Chigusa Ichihara, the creator of the manga Shite no Hana: Nōgakushi Higa Kotarō no Sakikata, currently serialized in Shogakukan's *Weekly Shonen Sunday*, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to air grievances about their series' placement in the magazine. Ichihara claims the manga's popularity isn't reflected in its treatment, citing bizarre incidents like unapproved dialogue changes, missed proofing stages, and an editor who simply forgot to submit the manuscript. The posts quickly went viral, drawing widespread attention to ongoing issues within the manga industry.
Shite no Hana is a rare series that centers on the world of Japanese Noh theater, a classical form of masked musical drama that dates back to the Kamakura and Muromachi periods.
Ichihara stated that despite consistently ranking around 7th place in reader surveys—a very respectable result—the series is always placed near the back of *Weekly Shonen Sunday*. The artist speculates this is because a former editor repeatedly submitted manuscripts late, giving the editorial department the false impression that the series "frequently misses deadlines" and making them hesitant to feature it more prominently.
Ichihara acknowledged that a manga's placement and opportunities for color pages or covers aren't determined by reader surveys alone. Publishers also consider sales figures, page count allocation, and the overall balance of genres within the magazine. Even so, Ichihara feels that the gap between their series' survey rankings and its actual placement is far too wide.
Regarding the former editor's late submissions, Ichihara explained:
"During the submission process, there's a stage where the author confirms the lettering and dialogue. But I had to chase them down so many times just to get it done, often pushing the work to 'the day after the deadline.' And that's not even mentioning them secretly changing my dialogue... to a degree where I saw it and thought, 'This can't be right.'"
A new editor later noticed these irregularities and asked for an explanation, only to receive the shocking reply: "Ah, well... I forgot to submit it." Ichihara added, "It wasn't malicious, but 'forgot'... I didn't know how to react other than with anger. That was the final straw, and I couldn't hold back from posting about it."
The artist clarified that there were two former editors involved: the first, who had been with them since their previous work, Shugetsu Jiken, and a second who joined as a sub-editor. The division of labor and responsibilities between them was never made clear. Ichihara also urged followers not to identify or harass the individuals involved, as that would only cause more harm.
Ichihara emphasized that while the decision to post was driven by complex emotions, there were two core reasons:
First, "When readers love a series and see it placed at the back, it makes them anxious. Our survey results are strong, so I knew many fans would be even more concerned. I just wanted to let everyone know: 'The series is genuinely popular.'"
Second, "Many people from the world of Noh theater have collaborated on this series, sharing the hope that 'this work will introduce more people to Noh.' Under these circumstances, I felt I couldn't let the series' reputation be tarnished."
The incident sparked a major discussion online, with many netizens expressing that a dedicated manga artist shouldn't be treated this way. An editor's role is to support the creator, not sabotage their work. The controversy has also turned a critical eye toward Shogakukan, which has a history of disputes with its creators.
In a follow-up post, Chigusa Ichihara stated that before posting, they had confirmed that the editors in question had already been transferred out of the *Sunday* editorial department. However, the artist also admitted that some parts of the post concerning "how the editorial department views my work" included speculation from their current editor.
After a discussion with the editor-in-chief of *Weekly Shonen Sunday*, the issue was clarified as the result of "a former editor's operational errors and poor communication" that had accumulated since Ichihara's previous series. "Honestly, it reached a point where we couldn't have proper meetings, and it was affecting my physical and mental health," Ichihara wrote. "I felt that speaking out publicly might be the only way to resolve it. I was at my breaking point, and I'm truly sorry."
Currently, both Ichihara and the new editor are "moving forward in a positive direction." Despite an incomplete handover from the previous editor, direct communication with the editorial department has helped resolve the misunderstandings. "I'm very grateful for the opportunity to talk things through directly," Ichihara concluded. "The most important job for a manga artist is to create good work. I will continue to do my best, and I ask for your continued support."
This is not the first time Shogakukan has faced public disputes with its talent. Makoto Raiku, creator of *Zatch Bell!*, famously sued the publisher over lost original manuscripts. *Detective Conan* creator Gosho Aoyama has also mentioned wanting to end the series early on due to burnout and interference from higher-ups. Furthermore, Hiromu Arakawa's autobiographical manga, *Noble Farmer*, contains passages that satirize the Shogakukan editorial department.
It seems that at Shogakukan, some creators feel so undermined that going public is the only way for their voices to be heard.