Manga's Top Artists Are in Hot Water Over Controversial New Campaign

Over a dozen of manga's top artists are in hot water over a controversial tribute to Rurouni Kenshin.

By Megan Peters

To succeed in manga, you need to have more than talent. The industry is fast-paced to say the least, and its demands are notoriously difficult. For the greats like Akira Toriyama, they not only had to impress readers with their art but their storytelling. Over the decades, plenty of top-notch creators have surfaced in the manga industry. And right now, a good few of them are in very hot water.

The whole ordeal came to light this week as Shueisha teased a big anniversary project. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Rurouni Kenshin, one of the publisher's most famous titles. Starting October 4, more than a dozen famous manga creators will pay tribute to Rurouni Kenshin with illustrations, but this support for Nobuhiro Watsuki is drawing ire across the globe.

The Controversy Behind Rurouni Kenshin

For some context on this event, Rurouni Kenshin has recruited an impressive list of artists for its anniversary. From Gege Akutami to Eiichiro Oda and Yoko Kamio, the list goes on and on, so you can check out all the involved creators below:

  • 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)
  • Yūki 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)
  • Yūsei 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 number of top-tier artists on speed dial, and many accepted the chance to celebrate Rurouni Kenshin. The series itself is well worth the praise given its incredible story and art. But in the past decade, the manga's creator has been ostracized by fans following their arrest for child pornography.

Related:

The Dark History of Rurouni Kenshin

In late 2017, police in Japan did a search of Watsuki's Tokyo office, and it was there they found DVDs featured naked girls in their early teens. The raid continued to Watsuki's home where more child pornography was found. According to reports, about a hundred DVDs were found by police, and Watsuki was charged with possessing child pornography the same year. In February 2018, Watsuki was found guilty and charged a fine of less than $2,000 USD for the offense. Later that year, the creator of Rurouni Kenshin resumed work on the manga at Shueisha, leaving fans horrified by his slap on the wrist.

In the wake of Watsuki's child pornography arrest, Rurouni Kenshin has found its legacy stained. While the manga is considered a classic, many fans have found it impossible to separate Watsuki from the story he crafted. Rurouni Kenshin's latest manga is still being published, but plenty of fans across the globe now boycott the series. As such, Shueisha's anniversary tribute sparked ire on social media, and all of the artist taking part are now embroiled in the controversy.

What do you think of this latest anime controversy? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

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