Through her Twitter account, illustrator Shiro Usazaki posted a comment about the arrest of Act-Age manga writer Tatsuya Matsuki and the subsequent cancellation of the work.
The message expresses the following:アクタージュ読者の皆様へ pic.twitter.com/ewuOZR2ALB— 宇佐崎しろ (@uszksr) August 24, 2020
“A few days ago, Mr. Tatsuya Matsuki, who is the original author of the“ Act-Age ”manga, was arrested and prosecuted on charges of sexual acts against some high school students. To begin, I want to let those girls know that they have my full support for you and your families. I think it should not be easy to raise your voice after being the victim of something so horrendous. Despite the fact that there is still no sentence, I hope that justice will be served and there will be a serious punishment.
I have already fully accepted the decision of the publisher about the total cancellation of the "Act-Age" series as well as all the projects that were related to this franchise. Mental injuries caused by sex crimes cannot be cured so easily. Just imagining that a person makes you feel insecure when you are alone or when you go out at night gives me a lot of helplessness. So, this is the most valid reason why I consider it a good decision to finish the manga.
I would like to thank all the fans who always supported the work. This time, the work could not be completed and yes, like everyone else, this also hurts me. However, before you get nostalgic for the show, imagine the feelings of the bullied girls. Yes, please, don't blame them for this. It was not their fault that they had been harassed and then did an act of courage by raising their voices. We must learn from this situation so that this type of humiliating acts cease every time.
Seeing so many messages of support for me after the cancellation made it worth working on the manga. There are no words to explain this feeling.
I repeat, do not turn your admiration for the manga into hatred towards the victims, put yourself in their shoes and do not be fooled by theories or unfounded accusations that have emerged in recent days.
Lastly, I hope those girls can be completely safe after all these troubles and have a bright future. "
Finally, Act-Age was a manga series written by Tatsuya Matsuki and illustrated by Shiro Usazaki, who began publication in Shueisha publisher's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in January 2018.
Recently, the Shueisha publishing house issued a statement announcing that the sale and distribution of the compiled volumes of the Act-Age manga has been suspended indefinitely. This includes the hard copies of the twelve existing volumes, as well as the digital versions on the services of Shueisha and other providers. Release of any future volumes has also been canceled, along with any planned franchise-based merchandise.
Source: Shiro Usazaki's Twitter account via Hachima Kikō
© マ ツ キ タ ツ ヤ • 宇佐 崎 し ろ / 集 英 社 SHUEISHA
