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NHK: act-age Story Writer Tatsuya Matsuki Arrested on Suspicion of Committing Indecent Act with Minor (Update 2)
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
NHK reported on Saturday that act-age story creator Tatsuya Matsuki (29) was arrested on suspicion of committing an indecent act with a female middle school student.
NHK reported that according to police, the girl was walking in the Nakano ward of Tokyo on June 18 at 8:00 p.m. when the suspect approached the girl from behind while on a bicycle and touched her inappropriately. Afterward, the suspect fled the scene on the bicycle. The girl went to police, who analyzed security camera footage to investigate. Police discovered through security footage that about an hour later, a similar incident on a nearby road with a different female middle school student occurred, involving a suspect who resembled Matsuki.
According to police, Matsuki told police "there's generally nothing incorrect" with their accusations.
Matsuki and artist Shiro Usazaki launched the act-age manga in Weekly Shonen Jump in January 2018, and the manga is ongoing.
Viz Media published the first three chapters in English simultaneously with the Japanese release, and then began regularly publishing the manga digitally in December 2018. Shueisha's MANGA Plus website also publishes the manga in English digitally.
The manga was nominated for Kodansha's 43rd annual Manga Awards last year, and is inspiring a stage play that will premiere in 2022.
Update: Updated article with more details of incident, as reported by NHK. Source: NHK
Update 2: The editors of Weekly Shonen Jump stated in an online message on Saturday that they take the news reports about Matsuki seriously. The editors added that once they have confirmed the facts about the allegations, they will deal with the matter appropriately.
Update 3: Clarified that according to police reports, the suspect approached the victim on a bicycle.
Source: NHK via Hachima Kikō
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