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Please Tell Me! Galko-chan Manga Resumes After Creator's Arrest (Updated)
posted on by Alex Mateo
ComicWalker suspended the serialization of the manga and its associated pages in December 2021 following "multiple news reports about creator Kenya Suzuki."
The Aichi Prefectural Police arrested the then-40-year-old manga creator on the same day on suspicion of possessing child sexual abuse material imported from Germany in violation of Japan's Customs Act. Kyodo reported that the resident of Funabashi City, Chiba allegedly had six photo collections that he received by international mail on two separate occasions in September and October 2020.
According to the authorities, Suzuki stated upon his arrest that he "desperately wanted to acquire nude photos of foreign children that cannot be acquired in Japan." The report added that police have confiscated 46 books and publications allegedly containing child sexual abuse material from Suzuki's residence.
Manga creator Battan reported on Twitter that month that Suzuki was reported missing for a week to police, but Battan later posted an update where they revealed that Suzuki had been located.
In March 2022, the Okazaki branch of the Nagoya District Court sentenced Suzuki to one year and two months in prison, but the sentence was suspended for three years, taking into account social sanctions. (If Suzuki remained in good behavior for three years, he would not serve time in prison.) Police had charged Suzuki with violation of Japan's Customs Act and possession of child sexual abuse material. The judge stated that Suzuki's crime exploits children and impairs the soundess of society.
Suzuki admitted that he had purchased child sexual abuse materials for his own personal interest, and he apologized for his actions. He also expressed that he was ashamed and knew that he had to rehabilitate himself within society during the suspended sentence period.
Suzuki launched the Please Tell Me! Galko-chan manga on Kadokawa's ComicWalker digital manga service in June 2014, but published it on Twitter before that. The manga's fifth compiled book volume shipped in Japan in July 2018. Seven Seas Entertainment is releasing the manga in North America. ANN had previously contacted Seven Seas regarding Suzuki's arrest in 2021.
The manga inspired a television anime that premiered in January 2015. Crunchyroll streamed the anime.
Update: Added more background and revised terms.
Source: ComicWalker via Yaraon!
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.
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