It was Shueisha's first manga to be released online in multiple languages before becoming available in print outside Japan and had over 15 million copies in publication as of May 2014. He then reunited with Tsugumi Ohba for Bakuman., which ran from August 2008 to April 2012. This was followed a year later by 'Urōboe Uroboros!' with Nisio Isin, who authored the Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases novel. In the fall of 2007, he drew the short story 'Hello Baby' with writer Masanori Morita, which appeared in Jump Square.

Obata served as the artist of Blue Dragon Ral Grad, a manga adaptation of the fantasy video game Blue Dragon, from December 2006 to July 2007.

It became his biggest hit to date, with 30 million copies in circulation, an anime adaptation, five live-action films, two live-action TV drama and a musical. In 2003 he teamed up with Tsugumi Ohba to create Death Note. With 25 million collected volumes in circulation, it was adapted into an anime and became his first work to be released in North America. He then created Hikaru no Go with Yumi Hotta, which received the 1999 Shogakukan Manga Award and the 2003 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Karakurizōshi Ayatsuri Sakon, with author Sharakumaro, became his first work to be adapted into an anime. After this series, Obata began collaborating with other writers. Joining the Weekly Shōnen Jump staff, he mentored under Makoto Niwano before starting his first major series, writing and drawing Cyborg Jii-chan G in 1989. Obata originally became noticed in 1985 when he took a prize in the Tezuka Award for his one-shot 500 Kōnen no Shinwa. It was about a hero who turned into a disposable pocket warmer when in trouble.

His first published manga was in Higashi-Yamanoshita Elementary's school newspaper when he was in the third grade. As a child he re-read Shotaro Ishinomori's Cyborg 009 over and over. Takeshi Obata chose to be a manga artist because he always loved drawing. Obata has mentored several well-known manga artists, including Nobuhiro Watsuki of Rurouni Kenshin fame, Black Cat creator Kentaro Yabuki, and Eyeshield 21 artist Yusuke Murata. He first gained international attention for Hikaru no Go (1999–2003) with Yumi Hotta, but is better known for Death Note (2003–2006) and Bakuman (2008–2012) with Tsugumi Ohba. Takeshi Obata ( 小畑健, Obata Takeshi, born February 11, 1969) is a Japanese manga artist that usually works as the illustrator in collaboration with a writer.

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