Shujin Riku (Prisoner Riku) manga creator Shinobu Seguchi divided fans this week after asking someone to remove the color of their fan because it was “annoying.” Fans used a page from Seguchi's manga, using an “inappropriate” color scheme that displeased the author.
User X (formerly Twitter) Atsu posted a coloring picture of Prisoner Riku character Renoma Sasaki, tagging the creator in the post. Seguchi then replied: “This is a drawing made by me so please delete it. Maybe when people see this photo, they will mistakenly think that I colored it. This coloring has no finesse or meaning, and the image is completely different.” . It's completely different from fan art created by someone who saw my picture, drew a new line and colored it.” You can see the post and Seguchi's response below.
Related
My Hero Academia 2024's official popularity ranking results are considered invalid
The 2024 character popularity poll for My Hero Academia was deemed invalid due to reports of voting errors, leading to an official recount.
Professional manga artist stirs up debate about fanart and creator-fan respect
Seguchi's response divided fans, with some agreeing that any fanart should respect the author's wishes — especially if the author is tagged in the post. Supporters also argue that copyright is viewed differently in Japan than in some other parts of the world. Conversely, others argue that once something is in the public domain, creators should have less say in how people are inspired by their art.
That sentiment grew as more people understood that Seguchi did not object to Atsu's use of his line art specifically, but rather what he considered a poor effort. When Atsu said: “Many people have colored your picture so it makes sense for me to color it. I signed because I'm running a coloring page.” [X] account so I tagged you in the post”, Seguchi replied: “Extremely annoying”.
Related
Dragon Ball once released official illustration work for the never-ending story feature
Nostalgia has bitten Dragon Ball fans with a reimagined piece of Akira Toriyama artwork, originally featured in an article about The NeverEnding Story.
The interaction between Seguchi and Atsu (who updated his respecting the author's wishes may vary. Many people have cited Vinland Saga author Makoto Yukimura, who is famous for encouraging works of art at all levels. Manga creator Rei Hiroe regularly shares cosplay and fanart of Black Lagoon, and clearly states that direct copying from his manga is prohibited. While Atsu and Seguchi can’t agree, at least Seguchi’s fans know that he is currently working on a new manga and describes it as “really exciting.”
Source: X (formerly Twitter)
