Erika “Nekurokage” Ikeda, the manga artist for the successful Apothecary Diaries series, has pleaded guilty for tax evasion.

During the hearings in the Fukuoka District Court, Nekurokage admitted on the charges and claims to pay the taxes later.

Nekurokage was accused by the prosecution for evading 47 million yen in taxes when she started working as an artist in 2010 and has been advised by an acquaintance to pay tax returns. Ikeda allegedly earned 260 million yen between 2019 and 2021, but had the aformentioned 47 million not paid; the prosecution claimed that Nekurokage used it to pay for real estate.

Nekurokage said that she missed filing tax returns out of ignorance though she claimed she paid the taxes in full in 2022, and also hired a tax accountant to help in filing tax returns.

The manga was launched by Nekurokage in 2017 in Monthly Big Gangan in 2017, later getting an anime in October 2023. A second season is in the works for 2025.