Ai Ota made her debut as a screenwriter in 1997. She has been active across a wide range of genres—from children’s works such ∀ Gundam and Astro Boy（the Japanese-American co-production TV series in 2003）to the long-running national suspense drama Aibou:Tokyo Detective Duo, which has been on the air for 25 years—and has received high acclaim for all of them.

In 2012, she published her first novel, Hanzaisha : Criminal, and began her career as a novelist. Her suspense trilogy—comprising Hanzaisha : Criminal, Genka :Phantom Summer, and Tenjo no Ashi : Reed in Heaven —has sold over 600,000 copies in total and remains a long-selling series that continues to go through multiple printings. She has earned the unwavering trust of many readers through her exceptional storytelling, which delves deeply into social issues and transforms them into dynamic entertainment; her meticulous, realistic depictions down to the finest details; and her character development grounded in profound insight.

At the same time, Ota excels at delicate, poetic stories like The Children of October, featured in this website, as well as fantastical tales that expand the imagination. Published in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, Karera wa Sekai ni Hanarebanare ni Tatteiru : They Stand Sundered in the World is a novel representative of the latter style, for which she won the 4th Yamanaka Prize.

Hanzaisha : Criminal and Genka : Phantom Summer have been translated into Korean, and both of them are currently being translated into Thai.

Furthermore, Hanzaisha : Criminal has been adapted into drama series and is being streamed worldwide on Amazon Prime Video platform starting July 17, 2026.

A detailed profile and list of works can be found on this page of her website.→Visit Website