Kadokawa announced that the manga Oshiete! Galko-chan (Please Tell Me! Galko-chan), created by Kenya Suzukiwill resume publication through the platform Web Comic Apanda. The series had been suspended in December 2021, after Suzuki's arrest for possession of child sexual abuse material.
At the time, Aichi Prefectural police arrested the author, then 40 years old, on suspicion of importing illegal materials from Germany in violation of Japanese Customs Law. According to reports from Kyodo NewsSuzuki received six photographic collections by international mail between September and October 2020. During the search, the authorities confiscated 46 publications that allegedly contained said material.
During his statement, Suzuki acknowledged that he had acquired the images “out of personal interest” and admitted his guilt, expressing shame and remorse. In March 2022, the Nagoya District Court (Okazaki Branch) sentenced him to one year and two months in prison, with the sentence suspended for three years, considering the social sanctions derived from the case. The sentence implied that, if he maintained good behavior, he would not serve actual prison.
After her arrest, the mangaka Battan reported on social media that Suzuki had been reported missing for a week, although he was later located. Since then, Kadokawa paused serialization and temporarily removed pages related to the work in ComicWalker.
The resumption of the manga marks the return of Oshiete! Galko-chan after almost three years of editorial inactivity. However, Kadokawa has not issued additional comments on its creator's current situation or future oversight measures at the publication.
How will the Japanese public receive the return of a work associated with such a controversial case?
