Summary
The Apothecary Diariesis a popularhistorical animestreaming onCrunchyrollandNetflix. The story is originally based on a light novel, which has been adapted into a manga in addition to the anime. The artist Erika Ikeda, better known as Nekokurage, has made quite a name for herself as the franchise has become more and more popular over the last year.
However, she has now become famous for anall-new reason - crime. Nekokurage was recently charged with committing tax evasion, and the court case has come to a conclusion on July 24th. The artist is guilty, and has been given a heavy sentence by the courts. Luckily for fans ofThe Apothecary Diaries, though, both the manga and anime will continue despite this sentence.
What is The Apothecary Diaries?
A Multi-Format Franchise
The Apothecary Diariesbegan as a light novel written by Natsu Hyūga and illustrated by Touko Shino in October 2011. Due to its popularity, the light novel was adapted into another novel, two manga series, and an anime series. The two manga series have been published bySquare Enixand Shogakukan, respectively, both since 2017. Nekokurage’s version of the manga, as well as the original light novel series, are both licensed and available in North America. The anime was produced by Toho Animation Studios and OLM, airing from October 2023 to March 2024.
Crunchyroll describesThe Apothecary Diariesanime as,
“Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace. But she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!”
The manga by Nekokurage is still ongoingand has been published in Square Enix’smonthly seinen magazine,Monthly Big Gangan. The anime is also set to have a second season streaming sometime in 2025.
Crime Doesn’t Pay
But There is Good News for Fans
On July 24th, the court in Fukuoka, Japan, declared that manga artist Nekokurage was guilty of tax evasion by failing to pay over 47 million yen (over 300,000 USD) in taxes. The fees should have been paid for the money sheearned through her workonThe Apothecary Diaries. She had made around 260 million yen (1,695,000 USD) between 2019 and 2021 through royalties and manuscript fees but had not properly declared it to the authorities as income earned and thus paid no tax on it. According to the judge, Nekokurage’s work became popular over a short period of time, during which the artist prioritized continuing to work and enjoying her private life without taking the proper steps to pay her taxes.
The judge sentenced Nekokurage to 10 months in prison (3 years were suspended because she pleaded guilty with remorse) and an 11 million yen (around 70,000 USD) fine. Nekokurage has also since paid the taxes that she originally owed. Despite all the drama, Square Enix has stated that they have no plans to stop the publication ofThe Apothecary Diariesmanga, and Nekokurage will be able to continue to work on it. This is very good news for fans, considering the manga is still ongoing, and a second season of the anime is set to air in 2025.
As stated above, Nekokurage’s manga adaptation ofThe Apothecary Diariesis not the only one. While hers began publishing in May 2017, another version illustrated by Minoji Kurata has also been published since August 2017. Interestingly, after Nekokurage’s criminal conviction came to light, the Japanese internet community started to call her version of the manga “TheTax Evasion Version” while referring to Kurata’s as “The Tax Compliant Version.” Both will continue to publish as normal, and season two ofThe Apothecary Diarieswill not be affected.
