Immediately following Watsuki’s arrest, Jump Square, the monthly manga anthology which carried the Rurouni Kenshin Hokkaido Arc, announced that it would be suspending the series indefinitely, which some took to mean permanently.
The series [Rurouni Kenshin Hokkaido Arc] has been on extended hiatus, and we deeply apologize for the trouble and worry this has caused readers and other interested parties.
The last few months have had some intense ups and downs for the Rurouni Kenshin franchise.
Though Watsuki was subsequently fined 200,000 yen (US$1,890) for his infraction of the Anti-Child Prostitution and Pornography Ordinance, he managed to avoid serving any jail time, and now he’s avoided having his manga series permanently axed, as Jump Square publisher Shueisha is welcoming Watsuki back with resumption of the Rurouni Kenshin Hokkaido Arc’s serialization.