Masami Kurumada, author of the famous manga "Saint Seiya," disclosed that he has filed a lawsuit against his former manager and related parties after allegations of embezzling about 4.6 billion yen (approximately 960 million baht) from three companies managing his business and copyright. Approximately 1.8 billion yen has already been repaid, and he is seeking damages for the remaining 2.8 billion yen.
Masami Kurumada, a 72-year-old Japanese manga artist known worldwide for "Saint Seiya," revealed today (2 Sep) that he has filed a lawsuit against his former manager, former company directors, and related parties at the Tokyo District Court, accusing them of embezzlement and unauthorized use of company funds totaling about 4.6 billion yen (approximately 960 million baht).
Kurumada stated at a press conference in Tokyo that the former manager responsible for his business's accounting and finances is accused of gradually siphoning off company funds over more than a decade. "I trusted this man to handle all of our financial transactions, but he embezzled money from the company for over ten years," he said.
He admitted feeling deeply shocked, as in his more than 50 years in the manga and animation industry, he had never encountered such an incident before. "We often hear about cases like this, but in my over 50-year career, I never met anyone dishonest in the anime and manga world. I couldn't believe it and kept asking myself, 'Why?'"
According to case details, the plaintiff companies include three entities, among them Kurumada Production, which manages the copyrights and rights to produce merchandise from Kurumada's works.
The complaint states that the former directors and related parties allegedly transferred company funds to other accounts without authorization between roughly 2018 and 2024, including instructing royalty payments owed to the company from partners to be redirected to accounts under different company names.
The total amount allegedly embezzled is about 4.6 billion yen, with approximately 1.8 billion yen (around 375 million baht) already repaid. Kurumada and the companies are now seeking damages for the remaining approximately 2.8 billion yen.
The former director was also Kurumada's personal manager, responsible for accounting, and involved in founding Kurumada Production. They have known and worked together for over 15 years, leading to Kurumada placing great trust in him.
Kurumada stated that the embezzlement severely impacted the company's financial status, nearly causing Kurumada Production to go bankrupt. When irregularities were discovered, the company's accounts had limited funds and might have been unable to pay substantial taxes.
He spoke about the consequences, saying that if the situation worsened, the company might have had to close, and he himself might have been unable to continue his work as a manga artist.
Kurumada began publishing the manga "Saint Seiya" in 1986 in Weekly Shonen Jump, one of Japan's most influential manga magazines and the origin of many global hits such as "One Piece," "Dragon Ball," and "Naruto."
The original "Saint Seiya" manga was published from 1986 to 1990, with total sales of about 35 million copies. According to Mangazenkan, worldwide sales exceed 50 million copies.
The story draws heavily from Greek mythology, following warriors known as "Saints" who wear sacred armor and fight to protect the goddess Athena. The series has been adapted into animation, animated films, video games, and collectible card games.
"Saint Seiya" has also been widely distributed internationally, including an English edition titled "Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac," and was adapted into a computer-generated animation series for global release in 2019.
Additionally, a live-action Hollywood film titled "Knights of the Zodiac" was released in 2023.
Kurumada continues to produce new works, having launched a new manga series, "Saint Seiya Tenkai-hen" or "Saint Seiya: Heaven Chapter," in Weekly Shōnen Champion by Akita Shoten on 14 May 2026.
This recent legal case not only affects Kurumada's business assets but also involves the company managing the copyrights of his works, which have brought him great fame and substantial business value over decades.