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NEWS: Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga Resumes in June


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HikariGo



Joined: 16 Jan 2014
Posts: 89
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:26 am Reply with quote
Gemnist wrote:


I’d love to, but why does he need to come back? Can’t they hire a new mangaka to finish the story and cut off all of Watsuki’s royalties? At least after he serves a proper sentence, at which point I would accept him back as long as he’s clean?


This is Japan, the mangaka fully own the copyright for their published works, therefore they can't do anything, like produce an anime, continue the story with a different author, cut off his royalties etc. as they are 100% his.
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#881916



Joined: 23 Apr 2018
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:27 am Reply with quote
GhostD wrote:
A lot of people here tend to forget that while Japan is strict with child porn theyre not as strict as the US and theyre also somewhat tolerant with those who toe the gray area (i.e borderline child porn). Trying to compare their laws and yours is the same as comparing 2 different societies. Either accept the fact that Watsuki is back because both he and Shueisha feel its their duty to see this through or boycott him for life. No one is making any of you read it you know considering Viz lets us read it for free


Dude, child porn being wrong or right isn't a matter of being just an opinion. If you still plan on reading RK because you think a fictional thing is significant, then fine, but don't defend him. Just stop at "he sucks but I'll still check it out".
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Escaflowne2001



Joined: 29 Jul 2006
Posts: 468
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:32 am Reply with quote
Fair enough not really a surprise. If people don't want it then it'll die naturally but if there is a demand for it then it'll continue.
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Meongantuk



Joined: 03 Jun 2016
Posts: 353
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:32 am Reply with quote
Gemnist wrote:

I’d love to, but why does he need to come back? Can’t they hire a new mangaka to finish the story and cut off all of Watsuki’s royalties? At least after he serves a proper sentence, at which point I would accept him back as long as he’s clean?


Unlike DC or Marvel comics, the actual owner of the IP is Watsuki himself. Hiring someone else to finish the story is also breaking the law. Just because the author is breaking the law doesn't mean Shueisa has right to break the law.

Putting it on hiatus until he served his sentence is the most reasonable (another is stopping its serialization).
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Cardcaptor Takato



Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 4787
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:40 am Reply with quote
SaiyamanMS wrote:
I’m wondering whether or not Viz will add it back to the line up of their Shonen Jump? I mean, the charges against him were pretty gross and I can perhaps see a US company being more hesitant to start running his work again.

I would like to hope they wouldn't release it but Viz is apparently going to digitally release the English translation of the Toriko author's one shot manga in Shonen Jump in spite of his own horrible history.
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GhostD



Joined: 07 May 2016
Posts: 998
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:41 am Reply with quote
#881916 wrote:
GhostD wrote:
A lot of people here tend to forget that while Japan is strict with child porn theyre not as strict as the US and theyre also somewhat tolerant with those who toe the gray area (i.e borderline child porn). Trying to compare their laws and yours is the same as comparing 2 different societies. Either accept the fact that Watsuki is back because both he and Shueisha feel its their duty to see this through or boycott him for life. No one is making any of you read it you know considering Viz lets us read it for free


Dude, child porn being wrong or right isn't a matter of being just an opinion. If you still plan on reading RK because you think a fictional thing is significant, then fine, but don't defend him. Just stop at "he sucks but I'll still check it out".


Where exactly did I say that Im defending him? What part of what I said was about child porn being wrong or right is an opinion? What I stated were facts. Japan IS more lenient than the US the proof is Watsuki himself. 200K yen is a slap on the wrist. Japan has allowed some authors to get away with showing borderline stuff like with Kentaro Yabuki's To-Love-Ru which shows girls who either look like kids or ARE kids in compromising or suggestive scenarios. I didn't and wont defend Watsuki. All I care about is that I get to see more Kenshin. If you think that me preferring my being a Kenshin fanboy is more important than seeing Watsuki punished until he's completely destroyed is sickening then thats your thing.
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Kokuryu Daimao



Joined: 04 Sep 2017
Posts: 115
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:52 am Reply with quote
Fandoms are a funny thing.

This basically comes down to "can you separate the person from their work?"

For people who make a living off of their actual appearances, like actors or spokespeople, its hard to separate the fiction from reality. So when they behave contrary to the preconceived image they have created, people generally react negatively and drastically. Because they are emotionally connected to the image, they feel a sense of betrayal. So much that is nearly impossible for the actor to continue their previous career paths.

This can also extends into the world of athletes as well, but its easier for people to separate their life from their work. How many times have people heard reports of an athletes behavior off the field, but they continue to play because of their performance on the field. Granted, its not happening as often as it used to, but it happened enough to show that people can separate the person from the work. Sure, he beat his GF up, but did you see him knock out whats-his-name in the 8th round?

Indirect creators, such as artists, mangaka, writers, programmers, etc. fall into a different area where its easier for people to separate the personal lives of the artist from their works because when people hear the name they don't imagine the artist's face, but the works they created. They are not emotionally connected to the creator, but the world that was created.

This happens more often than most realize. How many times has a series been delayed due to a mangaka being sick and instead of feeling concern for the health of the mangaka, peoples' first reaction is anger that there is a delay.

