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The manga industry is indeed one of the biggest up-and-coming faucets garnering massive fan attention, but even that has faced a decline in recent years. This is true considering all the legendary Mangakas (aka manga creators) who have left this world in the last few years, leaving only their masterpieces behind to continue their legacy.

Managaka Akira Toriyama | Source: egames.news

One of these masterminds was none other than the super-brains behind the epic Dragon Ball universe who was the most recent to leave fans devastated with his death, Akira Toriyama. However, he wasn’t the only one, and there have been multiple other manga creators who broke many hearts with their deaths preceding Toriyama sensei in recent years.

Besides Akira Toriyama, the World Lost these Legendary Mangakas in Recent Years

Though many may be unaware, Akira Toriyama sensei wasn’t the only manga artist whose sudden unexpected demise broke...

Mangaka Makoto Raiku, known for creating the Zatch Bell! franchise, took to Twitter on Feb 12, 2024, to express his concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the suicide of Hinako Ashihara following a statement released by Shogakukan editors.

Although Raiku commended Shogakukan, the publisher of Ashihara’s work ‘Sexy Tanaka-san,’ for acknowledging Ashihara’s good character, he criticized the company for failing to shed light on the events leading to her suicide.

The mangaka highlighted Ashihara’s deleted blog post, where she exposed her exchange with the scriptwriter of Sexy Tanaka-San, and social media posts before the suicide as evidence of a deeper issue that remains hidden.

“Well… Now, regarding the incident involving Ashihara-sensei, I’ve also strongly voiced my opinion, so I’ll write about my thoughts on the comment by the editors of Shogakukan’s First Comics Department regarding the ‘Sexy Tanaka-san’ incident involving Ashihara-sensei that was released the other day.

Renowned mangaka Mayu Shinjo, known for her Sensual Phrase, has sparked controversy within the industry after speaking out against publisher Shogakukan. Shinjo took to her X (formerly Twitter) account to shed light on a troubling encounter involving a fellow manga artist following the criticism.

Shinjo disclosed that she had been targeted by an acquaintance manga artist for her criticism aimed at Shogakukan in the wake of the sudden passing of manga artist Hinako Ashihara, known for her work Sexy Tanaka-San.

In a series of posts, Shinjo expressed her shock and frustration at the situation, revealing that the acquaintance had gone as far as contacting her business partner to relay negative remarks about her. She condemned the underhanded tactics, stating, “I’m the type who thinks it’s natural to have different opinions, but really, what a dirty way to do it“.

Upon checking his social media, she also discovered that...

Hinako Ashihara, the popular Japanese manga artist perhaps best known in the United States for her Sand Chronicles series of the early 2000s, was found dead at her home near Tokyo on January 29, a day after she reportedly went missing. According to Japanese news sources, a possible suicide note was found near her body by police.

The contents of the note have not been made public. Ashihara was 50.

In the days leading up to her death, the artist had posted, then deleted, troubling blog messages expressing disappointment over a recent live-action TV adaptation of her manga Sexy Tanaka-san. The 10-part series, starring Kinami Haruka, began airing last October on Nippon Television.

In her initial blog posts, Ashihara reportedly accused Nippon Television of making significant changes to her work, in contrast to what the network had promised. The dispute between artist and network became a controversial topic among manga fans online,...

Ashihara Hinako, a 50-year-old Japanese manga artist, has been found dead near Tokyo. Japanese media report that the police are treating the matter as a possible suicide after finding a note at her home on Monday.

Ashihara was the author of the “Sexy Tanaka-san” manga, which was initially published by Shogakukan. Nippon Television began airing a 10-part live-action adaptation in October of last year, starring Kinami Haruka in the lead role.

The story depicts a 40-year-old woman accountant who has a secret life as a belly dancer. When her secret is discovered by a co-worker, the two polar opposites manage to bring the best out in each other.

“Don’t miss this rom-com that is guaranteed to leave you in stitches constantly, with an occasion[al] dash of tears,” says the blurb for the show on Ntv’s content catalog.

Ashihara, however, was not amused and earlier in January used X...