The following contains sensitive content, including the discussion of pedophilia.

Summary

• In December 2017, Mangaka Nobuhiro Watsuki was arrested for possession of child pornography. However, he faced minimal consequences and continued to work on Rurouni Kenshin despite public outcry.
• The manga industry's continued support and adoration of Nobuhiro Watsuki, including involvement of well-known mangakas like Eiichiro Oda, highlights a lack of accountability in the industry.
• Rurouni Kenshin fans are divided on whether to continue reading the manga by separating the art from the artist, or whether they should drop it due to Nobuhiro Watsuki's heinous actions.

In September 2017, fans of the samurai manga Rurouni Kenshin were excited to see mangaka Nobuhiro Watsuki return to writing with Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc. However, publication was suspended just three months later, when Watsuki was arrested on charges of possession of child pornography in November of that year. The Rurouni Kenshin creator pleaded guilty, and was fined ¥200,000 (approximately US$1,500).

When The Hokaido Arc resumed publication in June 2018, many of the same fans who were previously excited about it were understandably disgusted that the series was continuing. This sentiment was exacerbated by the fact that Nobuhiro Watsuki himself hardly faced any consequences. These controversies resurfaced following the announcement of Rurouni Kenshin's 2023 remake, and in light of the manga industry's continued support and adoration of Nobuhiro Watsuki. This has turned the Rurouni Kenshin author into a linchpin for one of the industry's biggest problems.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on January 15, 2024: Rurouni Kenshin continues to be a classic manga series, but it's now shrouded in a veil of controversy. Series creator Nobuhiro Watsuki brought this contention when he was arrested for possession of child pornography. Watsuki resumed production of the series a year after his arrested, and many see this as an example of how the industry didn't take such situations seriously. Sadly, when it comes to what got the Rurouni Kenshin author arrested, he's not the mangaka involved with such things.

Did Rurouni Kenshin Author Nobuhiro Watsuki Go to Jail?

Nobuhiro Watsuki never went to jail despite being caught in possession of child pornography and confessing to the crime when questioned by police. After paying a negligible fine, Watsuki was suspended for only half a year before he was back at work in Shueisha (the publisher of the Shonen Jump line of magazines). Publishing and promotion of Rurouni Kenshin continued as though nothing had happened. As Jump Square's editorial department claimed, "The author spends his days reflecting and with remorse, and think as though it’s our obligation as a publisher as well as his as an author make a way for us to reply through the work to the various opinions we’ve been getting."

Viz Media, the American publisher of Shonen Jump, split the difference between keeping Rurouni Kenshin around and canceling it entirely. The original manga is still in print and available through the website and app for the Shonen Jump magazine. However, Viz ceased translating the new Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc following Nobuhiro Watsuki's arrest, and decided not to continue translation when the series resumed in Japan. It's worth noting that at the time, Kenshin and Shishio were playable fighters in the Jump Force video game, and two more live-action Rurouni Kenshin films were announced. The franchise continues to be heavily merchandised and promoted throughout Japan.

Demand for Rurouni Kenshin Outweighed Shueisha's Moral Apprehension

The situation became even more uncomfortable given that Nobuhiro Watsuki was a mentor at Shonen Jump due to Rurouni Kenshin's success and enduring impact. He, unfortunately, maintained this high standing even in light of his crimes. One Piece's Eiichiro Oda was just one of the many prominent mangaka to come out in support of Rurouni Kenshin creator, which speaks volumes to the level of retribution against the author. After all, One Piece is easily one of if not the biggest manga/anime franchise currently running, making Oda's support potentially dangerous in the eyes of some. Likewise, Shaman King's Hiroyuki Takei was another famous artist who was trained by Watsuki, and like Oda, he still seems to consider him a friend.

Oda even interviewed Watsuki for a Rurouni Kenshin exhibition in Japan. On a purely cynical and transactional level, Shueisha's desire to keep Rurouni Kenshin in the public eye is somewhat understandable. Rurouni Kenshin means a lot to people around the world even today, and it is one of the publisher's best-selling franchises. This positive and lucrative legacy, however, has been permanently poisoned by the actions of Nobuhiro Watsuki. For many fans, separating the art from the artist is the way in which they continue to enjoy the manga and anime. That said, others no longer wish to continue spending money on the series, given that the Rurouni Kenshi author will continue to financially benefit from the profits and royalties.

Nobuhiro Watsuki Continues To Evade Accountability in 2023

In the years since he was found guilty of violating Japan's Anti-Child Prostitution and Pornography Ordinance, Nobuhiro Watsuki's life inexplicably got better. Besides continuing to work on The Hokaido Arc and other projects, Watsuki was honored by an exhibit that celebrated his life's works in 2021. Many well-known mangaka like Death Note's Takeshi Obata, Dr. Stone's Riichiro Inagaki, Naruto's Masashi Kishimoto, and more contributed to the celebration or congratulated Watsuki on the exhibit's launch.

Meanwhile, Ruroni Kenshin's resurgence continued unabated. The manga was adapted into a stage musical that was only canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, its multiple live-action adaptations concluded with the grand finale, Ruroni Kenshin: The Final, and the prequel Ruroni Kenshin: The Beginning. Both were acclaimed blockbusters in Japan, and in 2023, Ruroni Kenshin's anime remake began airing. The ongoing series scored high reviews among fans and critics, all but guaranteeing it a healthy lifespan and more seasons. The franchise's consistent financial success and cultural relevance were unaffected by Nobuhiro Watsuki's controversies.

Despite being caught with hundreds of CDs and DVDs filled with explicit material that exploited minors, Nobuhiro Watsuki polarized fans instead of being rejected by them. Watsuki's most vocal defenders deferred to the old adage of separating the art from the artist. They reasoned that Watsuki's actions had little to no bearing on Kenshin Himura's story. Conversely, there were those who took a stance of dropping Rurouni Kenshin and Watsuki's other creations. Nobuhiro Watsuki is, unfortunately, just the latest manga artist who's been convicted of this sort of crime.

Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, the future author of the shonen series Toriko, was arrested and convicted of violating child prostitution laws in 2002. His then current manga Seikimatsu Leader den Takeshi! was canceled, but he was only sentenced to two years - which were later suspended for four. This sadly shows what can be argued as a lack of accountability in the manga industry, with individuals such as the Rurouni Kenshin author being given veritable slaps on the wrist for what are seen as serious crimes in the eyes of many. Regardless of how fans feel about the Rurouni Kenshin mangaka, it's clear that his actions have soured the legacy of his acclaimed series.