Hinako Ashihara

Hinako Ashihara
芦原妃名子
BornRitsuko Matsumoto (松本律子)
(1974-01-25)January 25, 1974[1]
Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
DiedJanuary 29, 2024(2024-01-29) (aged 50)
Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Area(s)Manga artist
Notable works
Awards

Ritsuko Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本 律子, Hepburn: Matsumoto Ritsuko, January 25, 1974 – January 29, 2024),[2] known by the pseudonym Hinako Ashihara (芦原 妃名子, Ashihara Hinako),[3] was a Japanese manga artist.

Career

She wrote and illustrated various manga series, including, Homemade Home, Forbidden Dance, Sand Chronicles, Piece: Kanojo no Kioku, Tennen Bitter Chocolate, SOS, and Chouchou Kumo. Ashihara won the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award for her manga series Sand Chronicles, as well as the 58th Shogakukan Manga Award for Piece: Kanojo no Kioku.

Her first published work, "Sono hanashi okotowari shimasu", premiered in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic in 1994.[4]

Death

Ashihara was found dead in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture[5] on January 29, 2024, in a suspected suicide.[2] A missing persons report was filed the day before at 4 PM when police received a call that Ashihara was missing.[6]

Three days before the discovery of her body, Ashihara posted on her blog, criticizing Nippon TV for their television drama adaptation of her manga Sexy Tanaka-san for being unfaithful to the original.[7] She later deleted the blog post and apologized.[8][9]

On February 15, 2024, NTV issued a press statement where they apologized to Ashihara's family and the TV drama's cast and crew, additionally stating that they have launched an inquiry with Shogakukan's representatives.[10][11] The results of that investigation were released in June, concluding that due to miscommunication between Shogakukan and NTV, none of Ashihara's conditions for adaptation faithfulness and script rewrites were conveyed to the production staff at NTV.[12] In July, NTV issued new guidelines for live-action productions, internal communications, and human resources to address the issues found during the investigation.[13]

Works

  • Girls Lesson (1995–1996)
  • Homemade Home (1996)
  • Room Full of Falling Stars (Hoshifuru Heya de) (1997)
  • Forbidden Dance (Tenshi no Kiss) (1997–1998)
  • Derby Queen (1999–2000)
  • MiSS (2000–2001)
  • Tennen Bitter Chocolate (2001–2002)
  • Pinky Promise (Yubikiri) (2002)
  • Bitter: Nakechau Koi Monogatari (2003) (contributor)
  • SOS (2003)
  • Sand Chronicles (Sunadokei) (2003–2006)
  • Bitter II (2004) (contributor)
  • Butterfly Cloud (Chouchou Kumo) (2006)
  • The Moon and the Lake (Tsuki to Mizuumi) (2007)
  • Konbini S (2008)
  • Piece: Kanojo no Kioku (2008–2013)
  • Bread & Butter (2013–2020)[14][15]
  • Sexy Tanaka-san (2017–2024)[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ 芦原妃名子 先生. Betsucomi (in Japanese). June 12, 2009. Archived from the original on August 26, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "漫画家の芦原妃名子さん、栃木県内で死去、自殺か 「セクシー田中さん」原作者". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). January 29, 2024. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  3. ^ "RIP Hinako Ashihara, author of SAND CHRONICLES". January 30, 2024. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  4. ^ "Hinako Ashihara". Shojo Beat. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  5. ^ "「セクシー田中さん」「砂時計」で知られる漫画家の芦原妃名子さん死去、50歳". Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). January 29, 2024. Archived from the original on February 2, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  6. ^ "Manga artist found dead from apparent suicide after vanishing". Archived from the original on February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  7. ^ "Japanese Manga Artist Ashihara Hinako Found Dead Days After Protesting 'Sexy Tanaka-san' TV Adaptation". Variety. January 31, 2024. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  8. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 29, 2024). "Sexy Tanaka-san, Sand Chronicles Manga Creator Hinako Ashihara Dies in Apparent Suicide". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  9. ^ 漫画家・芦原妃名子さんが死亡 「セクシー田中さん」など連載 (in Japanese)
  10. ^ "ドラマ「セクシー田中さん」について" (PDF) (in Japanese). NTV. February 15, 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  11. ^ "The Ashihara Hinako Tragedy: "Sexy Tanaka-san" and the Moral Rights of Authors". Nippon. April 12, 2024. Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  12. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 2, 2024). "NTV Reveals Results of Investigation Into Sexy Tanaka-san Live-Action Series After Hinako Ashihara's Death". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  13. ^ Tai, Anita (July 23, 2024). "NTV Reveals New Guidelines for Live-Action Productions After Death of Manga Creator Hinako Ashihara". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  14. ^ 芦原妃名子、集英社初登場！アラサー女がパン屋に出会う. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). September 28, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  15. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (March 28, 2020). "Sand Chronicles' Hinako Ashihara Ends Bread & Butter Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  16. ^ 地味な40歳OLの秘密とは？芦原妃名子が女性の夢と恋描く「セクシー田中さん」. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). April 10, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2019.