The Apothecary Diaries has been a cult favorite series among anime fans in the 2024 winter anime lineup. But now that the manga artist of the series has been sentenced to prison, will there be hope for a second season?
It’s news that nobody expected. According to a report from Livedoor News Japan, the Fukuoka District Court has charged artist Nekokurage with violating Japan’s Income Tax Act. Nekokurage failed to submit their income tax returns by the appropriate deadline and has committed tax evasion as a result. The ruling sentenced the artist to ten months in prison. Additionally, the artist was also slapped with a three-year suspension and an eleven million yen fine (approximately $71,500 USD).
Fans of the manga series are now concerned about the possibility of the second season’s postponement. Square Enix denies the cancellation of the second season in light of recent events. This means we’ll still be seeing more of Jinshi and Maomao by 2025, despite the manga artist’s legal debacle.
What will happen to The Apothecary Diaries manga?
By September 3, 2024, The Apothecary Diaries adaptation by Nekokurage will have a total of 12 volumes available. The anime’s first season finished halfway through the second volume. Even without Nekukurage, we’ll still have tons of content to parse through.
Although the Square Enix manga adaptation will be affected, this doesn’t mean goodbye to the manga adaptation. Artist Kurata Minoji also has her own separate manga adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries. Minoji’s version already has eighteen volumes in total as of March 19, 2024.
Published: Jul 25, 2024 04:49 pm