Perhaps that’s why even though Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc has restarted in Japan, the new content hasn’t yet been made available in the U.S. Before Watsuki’s child pornography charges, the Hokkaido Arc had been digitally distributed in the U.S. by Viz Media, which is partially owned by Shueisha.
Things started looking up for him even more in early May, when Shueisha, publishers of monthly manga anthology Jump Square, announced that Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc would be returning to its pages.
Repercussions were swift from the scandal-averse Japanese entertainment industry, as Watsuki’s popular Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc manga was immediately put on hiatus and TV broadcasts of the live-action Kenshin movies were cancelled.
Last fall, manga artist Nobuhiro Watsuki, creator of anime/manga franchise Rurouni Kenshin, was found to be in possession of child pornography depicting naked girls aged 15 or younger.