To Succeed in the Manga Industry, More Than Just Talent is Required
The manga industry is rapidly evolving, and its demands are incredibly challenging. For great creators like Akira Toriyama, artists must not only impress readers with their artwork but also with captivating storytelling. Over the decades, many top creators have emerged in the manga industry. However, currently, a select few are facing difficulties due to an unfortunate event.
This situation came to light this week when Shueisha revealed a major anniversary project. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of Rurouni Kenshin, one of the publisher’s most famous titles.
Starting October 4, Over a Dozen Renowned Manga Authors Will Honor Rurouni Kenshin with Illustrations, but This Support for Nobuhiro Watsuki is Sparking Outrage Worldwide.
The Controversy Behind Rurouni Kenshin
For more context on this event, Rurouni Kenshin has “recruited” a list of artists to contribute to the manga’s anniversary celebration. Participating mangaka include Gege Akutami, Eiichiro Oda, Yoko Kamio, and the list goes on.
Here are all the mangaka contributing to the Rurouni Kenshin manga anniversary:
- Eiichiro Oda (One Piece)
- Hirohiko Araki (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
- Gege Akutami (Jujutsu Kaisen)
- Takehiko Inoue (Slam Dunk)
- Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto)
- Yoshihiro Togashi (Hunter x Hunter)
- Kohei Horikoshi (My Hero Academia)
- Yusuke Murata (One-Punch Man)
- Yoichi Takahashi (Captain Tsubasa)
- YÅ«ki Tabata (Black Clover)
- Hideaki Sorachi (Gintama)
- Takeshi Obata (Death Note)
- Naoya Matsumoto (Kaiju No. 8)
- Takeshi Konomi (The Prince of Tennis)
- Sui Ishida (Tokyo Ghoul)
- Daisuke Ashihara (World Trigger)
- YÅ«sei Matsui (Assassination Classroom)
- Tenya Yabuno (Inazuma Eleven)
- Hiroyuki Takei (Shaman King)
- Kaiu Shirai, Posuka Demizu (The Promised Neverland)
- Tsukasa Hojo (City Hunter)
- Kazue Kato (Blue Exorcist)
- Kentaro Yabuki (To Love Ru)
- Yasuhiro Nightow (Trigun)
- Tadatoshi Fujimaki (Kuroko’s Basketball)
- Katsura Hoshino (D.Gray-Man)
- Shinya Suzuki (Mr. Fullswing)
- Haruto Umezawa (Hareluya II Boy)
- Takeshi Okano (Jigoku Sensei Nube)
- Yoko Kamio (Boys Over Flowers)
- Jigoku no Misawa (Tenshi no Drop)
- Sho Makura (Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne)
- Katsunori Matsui (Neko Majin)
- Daisuke Moriyama (Chrono Crusade)
- Takayuki Yamaguchi (Shigurui)
- Mikio Ito (Normandy Secret Club)
Clearly, Shueisha has a roster of top mangaka to honor Rurouni Kenshin. The mangaka himself deserves praise for the incredible storyline and artwork. However, in the past decade, the author of the manga has been shunned by fans after being arrested for crimes.
The Dark History of Rurouni Kenshin
At the end of 2017, Japanese police raided Watsuki’s office in Tokyo and found inappropriate and sensitive images on DVDs. The raid extended to Watsuki’s home, where even more condemnable content was discovered. Reports indicate that the police found about a hundred DVDs, and Watsuki was charged with possession of obscene materials that same year.
In February 2018, Watsuki was convicted and fined nearly $2,000 for this offense. Later that year, the author of Rurouni Kenshin resumed his manga work at Shueisha, shocking fans.
Since Watsuki’s arrest, the legacy of Rurouni Kenshin has been tarnished. While the manga is considered a classic, many fans find it impossible to separate Watsuki from the story he created.
The latest Rurouni Kenshin manga is still being published, but many fans worldwide are currently boycotting the series. As a result, Shueisha’s anniversary tribute has sparked outrage on social media, and all participating artists are now embroiled in the controversy.
