Who is Naoko Takeuchi, the artist behind BLACKPINK’s Jennie single cover?

We all know the waters have been treacherous for BLACKPINK fans. Amid an uncertain future and seemingly endless contract negotiations (or better yet – the lack thereof), fans just weren’t sure what to expect. Despite recently being treated to one of K-POP’s most profitable world tours, the girl group’s future remains uncertain at this point, and it’s not due to YG Entertainment’s lack of effort – we all know how much they enjoy leveraging BLACKPINK to their advantage.

Thankfully, an unexpected gift finally arrived, basking us BLINKS in a well-deserved victory: a new single from Jennie. The main rapper and lead vocalist of the group had previously debuted her first solo single “SOLO” in 2019, with several other members subsequently pursuing their own solo endeavors right after.

Four years later, amidst all the messy bureaucracy currently unfolding, the new solo “You & Me” is quite literally the perfect gift for fans. The song has just been released, accompanied by a new cover illustrated by none other than Naoko Takeuchi. For those a bit out of the anime loop, here’s why everyone’s buzzing about the new Jennie cover.

Who designed the “You & Me,” single cover?

The single cover was designed by none other than Naoko Takeuchi, one of the most prominent Shojo writers of all time. You may not have realized that she is the author behind Sailor Moon, a series that played a pivotal role in popularizing magical girl manga and anime not only in Japan but also internationally. Depending on your age, you either grew up watching Sailor Moon or have at least stumbled upon the anime at some point.

Sailor Moon‘s first chapter was released in 1991 and spanned until 1997, with 18 volumes in total. Just a year after the manga’s debut, an anime adaptation graced screens in Japan and worldwide. It became known as one of the biggest magical shojo anime of all time, ultimately watched by nearly every child of that era.

Despite Sailor Moon having been released over 30 years ago, Takeuchi is only 56 years old and is still thriving. She continuously supervises any title related to Sailor Moon and has even provided illustrations for the official All Colored Eternal Edition of Sailor Moon. As a fun tidbit about the author’s life: she is actually married to Yoshihiro Togashi, the creator of Hunter x Hunter – one of the most popular anime and manga series in the world.

While the cover illustrated by Takeuchi for our Jennie was a delightful surprise, I must say that the art complements Jennie’s mystical vibe perfectly.