Saint Seiya creator sues ex-manager over missing funds
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Masami Kurumada, the 72-year-old creator of Saint Seiya, said at a Tokyo press conference on September 2 that a former manager and related parties had siphoned off funds from three companies handling his copyrights and business affairs. He filed a damages suit with the Tokyo District Court the same day, seeking about 2.89 billion yen after saying roughly 4.68 billion to 4.69 billion yen had been misappropriated in total and about 1.8 billion yen had already been recovered. Kurumada said the companies' accounts were nearly emptied when the problem surfaced, leaving them struggling even to pay large tax bills. He also said he would continue creating works for readers around the world who support Saint Seiya and his other manga
Key Points
- Kurumada said the alleged misappropriation was uncovered in 2024 after the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau found suspicious money flows during a tax inspection.
- According to the complaint, the former male manager had known Kurumada for about 25 years and previously served as his responsible editor before becoming manager and director.
- Kurumada said he entrusted administrative and financial matters to the manager so he could focus on drawing, while the manager allegedly monopolised outside contacts and company information.
- Source reports said most of the diverted money was used to buy crypto assets, and the former manager broadly admitted the misappropriation.
- Kurumada's works include Saint Seiya, Ring ni Kakero and Fuma no Kojiro, with Saint Seiya's global cumulative sales exceeding 50 million copies
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case shows how valuable Japanese manga rights businesses can become, extending far beyond book sales into animation, films and merchandise. It also underlines the risks when creators hand long-term control of finances and licensing to a small circle of trusted aides, especially where cross-border intellectual property revenue is involved.