The Japanese manga industry has been rocked by a rapidly escalating scandal, as leading publisher Shogakukan and its digital platform Manga ONE face mounting backlash over their handling of a convicted author’s continued involvement in new projects. The controversy, which burst into the public eye in late February 2026, has prompted an unprecedented wave of protests from some of the most celebrated manga creators, as well as a reckoning over editorial responsibility and the protection of victims within the creative world.
At the heart of the uproar is the revelation that author Kazuaki Kurita—known under several pen names, including Shoichi Yamamoto and Ichiro Hajime—was allowed to write new series for Manga ONE even after his criminal conviction for child sexual abuse. According to court documents and reporting by multiple outlets including ComicBook.com, FandomWire, and Japanese media, Kurita’s predatory actions began in 2016, when he groomed and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old female student while working as a drawing instructor at a private high school. The victim, identified only as “A,” suffered years of abuse that led to dissociative disorder and PTSD.
Kurita’s manga career continued in parallel with his criminal acts. His series Daten Sakusen (also known as Operation Fallen Angel or Joujin Kamen) was serialized on Manga ONE starting in 2015. In February 2020, Kurita was fined ¥300,000 for producing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). At the time, Shogakukan suspended the manga, publicly citing the author’s health as the reason. However, as FandomWire and ComicBook.com confirm, the real cause was his arrest and conviction. By October 2022, the publisher officially announced the end of Operation Fallen Angel on Manga ONE.
Despite public statements that ties with Kurita had been severed, new evidence revealed that he continued to work with Manga ONE under the pseudonym Ichiro Hajime (sometimes listed as Hajime Ichiro), penning the original story for Ordinary Person’s Mask (also known as Jojin Kamen), which was illustrated by Erika Tsuruyoshi. This subterfuge went unnoticed by the public until fans and industry insiders began to spot stylistic similarities and eventually confirmed the author’s dual identity. The revelation triggered a storm of outrage across the manga community.
Matters took a darker turn when it emerged that a Manga ONE editor, identified in Japanese media as Takuya Narita, had actively participated in trying to silence Kurita’s victim. As The Malay Mail reported, in May 2021, Narita mediated a proposed settlement in a group chat with the victim and Kurita, suggesting a payout of ¥1.5 million in exchange for the victim’s silence and withdrawal of her appeal against the resumption of Kurita’s manga. The victim refused the offer and proceeded with her civil lawsuit, which concluded in February 2026 with the court ordering Kurita to pay ¥11 million in damages and rejecting his claims of a consensual relationship.
Public anger intensified as it became clear that Narita continued to support Kurita’s work even after his conviction, meeting him for dinner and promoting his manga as recently as November 2025. The editorial department’s lack of oversight and apparent willingness to prioritize creative output over victim protection drew swift condemnation from both creators and fans.
In response to the growing scandal, Shogakukan’s Manga ONE editorial department released a series of statements. Initially, the company acknowledged that an editor had mediated between the parties at their request but insisted that the broader editorial team was not involved. Later, in a more formal statement, Shogakukan announced the formation of an independent investigative committee—including legal counsel—to clarify the facts, determine the editor’s involvement, and review the launch of Kurita’s subsequent series. The company promised to take strict disciplinary action and implement measures to prevent a recurrence, stating, “To ensure that this never happens again, we will set up an investigative committee, including lawyers, to quickly clarify the facts and causes, including how the serialization began and the editor’s involvement, including settlement negotiations. After that, we will report the results of the investigation, take strict disciplinary action, and formulate and implement measures to prevent recurrence.”
The fallout was immediate and severe. Major manga creators, including Rumiko Takahashi (creator of Inuyasha, Ranma ½, and Urusei Yatsura), ONE (creator of One Punch Man), Haro Aso (Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead), Ryuhei Tamura (COSMOS), and others, announced suspensions of their series from Manga ONE or demanded their works be removed entirely. Takahashi pulled all of her manga from the platform in protest, while ONE issued a public statement via X (formerly Twitter): “I can’t team up with people who can’t clearly state their strong condemnation of sexual harm against minors. That’s a given. Waiting for the disclosure of circumstances by the relevant parties. I also want Shogakukan to support them if they take that action.”
Other creators, such as Sumi Eno and Ikka Matsuki, joined the boycott, with Eno publishing a detailed chronology of the case to inform readers and colleagues. Tsuruyoshi Eri, the artist for Jojin Kamen, expressed regret and stated, “Actions that harm people in the real world should not occur,” emphasizing their lack of knowledge about the author’s past and apologizing to the victims. According to ComicBook.com, several artists and writers have declared they will not work with Manga ONE or Shogakukan again unless the company demonstrates a clear commitment to condemning sexual harm and protecting vulnerable individuals.
Shogakukan, for its part, has removed Kurita’s works from its platforms and stated that updates will be provided as the investigation progresses. However, the incident has left deep scars on the industry, raising difficult questions about transparency, editorial accountability, and the ethical obligations of publishers toward both creators and readers. As the independent committee’s findings are awaited, the case has become a flashpoint for broader debates about how the creative industries should handle misconduct and ensure the safety and dignity of all participants.
For now, the manga world watches closely, as a reckoning unfolds that could reshape industry standards for years to come.