Ikeda made her debut in 1967 with Bara Yashiki no Shoujo in Shoujo Friend when she still was a philosophy student. She was the first to pick up a historic theme in her highly acclaimed Versailles no Bara and did other impressive historical works. She is part of the Year 24 Group.
It's rumored she had an affair with a politician and Ikeda disappeared from the manga-scene around the mid-80's. However she returned at the end of 1998 again with Orpheus no Mado Gaiden.
In 2008, Ikeda received France's Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur.
