The scribe behind Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue, Sadayuki Murai’s work explores humanity’s darkest anxieties when supercharged by extreme circumstances. Whether they’re a young actress’s struggles with a stalker, a middle schooler forced to exterminate aliens, or a drifter reckoning with their past, Murai’s characters have been through it all. Lately, he’s served as the creative engine behind Natsume’s Book of Friends and its many seasons.