NTV apologizes after Sexy Tanaka-san creator dies

At the end of January manga fans were faced with the tragic news that the mangaka Hinako Ashihara was found dead and that the police suspected an apparent suicide. The mangaka, before her death, made a post on her blog criticizing the live-action adaptation of her manga Sexy Tanaka-san and later deleted what he wrote and apologized. Shortly afterwards she disappeared.

Today the NTVresponsible for the adaptation into a live-action series of Sexy Tanaka-sanapologized to everyone involved and expressed condolences to the family of Ashihara. The channel said it is taking the situation seriously and conducting its own investigation with an internal team. A NTV is cooperating with the publisher Shogakukan and an external research team.

A NTV News revealed on January 29th that the mangaka Hinako Ashihara was found dead on Monday in an apparent suicide. She was 50 years old. Ashihara She was reported missing on January 28th and was found in Tochigi Prefecture on January 29th.

On January 26th, Ashihara made a post on your blog about the live-action adaptation of your manga Sexy Tanaka-san where he stated that he imposed as a condition that the live-action adaptation be faithful to the manga, and said that the NTV did not maintain this condition. She said that many scenes that she considered to be the “core” of the manga were cut or not portrayed properly, and characterizations were changed, and she was not given a satisfactory reason for this. She said she voiced her complaints, and the first seven episodes remained largely faithful to the manga. Ashihara said that throughout production she never met with the show’s writer and did not speak directly with the director.

She added that she ended up writing the scripts for the series’ final two episodes after the original scenario she described for the ending was “significantly” changed, but apologized for having to rush the script as an amateur screenwriter and not being able to refine it. Furthermore, since she was also working under tight deadlines for the manga. Ashihara explained that she and her team made it a condition from the beginning that she could write the scripts for the final episodes herself if she was not satisfied with them, adding that the NTV agreed to this condition.

She ended the post by thanking the entire cast and crew for making the live-action adaptation.

Ashihara later deleted the post, stating that it was not his intention to attack anyone, and apologized.

A NTV released a statement on January 29 expressing its sympathy for Ashihara’s death, adding that when the company proposed the live-action adaptation, it consulted Ashihara about his opinions through Shogakukan, and that Ashihara approved the final script that went into production .

A Shogakukan announced on January 30th that Sexy Tanaka-san will remain unfinished, and the chapter published on December 5th will be the last chapter.

The live-action series adaptation of Sexy Tanaka-san premiered on NTV on October 22nd and ended on December 24th with 10 episodes.

The manga Sexy Tanaka-san began to be published in Anikei Petite Comic in 2018 and is now unfinished.

The history of Sexy Tanaka-san follows two women: Kyōko, a 40-year-old accounting department employee who maintains another life as the dancer Sali, and Akari, a friendly 23-year-old temporary worker and Kyōko’s colleague who is looking for marriage. Akari is convinced that her youth and cuteness are her only merits, so she is looking for a partner, perceiving her time as “running out” as she feels empty and lonely. A certain incident leads her to discover Kyōko’s double life as a dancer, and she slowly begins to admire Kyōko.

Haruka Kinami (seen above) is the protagonist Kyōko Tanaka. Ryūichi Inomata It is Akinori Itō directed the live-action series with a script Tomoko Aizawa.

Ashihara debuted as a manga creator in 1994 and among her mangas we find Bitter – Nakechau Koi Monogatari, Bitter II – Anata Dake ni Aisaretai, MiSS, Yubikiri, Homemade Home, Girls Lesson, Bread & Butter, Derby Queen, Tennen Bitter Chocolate and more. His manga Piece – Kanojo no Kioku inspired a live-action series in 2012.

In Portugal The suicide prevention line is:

213 544 545 – 912 802 669 – 963 524 660 / Daily from 4pm to midnight
Free Green Line – 800 209 899 / Between 9pm and 12pm

At the Brazil The suicide prevention line is 118.