est em (an Anglicization of the Japanese phrase esu to emu–literally, “S and M”) is a pseudonym for Satō Maki (b. 1981). Though she produces manga in various genres, under this pen name, she focuses upon yaoi narratives about male homosexuality. Through the assistance of Matt Thorn (b. 1965), a cultural anthropologist who teaches about manga at Kyoto Seika University, several works by est em have been translated into English, and she is quickly developing an international fan base.