This happens across all mediums as well. Take the series A Song of Ice and Fire as an example. I know more people who are more emotionally connected to the fictional characters than the well-being of the writer. "R.R. Martin should just hurry up and finish writing Game of Thrones before he dies" is something I hear often. Concern over how he lives his life and his general health extends only to the point of him finishing his work.

With all that said, I can see them deciding to resume work on Rurouni Kenshin.

We're talking about a long running series with a sizable fan base.
Fans who are generally more connected to that fictional world than its creator.
Additionally, we're talking about Japan here.

A society that pretty much embody the phrase "Work hard, play hard"

A culture that has a long history of separating work life and home life. So much that I've seen business people who as soon as the work day ends will drink and sing late into the night. But as soon as the next work day begins they are back to the grind. As long as you do your job, and perform as you should, no one cares what you did the night before.

For those who can't separate the two, that's also valid. All it shows is that they are more emotionally attached to the crime than to the person or the work. I can sympathize with that. All I can say is boycott and hope the free market sorts it out.

He was caught. He was punished. He is now resuming work. If he continues to produce at the level he did before this incident, people will move past it. If his production drops, or if sales do not meet expectations, he will be let go.
Its a business. It always was.
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Agent355



Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 5113
Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready...
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:52 am Reply with quote
stannisbaratheon wrote:
"The announcement noted that Watsuki is living a life of reflection and atonement, but that Shueisha and Watsuki decided that continuing the manga to answer the desires of fans was a matter of duty."

Fun Fact: Duty in Japanese means money money money

I would feel better about this if some of his proceeds were donated to organizations that help victims of sex trafficking. I don't know how old the children or teens were in the material the authorities found, but paying a fine to the government hardly does anything for kids forced to pose for porn. Make him donate to actually help kids like the ones he helped hurt.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organizations_that_combat_human_trafficking
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residentgrigo



Joined: 23 Dec 2007
Posts: 2404
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 4:03 am Reply with quote
Not surprising that he got a second chance (he is hardly the first legit pedophile to get one) but to not even slap such an enabler on the hand just shows that Japan still can´t get behind taking child phonography laws seriously. Watsuki seems to be a footnote in a larger problem here.
I wonder if the manga could have gone on as is in Jump proper. SQ is a partial porn-mag at this point, so who even cares about a reputation there.

Still, i found my answer if i want to go on as it too just now. I may have felt the... matter of duty... if it approached a climax but they got just 3 chapters out of the door. A hard no from me.
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DmonHiro





PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 4:19 am Reply with quote
Cardcaptor Takato wrote:
I only hope fans will continue to boycott this scumbag and maybe this magazine's sales numbers will be hurt that they will reconsider.

You realize that if they thought people would actually do that they would not go thought with this, right? Truth is, most people don't know or care about what he did. All I want is more Kenshin.
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Wyvern



Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Posts: 1545
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 4:23 am Reply with quote
trunkschan90 wrote:
There's more zero tolerance to drug use in Japan than pedophilia it seems. I mean Paris Hilton and the Rolling Stones are banned from entering Japan because of their drug convictions.


You're right, and now that you mention it, one of the ending songs to Rurouni Kenshin (The 4th Avenue Cafe by L'Arc En Ciel) was abruptly removed from the show after only airing four times, because the band's drummer, Sakura, was arrested for drug possession. Sakura was permanently kicked off of the band, served two years in prison, and the single for that song was banned from sale for eight years.

A MUCH harsher penalty than Watsuki got.
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Thorfinn





PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 4:46 am Reply with quote
Haha, I'm glad that he's back. This is a good reminder to Westerners and their pitchforks, a reminder that their opinions don't really matter in Japan.

I love the Kenshin manga, hopefully we still get that anime remake.
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SHD



Joined: 05 Apr 2015
Posts: 1752
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:24 am Reply with quote
Thorfinn wrote:
Haha, I'm glad that he's back. This is a good reminder to Westerners and their pitchforks, a reminder that their opinions don't really matter in Japan.

I love the Kenshin manga, hopefully we still get that anime remake.

"Eff yeah! A self-admitted pedophile got away more or less scot-free because his manga makes a lot of money! Take that, pearl-clutching Westerners with their pitchforks! Yay Japan!"

Just fyi, it's not like Japan is unanimously "YAY" about this. A lot of people are rolling their eyes over there, too. Yes, even among otaku.
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MarshalBanana



Joined: 31 Aug 2014
Posts: 5296
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:32 am Reply with quote
Wow compare this to say Kevin Spacey, who has been removed from the next season of House of Cards, both his next 2 Movies have been cancelled, and even replaced in post production in All the Money in the World. And that is a case where it is still under investigation. This guy was actually convicted yet still gets to work.
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Saku-dono



Joined: 14 Feb 2014
Posts: 801
PostPosted: Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:32 am Reply with quote
Well, as long as he can provide good Rurouni content, I doubt the whining minority who screams names to Watsuki-sensei will stay relevant. I sure hope he can now change for the better and be regretful. It's seriously amazing his wife never left him, goodness, he should never take her for granted as long as he lives.
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