One-Punch Man Creator ONE Slams Shogakukan Over Rehiring Author with Child Prostitution History

ONE, the creator of One-Punch Man, has publicly condemned Shogakukan's Manga ONE app over its handling of a recent sexual assault scandal. He stated on X that he cannot continue working with editors who fail to issue strong condemnations against abuse involving minors.

The controversy ignited after readers discovered that the author of Jojin Kamen, writing under the pen name Ichiro Ichi, was actually Kazuaki Kurita. Kurita was previously known as Shoichi Yamamoto, who faced arrest in 2020 for violating child prostitution laws. This resulted in a fine and the cancellation of his series Daten Sakusen. Despite this history, Manga ONE quietly brought him back onto the platform using a new alias.

Shogakukan finally issued a confirmation on February 28, immediately suspending Jojin Kamen's distribution and initiating an internal investigation. The publisher admitted the situation "should never have been done" and formally apologized to the victim involved in Kurita's civil trial, which concluded on February 20.

ONE's post on X immediately triggered widespread backlash. Tomoka Ise, who serialized Penal Servitude 339 Years on the app, expressed profound shock. Ise noted she debuted around the same time as Kurita and felt deeply betrayed by what she described as a deliberate concealment of minor abuse.

More creators joined the chorus of condemnation. One unnamed artist stopped releasing all new chapters after Manga ONE's official statement, calling the entire affair "unforgivable." Artist Tsuruyoshi Eri, who handled the art for Jojin Kamen, stated she had absolutely no prior knowledge of the author’s past.

Shogakukan is now facing direct ultimatums. ONE is waiting for editors to release full details and is demanding company support if they choose to speak out. Several other series are currently on hold, with creators threatening permanent cancellations if the publisher fails to rebuild trust with its talent.