Born in 1967, Maki Kusumoto studied philosophy at the Ochanomizu University in Tokyo. She made her debut in Margaret magazine—one of the most popular Japanese comic magazines—in 1984 with the one-shot Okinimesu mama.

She is well known in Japan for her exquisite art work and extraordinary stories and style. Since her early best-selling work Kissxxxx, she has always been at the cutting edge of the Japanese manga culture.