The mangaka for Apothecary Diaries pleaded guilty to tax evasion early this year, and it also seems he’s managed to evade jail time as well.
Erika “Nekurokage” Ikeda, the artist for the popular historical manga pleaded guilty and has recently been sentenced. She was ordered to pay a fine of 11 million yen ($70,600 USD) and was given a 10 month prison sentence, suspended for three years. Meaning that as long as she behaves herself, she won’t have to go to jail at all.
Ikeda plead guilty to tax evasion of approximately $300,000 USD. While not exactly the same, it’s not nearly as bad as Sonic creator Yuji Naka’s charges of insider trading for around $1.1 million.
Despite the criminal charges, according to Gamesradar, Square Enix has no plans to end or even suspend the series more than it has to. Apothecary Diaries is set to continue.
The first season of the anime is already out and available to watch on Crunchyroll.