Act-Age Artist Speaks Up: “What Has Happened Fills Me with Sadness”

Danica Davidson August 24, 2020

act-age manga After Act-Age writer Tatsuya Matsuki was arrested over accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault toward junior high school girls, Shonen Jump put out an official statement that they were canceling the series. We also got a statement from fellow shonen mangaka Taishi Tsutsui of We Never Learn, sharing this sympathy with the victims and the artist of the series. Now the artist herself, Shiro Usazaki, has released a lengthy statement.

SoraNews24 gave this translation of what she posted on Twitter:

アクタージュ読者の皆様へ pic.twitter.com/ewuOZR2ALB

— 宇佐崎しろ (@uszksr) August 24, 2020

“On August 8, Tatsuya Matsuki, the original creator of the manga series Act-Age . . . that I, Shiro Uzaki, am the artist for, was arrested and detained on charges of indecent behavior and sex crimes against a junior high school girl.

First, I would like to express my sincere sympathies to the victim and her family. I think it took great courage to overcome the shock and fear she was feeling, and to raise her voice in anger at the affront to her dignity.

No judicial ruling has been handed down yet, but as a result of the victim notifying the police, this has become a criminal matter requiring arrest and detainment, so I am taking the situation very seriously. I comprehensively accept the decision of the Jump editorial division to cancel the serialization of Act-Age, and to take [similar] actions regarding the sale of collected tankobon volumes, merchandising, and other promotional/collaborative planning for the series.

The damage from sexual offense does not heal on its own with the passage of time. From now on, the victim will have a sense of fear that should not be necessary, tensing up when she passes by a person of similar appearance [to Matsuki], increasing the speed she walks at, and feeling frightened walking on the street at night. It is possible that even seeing Act-Age itself could result in her feeling frightened, and considering this, I have decided that the decision to cancel the series is appropriate.

In addition, I have a request for all fans who have enjoyed Act-Age. Thank you for supporting the series. Act-Age ending only part-way through its story, under these circumstances, is something I find as regrettable as all of you do. However, expressing lament about the end of the series will make the victim feel pressured, and so it absolutely is something that should be avoided.

This is obvious, but the series ending is not the victim’s fault. Making her voice heard after the incident, instead of silently bearing the pain of a chikan [a Japanese term for sexual harassment or molestation] sexual offense, is definitely not a mistake. What has transpired since then is a result of her doing the right thing. I believe that statements that make light of her courage and actions, or look down on or shame her for them, should not be made.

I do understand the feelings of those for whom manga is a life-saving source of emotional support, and fans for whom Act-Age gave them something they could feel passionate about in this life. I too draw life-saving emotional support from manga, and what has happened fills me with sadness. But please do not turn that love in ill-advised directions of violence. Please think clearly, consider various perspectives, don’t let yourself get wound up over baseless rumors, and consider what should and shouldn’t be said.

In closing, I solemnly hope that the victim will receive the necessary psychological care and can live a peaceful life in which nothing like this will ever happen to her again.”

Usazaki’s tweet has since garnered more than 375k likes and almost 165k retweets.

Source: SoraNews24

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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.