Hinako Ashihara Explained

Nonus:	ja
Birth Name:	Ritsuko Matsumoto (松本律子)
Birth Date:	January 25, 1974^[1]
Birth Place:	Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Death Place:	Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
Nationality:	Japanese
Area:	Manga artist
Manga:	Yes

,^[2] known by the pseudonym,^[3] was a Japanese manga artist.

Career

She wrote and illustrated various manga series, including, Homemade Home, Forbidden Dance, Sand Chronicles, Piece: Kanojo no Kioku, Tennen Bitter Chocolate, SOS, and Chouchou Kumo. Ashihara won the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award for her manga series Sand Chronicles, as well as the 58th Shogakukan Manga Award for Piece: Kanojo no Kioku.

Her first published work, "Sono hanashi okotowari shimasu", premiered in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic in 1994.^[4]

Death

Ashihara was found dead in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture^[5] on January 29, 2024, in a suspected suicide. A missing persons report was filed the day before at 4 PM when police received a call that Ashihara was missing.^[6]

Three days before the discovery of her body, Ashihara posted on her blog, criticizing Nippon TV for their television drama adaptation of her manga Sexy Tanaka-san for being unfaithful to the original.^[7] She later deleted the blog post and apologized.^{[8] [9]}

On February 15, 2024, NTV issued a press statement where they apologized to Ashihara's family and the TV drama's cast and crew, additionally stating that they have launched an inquiry with Shogakukan's representatives.^{[10] [11]}

Works

• Girls Lesson (1995–1996)
• Homemade Home (1996)
• Room Full of Falling Stars (Hoshifuru Heya de) (1997)
• Forbidden Dance (Tenshi no Kiss) (1997–1998)
• Derby Queen (1999–2000)
• MiSS (2000–2001)
• Tennen Bitter Chocolate (2001–2002)
• Pinky Promise (Yubikiri) (2002)
• Bitter: Nakechau Koi Monogatari (2003) (contributor)
• SOS (2003)
• Sand Chronicles (Sunadokei) (2003–2006)
• Bitter II (2004) (contributor)
• Butterfly Cloud (Chouchou Kumo) (2006)
• The Moon and the Lake (Tsuki to Mizuumi) (2007)
• Konbini S (2008)
• Piece: Kanojo no Kioku (2008–2013)
• Bread & Butter (2013–2020)^{[12] [13]}
• Sexy Tanaka-san (2017–2024)^[14]

See also

• List of solved missing person cases

References

1. Web site: ja:芦原妃名子 先生 . http://www.betsucomi.shogakukan.co.jp/talk/asihara.html . . https://web.archive.org/web/20090826082144/http://www.betsucomi.shogakukan.co.jp/talk/asihara.html . August 26, 2009 . ja . June 12, 2009.
2. Web site: 2024-01-29 . 漫画家の芦原妃名子さん、栃木県内で死去、自殺か 「セクシー田中さん」原作者 . 2024-01-29 . . ja.
3. Web site: RIP Hinako Ashihara, author of SAND CHRONICLES . January 30, 2024 .
4. Web site: Hinako Ashihara . . December 22, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716063724/http://www.shojobeat.com/manga/san/bio.php . July 16, 2011.
5. Web site: 2024-01-29 . 「セクシー田中さん」「砂時計」で知られる漫画家の芦原妃名子さん死去、50歳 . 2024-01-30 . . ja.
6. Web site: Manga artist found dead from apparent suicide after vanishing .
7. Web site: Japanese Manga Artist Ashihara Hinako Found Dead Days After Protesting 'Sexy Tanaka-san' TV Adaptation. January 31, 2024 . Variety.
8. News: Hodgkins . Crystalyn . 2024-01-29 . Sexy Tanaka-san, Sand Chronicles Manga Creator Hinako Ashihara Dies in Apparent Suicide . 2024-01-29 . Anime News Network.
9. https://news.ntv.co.jp/category/society/db5843e3eeda46508816434bc2383ed1 漫画家・芦原妃名子さんが死亡 「セクシー田中さん」など連載
10. Web site: ドラマ「セクシー田中さん」について. Japanese. 2015-02-15. NTV.
11. Web site: The Ashihara Hinako Tragedy: "Sexy Tanaka-san" and the Moral Rights of Authors. April 12, 2024 . Nippon.
12. Web site: ja:芦原妃名子、集英社初登場！アラサー女がパン屋に出会う . https://natalie.mu/comic/news/100291 . . December 22, 2019 . ja . September 28, 2013.
13. Web site: Hodgkins . Crystalyn . Sand Chronicles Hinako Ashihara Ends Bread & Butter Manga . . April 17, 2020 . March 28, 2020.
14. Web site: ja:地味な40歳OLの秘密とは？芦原妃名子が女性の夢と恋描く「セクシー田中さん」. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/277444 . . December 22, 2019 . ja . April 10, 2018.