Kouta Hirano, born on July 14, 1973, in Adachi, Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese manga artist best known for his manga series Hellsing and Drifters. Hirano began his career as an assistant to other manga artists, a role he found unpleasant and unmotivating. He initially worked on hentai manga before gaining widespread recognition with the launch of Hellsing in 1997. This series became a major success, solidifying his reputation in the manga industry. After completing Hellsing in 2008, Hirano began working on Drifters, which continues to be published.