Shogakukan's offices continue to burn in
flames. After the sewer was uncovered that the Manga ONE app
covered up convicted criminals under pseudonyms (such as Kazuaki Kurita and the
infamous author of act-age, Tatsuya Matsuki), the titans of the
industry began a mass exodus. Authors such as ONE (One-Punch
Man), Rumiko Takahashi (Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2)
and the creators of Frieren and Zom 100 withdrew
their works in protest. Yet, in the midst of all this corporate chaos and otaku
fury, the most important voice of all has just spoken: the victim herself.
A
Coming-of-Age Lesson Shogakukan Didn't Have
Through her
lawyers, on March 8, 2026, the young woman (who is now in her early 20s and
continues to deal with the emotional aftermath of the abuse suffered by her
former teacher) issued an official statement. He clarified that his intention
in taking the case to court was always to prevent other children from going
through the same hell and to force his aggressor to admit his guilt (something
that, disgustingly, he still refuses to do).
But what
left the industry speechless was his tremendous capacity for empathy. Unlike
the internet mob calling for absolute cancellation, the young woman
stated that she does not believe that people who have committed crimes
should be banned for life from creating manga. She maintains that everyone
deserves a second chance to share their art, as long as the publisher and
author are completely honest and transparent about their past.
What tore him apart was the cover-up, the use of fake names to deceive the
public, and the corporate hypocrisy of sweeping trash under the rug.
The pain
of the collateral damage to Manga ONE
Far from
wanting to see Shogakukan burn to the ground, the victim expressed deep sadness
at the collateral damage. He regretted that innocent mangakas were
forced to withdraw their works because of the scandal and made it clear that
he does not want the Manga ONE application to close. For her, manga was a
refuge that helped her heal in her worst moments, and she respects the space
that the platform provides to hundreds of artists.
After a
call with Shogakukan executives on March 5 (where they finally apologized
directly), the young woman asked the community to stop hate attacks on social
networks. Their only demand is that the industry build real protocols to
protect minors, not empty public relations apologies.
