayaka and Kyubey's character designs were hard.
***According with [[Kirara Magica Interview Ume Aoki|Ume Aoki's interview with Kirara Magica]], from a design perspective, Kyouko and Sayaka were easier to draw. Madoka, Homura and then Mami-san were harder.
****It's their twin tails hair, if the size and texture are slightly off, the character would look completely different. 
**Kyubey was not based on any animal, just the concept of a "small mahou shoujo animal"
**When asked what animals she used as the basis for Kyubey, Ume Aoki was very cryptic because of spoilers.
*Aoki, Shinbo, and Urobuchi discussed the idea of [[Guidebook#PAGE_121|Kyubey visiting Hidamari-so]] in "Hidamari Sketch" as a joke.
**And Shinbo suggested that it should be called ''"Madoka Magica the Origin"''.
***Apparently, Shinbo and Urobuchi had succeeded in corrupting Ume Aoki.

==Ume-sensei's letter==
[[File:Scan 32.jpeg|left|thumb|100px]]
[[File:Ume-sensei's letter to kyousaya.jpg|right|thumb|100px]]
<i>In the last episode of the TV series, when Sayaka disappeared due to the Law of Cycles, I was happy to hear Kyouko say "And we finally became friends, too...". In her last scene (in the concert hall), though, she didn't mention Kyouko.

Even in the pre-Law-of-Cycles timelines, when Sayaka became Oktavia, she identified Madoka as her "most important friend" just before becoming a witch.

There's something powerful about the image of Kyouko and Sayaka as a duo, but in the TV series, I don't think the strength of Sayaka's feelings for Kyouko and vice versa were well-balanced. Kyouko felt very strongly about Sayaka, since Sayaka reminded her of herself when she was younger. Sayaka, on the other hand, just saw Kyouko as "another person who wished for someone else's happiness". (Of course, that was why, in the very end, it was Kyouko to whom Sayaka spoke about how she really felt at the very end.)

And now, The Rebellion Story!! When I heard the two of them talking towards the end, it made me think. This version of Sayaka was aware of post-Oktavia Kyouko. She was aware of how much Kyouko suffered trying to bring her back; of how Kyouko died with her in the end! Wow! Of course, I'm just one fan, and that's just what I got out of the movie, so I can't say I know what Mr. Urobuchi thought about it [laughter], but I was just thinking that she, like Madoka, knew what Kyouko did back then, since she's part of the Law of Cycles, too. This time around, it was Kyouko that said "I had a horrible dream", and it was she that didn't quite remember what had happened. That works, too...

Oh, it looks like I've written a lot here. Now, a message for Kyouko and Sayaka: "Be friends with one another forever! Stay on good terms!!!"... come on, that was just one line! [laughter]

I love Kyouko and Sayaka as a duo! -Aoki Ume </i>

==Gallery==
===Autographs===
<gallery>
File:Autographed illustration umeaoki.JPG|Autographed illustration
File:Ume autograph.jpg|Autograph of Homura
File:Ume drawing and signature 2.jpg
File:Exhibit 80.jpg
File:Exhibit Autographed.jpg
File:Ume Aoki Homura Madoka.jpg
File:Madoka movie ume.jpg

File:Signboard madohomu.jpg
File:Signboard madokami.jpg
File:Signboard mamimomoe.jpg
File:Signboard homura.jpg
File:Signboard kyousaya.jpg

Ume drawing and signature.jpg
</gallery>

===Character Designs===
<gallery>
File:Madoka Kaname Original Design.jpg|[[Madoka Kaname]] Original Design
File:Homura Akemi Original Design.jpg|[[Homura Akemi]] Original Design
File:Sayaka Miki Original Design.jpg|[[Sayaka Miki]] Original Design
File:Mami Tomoe Original Design.jpg|[[Mami Tomoe]] Original Design
File:Kyubey Original Design.jpg|[[Kyubey]] Original Design
File:Ultimate Madoka settei information 6 official art BD 6.jpg|Ultimate Madoka design
File:Ume-sensei's original character design akuma.jpg|Character design for Devil Homura
File:Madohomu prodsketch.jpg|Early Madoka and Homura designs
File:Homura prodsketch.jpg
File:Production note Homura design.jpg
File:Mami prodsketch.jpg|Early Mami design
File:Production note Mami design 1.jpg
File:Production note Mami design 2.jpg
File:Sayaka prodsketch.jpg|Early Sayaka design
File:Kyoko prodsketch.jpg|Early Kyoko design
File:PN 10.jpg|Old height chart
File:PN 80.jpg|Early Kyosuke and Kazuko designs
File:Aoki ume early kyubey hitomi.jpg|Early Kyubey and Hitomi designs
File:PN 35.jpg
File:Aoki ume early madoka family.jpg
File:Megami 01.11 scan P32.jpg|Character designs from [[Megami Magazine 2011-01]]
File:033.jpg|Ume's original designs for Madoka's drawings
File:Rebellion Guidebook Nagisa Original Design.jpg|Ume Aoki's original [[Nagisa]] design
File:Movie 3 Brochure 19.jpg|Outfit designs by Ume Aoki for the Rebellion Story
File:1382895835480.jpg|Kyoko outfit design and later Nagisa design
File:Ultimate Madoka Concept Art.png|Early Ultimate Madoka Design, Aokiume-Ten
</gallery>

