On September 9, 2024, Nekokurage, the artist for the manga adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries, gave an update on her tax evasion situation. Long story short, she will continue to work on the series.
In a handwritten note, Nekokurage apologizes for all the trouble she caused people. She has deeply reflected on her actions after receiving a guilty verdict and has now hired an accountant. She swears that she will not repeat this mistake in the future. Nekokurage also thanks the readers who told her they still wanted to see her art in the manga, as well as those who allowed her to remain the artist. She hopes that her work can make it up to everyone, as well as serve as a way of showing gratitude.
Nekokurage, or Erika Ikeda, was found guilty of tax evasion in July 2024. The Fukuoka District Court sentenced her to three years’ suspension, as well as fined her 11 million JPY. She had pleaded guilty in June 2024 after evading taxes worth 47 million JPY. According to her, she had planned on declaring several years’ worth of taxes at once, despite people around her (including the author of The Apothecary Diaries) giving her financial advice. As a reminder, Nekokurage is the artist for the manga adaptation and not the original light novel.
The Apothecary Diaries is available in English from J-Novel Club and the anime adaptation is on Crunchyroll.
Published: Sep 9, 2024 09:30 pm