Ikeda burst onto the manga scene in 1967 while still studying philosophy, debuting with "The Girl from the Rose Mansion" in Shoujo Friend. She's best known for pioneering historical manga with her critically acclaimed "The Rose of Versailles," which established her as one of the genre's most innovative voices.

After a rumored affair with a politician, she largely stepped back from manga in the mid-1980s. Her absence lasted over a decade until she returned in late 1998 with "Orpheus no Mado Gaiden."

Her contributions to manga and French culture earned her France's prestigious Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur in 2008.