On Thursday, September 12, 2024, Nekokurage, the creator of The Apothecary Diaries manga, released a statement on their official X (formerly Twitter) account regarding the future of the series. In this announcement, they confirmed that the manga will continue serialization even after being convicted of tax evasion in Japan on July 24.
Nekokurage expressed their intention to continue the series as a form of atonement and as a way to show gratitude to the readers who continue to support them, as well as those involved in the project who are allowing the series to move forward. The mangaka received a suspended sentence of 10 months in prison and a fine of 11 million yen.
Nekokurage addresses tax evasion case and confirms continuation of The Apothecary Diaries manga
In addition to affirming the continuation of The Apothecary Diaries manga, Nekokurage apologized for the disruption caused by the tax evasion case. They noted that they are sincerely reflecting on the situation after receiving the guilty verdict and sentencing. Furthermore, they are engaging the services of a reliable tax accountant, assuring fans that such an incident will not occur again.
Nekokurage, whose real name is Erika Ikeda, received their verdict from the Fukuoka District Court in Japan. The fine of 11 million yen translates to approximately US$77,146 based on current conversion rates. The 10-month sentence is suspended for three years, meaning if they maintain good behavior, they will not serve time in prison. Initially, the prosecution sought a 10-month prison term along with a 14 million yen fine, amounting to about US$98,186 currently.
This suspended sentence allows Nekokurage to keep working on the manga series. Additionally, Square Enix has indicated that they are “not particularly considering canceling” the series in light of the verdict. This decision is logical, as The Apothecary Diaries has garnered a significant following following the premiere of its Fall 2023 television anime adaptation.
Nekokurage was indicted on February 29, 2024, on accusations of failing to report roughly 260 million yen (about US$1.8 million) in income and evading 47 million yen (US$329,627) in taxes from 2019 to 2021. Japan’s National Tax Bureau alleged that the evaded taxes were used to purchase real estate and originated from manga sales.
Nekokurage pleaded guilty, indicating that there was “no intention of evading tax payments”and expressed plans to “pay it all at once later.”On April 1, they elaborated that the neglect of tax returns was due to ignorance rather than a desire to evade taxes. Furthermore, they mentioned that all taxes and fees were paid in full in 2022 as per the tax office’s instructions, clarifying that this issue is a personal matter unrelated to anyone else involved in The Apothecary Diaries manga’s production.
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