Ryosuke Kabashima

"I could never thank you enough, but...I'd like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude. Your every word gives me courage. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure would have never existed without you."

- Hirohiko Araki,

Ryosuke Kabashima (椛島良介) is the chief director of Shueisha's editorial department for 'Shueisha Shinsho'. He was originally an editor for Weekly Shōnen Jump up until September 2013. He is the grandson of [https://www.lambiek.net/artists/k/kabashima_katsuichi. Katsuishi Kabashima].

Kabashima was Hirohiko Araki's first editor and was largely responsible for Araki's growth during the first ten years of his professional career as a manga artist. His involvement would last from 1979 up until the finale of Stardust Crusaders.

History
Prior to becoming an editor, Kabashima had studied archaelogy and the History of the Western World.

One day in 1981, Kabashima met with Hirohiko Araki. Through sheer luck, Kabashima was the only editor to have remained in the Shueisha at noon, when Araki visited the building, and thus was the one to first criticize his work. According to Araki, Kabashima was extremely severe and pointed out each of Araki's technical faults (from having forgotten to erase pen lines to leaking white-outs). However, Kabashima sensed potential in Araki's work and told him to fix his pages and apply his work for this year's Tezuka Awards. Kabashima had reviewed an early draft of Poker Under Arms, and this work would win the runner-up prize for this year's award.

Kabashima subsequently became Araki's editor and worked with him on his earliest publications. Kabashima notably defended Cool Shock B.T. and advocated its publication despite the other editors' reticence.

Kabashima was the one who suggested that Stardust Crusaders happened in Egypt. Kabashima liked Egypt and proposed to feature it. Araki was reluctant at first and the two went together in Egypt.