The creator of the worldwide hit Frieren: Beyond Journeyโs End has taken a strong stand against his own publisher. Kanehito Yamada, who writes the story for Frieren, along with illustrator Tsukasa Abe, has officially requested that their manga be removed from the Manga ONE platform. This decision comes as a direct response to how publisher Shogakukan handled a serious sexual abuse case involving another mangaka.
This is not a small dispute. It is part of a much larger wave of anger sweeping through the Japanese manga industry. Several top artists are now pulling their lifeโs work from the app. They are protesting against Shogakukanโs editorial department, which allegedly tried to silence a victim of sexual assault and continued to employ the convicted abuser under a different name.
Why Are Manga Creators Removing Their Work?
The heart of this problem lies in the actions of a man named Kazuaki Kurita. He is a manga author who previously worked under the pen name Shoichi Yamamoto. Back in February 2020, Kurita was fined 300,000 yen for creating and possessing child sexual abuse material .
However, the recent civil lawsuit, finalized in February 2026, revealed much darker details. The court ordered Kurita to pay 11 million yen (roughly $73,000 USD) in compensation to a victim identified only as “A” . The abuse began in 2016 when the victim was just 15 years old. Kurita, who was her high school drawing instructor at the time, groomed her over several years. The abuse was severe, leading the victim to develop dissociative disorder and PTSD .
What shocked the public and the manga community even more was the role of the publisher. Evidence shows that an editor at Shogakukanโs Manga ONE service, believed to be Takuya Narita, got involved. In May 2021, this editor joined a group chat between Kurita and his victim . The editor allegedly helped propose a settlement. The offer was to pay the victim 1.5 million yen in exchange for her silence and a promise to drop any appeals . She rejected the deal and continued with her lawsuit.
Despite knowing about Kuritaโs 2020 conviction for child abuse materials, and while this civil case was ongoing, Shogakukan allowed him to start a brand new series in 2022. He used a different pen name, Ichiro Hajime, and the manga was titled Jojin Kamen (Normal Person Mask) . The editor continued to support and dine with Kurita as late as November 2025, long after the abuse details emerged .
When the court ruling was finalized in late February, public outrage exploded. Shogakukan issued an apology, stopped the serialization of Jojin Kamen, and promised an independent investigation . But for many creators, the apology came far too late.
The List of Mangaka Protesting Against Shogakukan
The backlash has turned into a full-blown revolt. The Frieren team is in good company. Here are the major creators who have taken action:
- Kanehito Yamada & Tsukasa Abe (Frieren: Beyond Journeyโs End): The writing and illustrating duo behind one of the biggest modern fantasy hits have demanded their work be removed from Manga ONE. This is a huge financial blow to the platform, as Frieren is a massive global franchise with over 35 million copies in circulation and a hit anime .
- Rumiko Takahashi (Inuyasha, Ranma ยฝ, Urusei Yatsura): The legendary manga artist, often called a living legend, has pulled all her classic works from the app. This is perhaps the most significant symbolic action, as her name is synonymous with Shogakukanโs success.
- Sumi Eno: A vocal critic who has detailed the case timeline, she has requested her works be removed .
- Ikka Matsuki: Also requested removal from the platform .
- Tsukasa Abe (as illustrator for Jojin Kamen): While she pulled Frieren with Yamada, it is worth noting that Abe was the artist for the problematic Jojin Kamen manga. She released a statement saying she was unaware of the authorโs past, apologized to the victims, and firmly stated that “actions that harm people in the real world should not occur” . She is also a victim of the publisherโs lack of transparency.
- Daito Aotake (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!): Reported to have paused updates on the platform in protest .
What This Means for Readers and the Future of These Manga
For fans who read these series on the Manga ONE app or website, the content is disappearing. This naturally raises a big question: Will we ever see the end of Frieren? And where will these series go?
First, it is important to understand the context of Frieren itself. The manga, serialized in Weekly Shลnen Sunday (also published by Shogakukan), has a history of hiatuses. It went on hiatus in January 2023, May 2024, December 2024, and most recently entered an indefinite hiatus in October 2025 to allow the creators to focus on their health . The series did resume in July 2025 before pausing again, but this new protest adds a layer of uncertainty that is purely editorial, not health-related.
This removal is likely specifically from the digital platform Manga ONE, which is separate from the physical magazine Weekly Shลnen Sunday. However, it signals a deep distrust between the creators and the corporate parent.
Rumiko Takahashiโs departure is massive. Works like Inuyasha and Ranma ยฝ are cornerstone properties. If they are gone from the official app, it creates a huge void. Other publishers are reportedly already looking at this situation and seeing an opportunity to sign these disgruntled creators . The industry is watching to see if Gosho Aoyama, the creator of Detective Conan (Case Closed)โShogakukanโs other massive pillarโwill also make a statement .
For global fans, the immediate impact might be low if you read physical books or use other services like Viz Mediaโs Shonen Sunday app in the US. But in Japan, Manga ONE is losing its biggest stars.
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Shogakukanโs Response and the Independent Investigation
Under immense pressure, Shogakukan has moved into damage control mode. On February 26, 2026, the Manga ONE editorial department released a statement acknowledging the editorโs involvement in the mediation but claiming the department as an organization was not involved .
A subsequent, more formal statement announced the launch of an independent investigative committee, including outside legal counsel . Their job is to find out the full truth: how much did the editors know about Kuritaโs history, why did they push for a silence agreement, and how did they justify launching a new series by a convicted abuser without telling the new illustrator?
The company has promised disciplinary action. But for many, the damage is done. The sight of their top earnersโFrieren and Takahashiโs entire catalogโwalking out the door speaks louder than any press release.
This is a historic moment for the manga industry. It shows that creators, who are often seen as powerless contractors in a corporate system, have the leverage to fight back when ethics are ignored. They are proving that their art is their own, and they will not let it sit on a platform run by people who they believe enabled abuse.
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This crack in the foundation of one of Japanโs biggest publishing houses shows that the industry is changing, and fans are watching closely to see if Shogakukan can rebuild the trust they have lost.
