Born on May 5, 1946, Sakaguchi Hisashi began his career at Mushi Productions in 1963 while still in high school. At Mushi, he handled animation, original drawings, and direction for acclaimed series including "Astro Boy," "Kimba the White Lion" (The Jungle Emperor), and "The Knight of the Ribbon."

In 1969, he made his manga artist debut with "Farewell!" in the magazine "COM." His numerous short stories helped pioneer the "new wave" of manga in the late 1970s. Simultaneously, he continued his work in animation, serving as animation director, setting designer, and director for 24-hour TV specials such as "One Million Year Journey to Earth: Vanderbook" and "Houmoun." From 1980 to 1982, he created "12 Colors Story," one of his most celebrated works. Between 1983 and 1995, he published his landmark trilogy: "Ishi no Hana," "Version," and "Akanbe Ikkyu."

In recognition of his contributions, he received the Japan Cartoonists Society Award for Excellence in 1996 (posthumously).

While many regarded him as Osamu Tezuka's successor, Sakaguchi passed away suddenly at age 49 on December 22, 1995, from acute heart failure, just six years after Tezuka's death.

His artistic style drew comparisons to Hayao Miyazaki, and many believe he could have developed into a masterful anime director had his life not been cut short.