Author Didn't Receive Royalties For Her Anime In Years

Mangaka Ai (藍), creator of the manga "Million Doll", revealed on her official blog that she did not receive any royalty payments for the anime adaptation of her work for more than six years. According to her statement, the author did not earn income from sales of the anime or related merchandising between 2018 and July 2024, despite having a contract with the publisher Comic Smart.

The "Million Doll" anime, which aired between July and September 2015 and was produced by Asahi Production, continued to generate revenue during these years through sales of Blu-ray, CDs and distribution on streaming platforms. This situation, in which the author did not perceive benefits despite the commercial activity of the anime, generated a growing discomfort in Ai. "Despite the support and enjoyment that many readers show towards anime, a practice that does not benefit the author of the manga has been maintained. I was forced to remain silent until this issue was resolved, and I apologize to the readers who have supported me for so long as a mangaka," Ai expressed.

Frustrated by the lack of payments, the author even considered removing the anime and its songs from streaming platforms for the duration of the dispute. However, this year, Ai decided to contact the editorial department of Ganma! and with Comic Smart to investigate the situation. Finally, in August 2024, the company acknowledged the failure to make the royalty payments stipulated in the contract and issued a formal apology to Ai, providing a detailed report on what happened. At the end of that month, the publisher calculated the amount owed and made the full payment to the author.

In the post, Ai stressed that both she and the production team of "Million Doll" accepted the publisher's apology and are satisfied with the resolution reached. Despite her initial frustrations, the author expressed relief at the resolution of the issue and confirmed that she will keep the anime available on streaming platforms. "Due to the honest response of the editorial department, I want to continue to provide the opportunity for many to watch the anime on various platforms whenever they want," he said.

In addition, Ai emphasized that his intention was not to generate controversy or negative reactions towards the Ganma! editorial, and instead, he invited fans and new viewers to enjoy Million Doll again. "Although it has been almost nine years since the original broadcast of the series, I hope that people will continue to watch and enjoy Million Doll," he concluded in his message.

"Million Doll" began serialization on Comic Smart's Ganma! platform in December 2013 and was collected into two compilation volumes. The story follows Suuko, an idol-loving hikikomori who has the ability to make any idol popular through her blog.

Source: Official Blog