On September 2, 2026, 72-year-old Japanese manga artist Masami Kurumada held a press conference in Tokyo, announcing that approximately 4.69 billion yen (about 200 million RMB) had been embezzled by a former manager from three companies where he serves as representative director, and that he has filed a lawsuit for damages with the Tokyo District Court.
Masami Kurumada is known worldwide for works such as Saint Seiya, Ring ni Kakero, and Fuuma no Kojirou. Saint Seiya has sold over 50 million copies cumulatively, spawning a vast franchise of anime, films, and merchandise. His copyrights and related businesses are managed by three companies, including "Kurumada Production."
According to the lawsuit, the main defendant served as Masami Kurumada's editor-in-charge since the 2000s, later becoming his manager and a director of three companies, long overseeing company funds, external negotiations, and overall operations. To focus on his creative work, Masami Kurumada fully entrusted the company's administration and finances to him. However, using the excuse that "Mr. Kurumada is an artist who dislikes human contact," the man deliberately blocked direct contact between outsiders and Kurumada himself, monopolizing information and finances for 25 years, and even involving his younger brother and acquaintances.
From 2018 to 2024, the former manager continuously embezzled company funds by unauthorizedly transferring them to other accounts and requesting business partners to deposit licensing fees into accounts of affiliated companies. The embezzled funds were mostly used to purchase crypto assets.
Around February 2024, the Tokyo National Tax Bureau discovered abnormal fund flows during a tax investigation. The man even forged Masami Kurumada's handwriting and seal to submit false responses to the tax authorities in an attempt to cover it up. After the incident came to light, Masami Kurumada dismissed the man. Approximately 1.8 billion yen (about 76 million RMB) has been recovered so far, and the remaining 2.89 billion yen is being pursued through litigation.
At the press conference, Masami Kurumada spoke with a grave expression: "In the early stages of the incident, there was hardly any balance left in the company accounts, making it impossible to pay the huge tax bills. Rather than anger, I felt emptiness. I never imagined that someone would betray those who trusted them so carelessly for their own selfish desires. For a time, I almost lost faith in humanity."
He also stated, "I will continue to create for the readers of Saint Seiya and Kurumada manga around the world."