Hiro Mashima is a Japanese manga artist best known for his fantasy series Fairy Tail. He was born in 1977 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. He began his career in 1999 with the publication of his first manga series, Rave Master, which was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine. The series was a success and ran for 35 volumes. In 2006, Mashima began his second series, Fairy Tail, which was also serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine. The series follows the adventures of a guild of wizards and their dragon-slaying missions. Fairy Tail has become one of the most popular manga series in Japan, with over 60 million copies sold. It has also been adapted into an anime series and several video games. Mashima has also created several other manga series, including Monster Soul, Edens Zero, and Monster Hunter Orage. He is known for his dynamic artwork and his ability to create unique and interesting characters. He has won several awards for his work, including the Kodansha Manga Award for Best Shonen Manga in 2011. Mashima is a prolific artist who continues to create new and exciting stories for his fans. He is an inspiration to aspiring manga artists and a beloved figure in the manga community.