Artist Hinako Ashihara Dies in Possible Suicide

Hinako Ashihara, a manga artist from Japan, is reported to have passed away recently. Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of death, but reports suggest that suicide was the main issue. Ashihara was 50 years old at the time of her death.

Various outlets, including Sankei Shimbun and NTV News, have reported that Ashihara has been found dead by authorities in Tochigi prefecture, a day after she had been reported missing. A note had been found with the artist’s body, though its contents have not been disclosed.

This situation has arisen in the wake of the controversy over the adaptation of Ashihara’s Sexy Tanaka-san that was produced by NTV. It is a popular romantic comedy series focusing on belly dancing.

In a now-deleted blog published on Jan. 26, Ashihara revealed she was very dissatisfied with the live-action adaptation of the manga, saying that it got her approval only because she could be assured that it would be faithfully adapted. 

Despite this, the artist claims NTV didn’t adhere to that agreement, leaving out many moments from the manga and portraying the leads differently than in the source material. Ashihara said she shared her concerns with the show’s crew during production, but many of her issues were not resolved, reported Comicbook.com.

It is easy to see why Ashihara’s fans are reassessing her blog post about Sexy Tanaka-san. Despite her apparent dissatisfaction with the adaptation, she deleted it only when she was accused of attacking the show’s staff. 

Following news of Ashihara’s death, NTV did release a statement memorializing the artist, and the network stressed it did consult with the creator of Sexy Tanaka-san throughout season one.

After the news of Ashihara’s death was announced, NTV issued a statement as a memorial to the artist, as well as a statement from the network emphasizing the fact that it consulted with the creator throughout season one of Sexy Tanaka-san.

Ashihara’s manga has been translated into several languages and adapted for television. In 1994, the artist started her career with the short story “That Sweet Organ Song,” published in the anthology Bessatsu Shōjo Comic.

In North America, she is best known for her series Sand Chronicles (available on Viz app) and Forbidden Dance (published by Tokyopop in 2003-2004). In 2003, Viz published her debut short story collection SOS. 

In her career, she has won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award twice, once for Sand Chronicles and once for Piece: Kanojo no Kioku. Her latest manga was Sexy Tanaka-san. Piece: Kanojo no Kioku and Sexy Tanaka-san were both adapted for television. 

A rare interview of Ashihara from the March 2009 issue of Shojo Beat magazine was recently posted on Twitter (now X) in the wake of her death. When asked if she was surprised the Sand Chronicles had touched a chord with English-language readers, Ashihara responded, “Since this title depicts sentiments and feelings that I thought might be unique to Japanese people, I was anxious if the manga would be truly understood and appreciated, so I am surprised. But this title has a strong power to touch readers’ hearts, and I feel satisfied (knowing) that we could share these emotions.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.