Nekokurage, the artist behind the popular manga adaptation “The Apothecary Diaries” (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto), broke her silence after being charged and convicted of tax evasion in April this year. In a recent update on her personal Twitter account, the author expressed her regret and assured fans that she will resume her work on the manga, thanking the support she has received from both her readers and publisher Square Enix.

The Nekokurage tax evasion incident came to light when It was discovered that he avoided paying about 47 million yen (over US$ 300,000) in taxesfailing to report the income of approximately 260 million yen earned through his work on the manga. The artist admitted the charges and showed remorse, resulting in a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 3 years, as well as a fine of 11 million yen.

In her statement, the author apologized to her followers and reiterated her commitment not to repeat this mistake in the future. In her post, she mentioned:

• «I am deeply sorry for causing so much trouble regarding my tax obligations. After the recent ruling, I have given the incident serious thought. I am currently receiving support from a trusted tax accountant and I promise that something like this will not happen again.».

Additionally, Nekokurage thanked the fans and collaborators who continued to support her despite the circumstances, and assured that she will continue working on the manga with greater dedication:

• «To those who still wish to read my work and to the people who have decided to allow me to continue drawing, I am deeply grateful. I hope I can make it up to you by continuing with The Apothecary's Diaries and dedicating myself to creating the best work possible».

It is important to remember that Nekokurage is responsible for the adaptation of the manga, since the original franchise is based on a series of light novels written by Natsu Hyuugawhich gained great popularity in Japan and internationally. The work follows the story of Maomao, a young pharmacist who, by chance, becomes a servant of the imperial palace and begins to solve mysteries related to the court.

Following the indictment, Square Enix assured fans that they had no plans to cancel the manga despite the guilty verdict. This allowed the author to focus on solving her legal problems and subsequently continue with her work. Nekokurage, now with a trustworthy tax team, promised to focus fully on his work and do everything possible to regain the trust of his followers.

The author concluded her statement by reaffirming that she hopes readers will continue to follow her in this new stage:

• «I will draw this piece with even more care and I hope that the people who have followed me so far will continue to like it.».

With this renewed commitment, The Apothecary Diaries looks set to continue its success.while Nekokurage works to overcome the difficulties of the past and offer quality work to its readers.

Source: Official Twitter Account