The manga industry's backdoor atrocity

Previously, I'd written about a scandal involving publisher Shogakukan hiring a disgraced mangaka who'd been charged with sexual abuse despite the severity of his offenses. Now, India Times reports it's become even more outraging, as it turned out another disgraced mangaka was also rehired, one who'd disgraced himself 6 years ago:

Manga ONE and Shogakukan are facing heavy criticism after it emerged that Act Age writer Tatsuya Matsuki quietly returned to the platform under a pseudonym. The revelation came days after another convicted offender was also rehired, triggering anger across the manga industry and prompting several creators to withdraw their works.

Shogakukan’s digital manga platform Manga ONE is under intense scrutiny after it emerged that two convicted sex offenders were quietly allowed to work on the platform under different names. The controversy first focused on Shoichi Yamamoto, but new details soon revealed another shocking case. Act Age writer Tatsuya Matsuki had also returned to the industry under a false identity.

The revelations have triggered a wave of criticism from fans, artists, and industry insiders. Several well known manga creators have already withdrawn their works from the platform, while readers are questioning how such hiring decisions were approved in the first place. [...]

Weekly Shonen Jump cancelled Act Age without delay. All volumes were removed from stores and digital platforms. Publisher Shueisha publicly condemned the incident and cut ties with the author. At the time, many assumed Matsuki’s manga career was effectively over.

Secret return to manga under a different name

Years later, that assumption has been challenged. In 2024, editors at Shogakukan’s Manga ONE platform reportedly contacted Matsuki after seeing a novel he had self published online. Following internal discussions, they approved a new manga project written by him under a pseudonym.

He used the name Miki Yatsunami. Under that identity, Matsuki wrote a psychological series titled Seisou no Shinrishi. The story explored themes of trauma and mental health.

However, the illustrator working on the series reportedly did not know Matsuki’s real identity or past conviction. Shogakukan later admitted that the pen name was meant to avoid linking the project to his real name. Critics say the move instead hid important information from collaborators and readers. Once the truth became public, the series was suspended while the publisher launched a review of the decision.

Another controversial hiring fuels the backlash

The situation became even more explosive because Matsuki was not the only convicted offender linked to the platform. Days earlier, reports surfaced that Shoichi Yamamoto, who was convicted in 2020 for grooming and sexually assaulting a 15 year old student, had also returned to Manga ONE under the name Hajime Ichiro. His manga Jojin Kamen had been running on the platform since 2022.

Illustrator Eri Tsuruyoshi said on X that she had very little contact with Yamamoto and had no idea about his criminal past. She wrote that she hoped the victim could recover from the trauma. The discovery that two convicted offenders were allowed to publish under pseudonyms on the same platform has intensified criticism of Shogakukan’s editorial oversight.

When Matsuki's artist on Act-Age found out about his arrest, she cut off partnership with him. Now, a second lady illustrator's been embarrassed by publishers who kept her in the dark using a pseudonym as a disguise for the other offender. That women would be tricked into taking assignments with monsters who might be as willing to hurt them as much as their previous victims is chilling. And to think, that 2 offenders would be allowed back into the industry via the backdoor! What's so special about creators who turn out to be creeps? It reminds me that nearly a decade ago, DC had a scandal with their Vertigo line, when it turned out the writer of a comic titled Border Town was accused of sexual abuse. The editor, who was once a writer for the now defunct leftist Comics Alliance, never did any vetting on his part regarding the writers, and Ethan Van Sciver once took issue with him over that. Yet if memory serves, IDW is now employing him, and that's a disgrace.

With that told, it looks like Shogakukan's alienated a number of mangakas as a result of their Stockholm Syndrome employment:

Creators withdraw their works from Manga ONE

The fallout quickly spread across the manga industry. Several creators decided to remove their works from Manga ONE in protest. Rumiko Takahashi, the legendary creator of Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura, quietly discontinued her series on the platform.

The creators of Frieren Beyond Journey’s End, Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe, also withdrew their content. Other authors including Ryuhei Tamura, Ai Minase, Minoru Takeyoshi, and Miko Mitsuki followed with similar decisions. Their actions signal a rare public protest within the manga publishing world, where creators often avoid direct criticism of major publishers.

When somebody as prominent as Takahashi's been decides to yank her latest stories off their services, that's saying something. Those who've withdrawn their products from Shogakukan did the right thing.

Here's also the Japan Times report, which says, oddly enough:

At the time, Yatsunami was publishing the series “Act-Age” in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, produced by a different publisher, under the pen name Tatsuya Matsuki, but he was suspended after his indictment.

While aware of this, Manga One made the decision to hire him in 2024 after deeming that his efforts to not repeat his crime — such as working with professionals for rehabilitation and reintegration into society — could be trusted. The author decided to operate under a new pen name to not affect the victim, the company said.

Forget it. Sexual violence is a serious issue, and can't be excused so easily. The worst part of that flap is how Matsuki only got a suspended sentence from the courts. What's so special about a creep who commits perverted acts? Similar queries could be asked about Nobuhiro Nishiwaki, the disgraced mangaka of Rurouni Kenshin, who used the pseudonym Watsuki when he first began in the early 1990s. But this is confusing: what's the Act-Age writer's real name, Yatsunami or Matsuki? If they're trying to baffle the readership as to the exact identity, that's wrong. Whatever his exact name, what matters is that by rehiring the monster, Shogakukan is affecting the victim, slapping her in the face in the dark after the terrible experience she went through.

The Chosun reports a Korean TV station was criticized for broadcasting a moment involving the publisher too:

Although Shogakukan was featured because it was part of Kian84’s journey to meet his idol, some viewers argued that the production team was unaware of the recent “Shogakukan scandal.” The scandal erupted when it was revealed that Shogakukan had allowed a manga artist with a child sex crime conviction to return under a pseudonym, with an editor allegedly pressuring the victim to conceal the incident. [...]

While Shogakukan is a pivotal location in Japan’s publishing industry and part of Kian84’s journey to meet his idol, critics argue that its exposure on air was inappropriate given its involvement in reinstating artists linked to child sex crimes and sexual harassment. Some, however, defended the broadcast, stating that Shogakukan was not intentionally introduced but appeared incidentally during Kian84’s journey.

Maybe it was unintentional on the part of the producers, but it certainly is embarrassing as it's sad. Let's hope the victims recover, and that's something the TV station should say too.

I think after this, publishers will have to consider whether it's wise to accept work from a creator using a pseudonym instead of an actual name in official publication, since for all we know, this scandal could understadably lead some to wonder if quite a few felons are using pseudonyms to conceal their criminal records and prevent anybody from doing a background check to make sure they're not wasting money on the work of a pervert with a severe police record. Assuming Shogakukan survives this fallout, they'd do well to make sure they do background checks, and if the felon's record includes severe crimes like sexual violence, then they simply can't hire somebody that bad. And creators themselves have to learn some moral lessons. In addition, the audience and press alike have to make some sort of case why artists have to recognize the importance of responsibility to the wider public, and not commit heinous offenses if they truly want their stories to matter in the long run. So will anybody influential address these vital issues? Let's hope so.