The Apothecary Diaries artist posts first update after tax evasion conviction 

Nekokurage, the artist behind the popular manga series The Apothecary Diaries, recently updated her personal X account for the first time since being indicted for tax evasion in April this year. The artist apologized for the incident and assured fans that she would resume her work on the manga. 

The Apothecary Diaries creator was found guilty of evading about 47 million yen (over $300k) in taxes by failing to report approximately 260 million yen in income earned through her work on the manga. Nekokurage admitted to the charges and showed remorse, resulting in a sentence of 10 months in prison (3 years suspended) and a fine of 11 million yen. 

Shortly after the incident, The Apothecary Diaries’ publisher Square Enix assured readers that they had no plans to cancel Nekokurage’s manga despite the guilty verdict. The author herself followed up by saying that she hopes “to make amends by working on the manga with even greater care.” She commented that she “deeply regrets what happened and is currently receiving support from a tax accountant” and expressed gratitude to her readers and publisher.