===Character Art===
<gallery>
File:UmeMadokamiArt.jpg
File:Claris.jpg|[[Connect|ClariS]] art
File:Madoka magica anthology 1.jpg|Madoka Magica Anthology 1 cover
File:Madoka magica anthology 2.jpg|Madoka Magica Anthology 2 cover
File:Madoka magica anthology 3.jpg|Madoka Magica Anthology 3 cover
File:Newtype magazine cover clean version homura madokami photoshop.jpg|Newtype Magazine cover

File:Original ED visuals by Ume-sensei.jpg|[[Episode 1]] [[End Cards|End Card]]
File:Madoka BD 5 Menu Art 2.jpg|[[Episode 9]] End Card
File:EC12.jpg|[[Episode 12]] End Card
File:Mr episode 13 end card.png|Magia Record Episode 13 End Card

File:Kirara Magica Rebellion Stitch.jpg|3 part cover art for Kirara Magica vol.9-11
File:Godoka figure aoki art.jpg|Ultimate Madoka art
File:Godoka big figure.jpg|Figure based on the art
File:Exq homura devil art.jpg|Devil Homura art
File:Exq homura devil.jpg|Figure based on the art

File:Madoka ume aoki postcard.jpg
File:Homura ume aoki postcard.jpg
File:Kyouko ume aoki postcard.jpg
File:Sayaka ume aoki postcard.jpg
File:Mami ume aoki postcard.jpg
File:Kyubey ume aoki postcard.jpg
File:Kirara Magica Vol.3 benefit.jpg|Manga Time Kirara Magica Vol.3 cover
File:Kirara Magica Vol 3 Bonus Front.jpg|Volume 3 insert
File:Kirara Magica Vol.6 benefit.jpeg
File:Kirara Magica Vol.25 benefit Ume Aoki.jpg
File:Rakugaki Note Ume Aoki.jpg
File:Rakugaki Note Rebellion 05 Ume Aoki.jpg
File:Madoka calendar 2.jpg|Art from a monthly Rakugaki
File:DosQPP4UYAEA-06.jpg
File:Ph main.jpg|Ume Aoki's 10th Anniversary illustration
File:Madoka Novel Paperback cover.jpg|Nitro+ Novel ad
File:Anime the Television Vol.1 Illustration.jpg|Anime The Television Vol.1 cover
File:NewType 2015-05 01.jpg|[[NewType 2015-05]]
File:Iroha Tamaki Ume Aoki.jpg
File:1535156824540.jpg
File:DmAaPx-UcAABE4i.jpg
</gallery>

===4koma===
<gallery>
File:4-koma megamimagazine.jpg|Ume 4-koma Megami Magazine
File:Ume madoka.jpg|Translated Ume 4koma
File:Madoka bd1 4koma.jpg|Translated 4koma from Madoka BD volume 1 fanbook
File:Madoka BD2 Ume 4koma TL.png|Translated 4koma from the Madoka BD 2 fanbook.  Header is, "Aoki Ume's Special 4Koma Theater (2)"
File:BD 3 Ume 4koma TL.jpg|Translated 4koma from the Madoka BD 3 fanbook
File:BD 4 Ume 4koma TL.jpg|Translated 4koma from the Madoka BD 4 fanbook
File:BD 5 Ume 4koma TL.jpg|Translated 4koma from the Madoka BD 5 fanbook
File:BD 6 Ume 4koma TL.jpg|Translated 4koma from the Madoka BD 6 fanbook
File:Movies BDs 4koma Official Translation.jpg|Translated 4koma from the Madoka movie Blu-ray.
File:Movies BDs 4koma 1 v2.jpg|Alternate translation
File:Movies BDs 4koma Rebellion Translation.jpg|Translated 4koma from the Madoka Rebellion movie Blu-ray
</gallery>

==See Also==
* [[Kirara Magica Interview Ume Aoki]]
* [[Manga Time Kirara Magica Vol.13]]
* [[Pre-Broadcast Official Site Staff Quotes]]
* [[Audio Commentary/Episode 2]]
* [[Audio Commentary/Episode 12]]
* [[Megami_Magazine_2011-01]]
* [[NewType 2011-12]]
* [[RKGKMDK]]

==External Links==

*[http://ap.sakuraweb.com/ Apricot+ Website]
*[http://aokiume.blog21.fc2.com/ Ume Aoki's Blog]
*[http://twitter.com/#!/umeaoki Ume Aoki's Twitter]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s16iUdMI5gA Youtube - Ume Aoki Live Painting]
*{{pixiv_tag|うめ先生}}
*[http://animapple.blogspot.com/2011/05/madoka-ume-zenzei-mado-magi-doujinshi.html Ume Aoki's Doujin a success]
*[http://www.mediafire.com/?tqe9s63lizsd1eh Madoplus+, fan art coloring of Ume's doujin work]
*[http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm14239427?group_id=37201181 Ume Aoki at a promotional event for Hidamari Sketch]
[[Category: Staff]]