The Apothecary Diaries manga artist sentenced to prison for “malicious” tax evasion

Erika Ikeda, an artist on The Apothecary Diaries manga, has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for massive tax evasion.

The Apothecary Diaries is a historical drama manga written by Natsu Hyuuga and illustrated by Neko Kurage. Debuting in 2017, it got a massive boost in popularity when it got an anime series in 2023. 

The anime show also contributed to the rising sales of the manga. However, the series is currently facing some controversy due to legal issues.

On July 24, the Fukuoka District Court found Erika Ikeda, who goes by the pen name Neko Kurage, guilty of evading around 47 million yen in taxes. The court sentenced the illustrator to 10 months in prison, with a three-year suspension and 11 million yen fine for violating the Income Tax Act.

The ruling, as reported by Livedoor, states Ikeda earned approximately 260 million yen in three years, from 2019 to 2021, from her job as The Apothecary Diaries’ illustrator as well as royalties from other publishers. However, they omitted their true income and didn’t file tax returns in time.

According to Judge Yuko Takeda, Ikeda had “committed large amounts of tax evasion over several years, which is extremely malicious.” The judge further stated that while The Apothecary Diaries became more popular and started earning more money, “[they] prioritized [their] work and personal life and committed tax evasion.”

Until now, Ikeda has been an active manga artist for years now. Before The Apothecary Diaries, they’d published another historical comedy manga Soushoku-kei Danshi, for which they acted as both the author and the illustrator.

With a three-year suspension, not to mention the jail time, The Apothecary Diaries will possibly get another artist for the manga, especially since it’s having such a good time overall. After the successful first season, a second season has been confirmed for 2025.

For more on anime and manga, find out the best upcoming anime sequels and upcoming anime movies. You can also read about My Hero Academia manga ending and Jujutsu Kaisen manga ending.