Rurouni Kenshin Controversy Explained

Rurouni Kenshin was one of the leading and most influential shonen manga and anime of the 1990s. However, that legacy has crumbled due to the mangaka’s disturbing actions. Here’s a full explanation of the the Rurouni Kenshin controversy.

Warning: The following content contains mentions of explicit acts involving minors.

What Did Nobuhiro Watsuki Do?

In 2017, just as Nobuhiro Watsuki was starting the next serialization for the Rurouni Kenshin franchise, he was discovered with child pornography in his possession. Investigators found several DVDs at Watskuki’s office in Tokyo and in his home. He was quickly arrested in November 2017 and later pleaded guilty to the charges. However, he did not serve any jail time but instead paid a ¥200,000 fine, which comes out to about US $1,300. Afterward, Watsuki spent six months in suspension before continuing with his work on Rurouni Kenshi: The Hokkaido Arc.

Naturally, the entire situation had received a lot of attention, especially from the other mangaka in the industry. Many had viewed Nobuhiro Watsuki as a mentor and have shown their support for the writer even after the charges were made. These supporters include Kishimoto (Naruto), Sorachi (Gintama), Takeshi Obata (Death Note), and even Eiichiro Oda (One Piece).

In 2021, the manga industry continued to support Nobuhiro Watsuki by holding a Rurouni Kenshin Exhibition and continuing to promote his work. After the incident, the editorial department of Shonen Jump offered an apology stating, “The author is still spending his days reflecting on his past and regretting his actions, but we believe that it is also the responsibility of the author and the publisher to respond to the various comments we have received through our work.”

Rurouni Kenshin continued to get the green light for more projects to add to the ever-growing franchise as Watsuki continued to evade severe consequences for his actions. The manga received a musical adaptation, two live-action movies, and a complete anime remake which started airing in 2023. All projects claimed high reviews among fans and great success in Japan, showing that the demand for the franchise is still ever-present and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

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The Rurouni Kenshin and Nobuhiro Watsuki Backlash

While the series and Watsuki continued to see success in Japan, there was a very different reaction everywhere else. Viz Media, the American publisher of Shonen Jump, took a neutral stance on the matter. The company continued to sell the original manga that had been in print but decided to cancel the translation of any new work related to the series.

The fans took a stronger and more divided stance on the matter. Some fans have decided to apply the “death of the author” mentality, separating the work from the creator. They have come to love the Rurouni Kenshin series and find it very difficult to say goodbye to something that means a lot to them.

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However, many fans have decided that they will no longer be supporting the series in any way, claiming that they do not want any money going to support a pedophile. They demand that Watsuki receive higher repercussions for his crimes and that his works no longer be bolstered by the manga industry.

Both sides have continued to debate the proper the Rurouni Kenshin controversy and the way to handle the situation. Unfortunately, this debate is not a new one nor is it unique to this franchise. Fans of different franchises are facing this moral dilemma as more creators are revealed to be problematic.

For those who still wish to watch Rurouni Kenshin, there series can be found on Crunchyroll.