Youka Nitta Hangs Up Her Pen, Makes Amends
At risk of letting this blog become a Youka Nitta watch, a friend tipped me off to a recent update on her official website. Here’s my rough translation of her message:
Lately, I’ve been been facing the recent copyright issues, and I truly regret the situation.
I recognize that I have used skillful photos in my illustrations, thoughtlessly infringing their copyrights. But this time everyone pointed it out, and it’s making me reflect on what it means to be a mangaka. To the copyright owners of the photographs and all readers of Youka Nitta’s works, I apologize whole-heartedly.
My thoughtlessness wasn’t detected while I was growing, but now I’m seriously aware of the indiscretions I’ve committed. I am sorry to the utmost. The criticisms I’m receiving are the consequences of my own actions, and I am prepared to receive them. I’m looking at all e-mails and letters from my readers, and the people who are helping me get through my shameful condition have left me in tears.
From here on, I am I am ceasing my writing activity and continuing to make sincere amends to the copyright holders, looking hard at my foolishness and trying to mend my mistakes. It was truly inexcusable.
So, don’t expect any new chapters of Nitta’s works, particularly Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love), for the foreseeable future.
Tags: scandals, youka nitta
July 15th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Translation of the translation: “I’m not really sorry at all and knew exactly what I was going but here’s some bullshit anyways.”
July 15th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Does this make certain pages of my copies of Embracing Love from Be Beautiful bootlegs of bootlegs … of bootleg jean images?
It’s arguable who the biggest name in BL is … but she is definitly one of the top ones. Though, alot of why she was so big was due to producing so much work and so many ongoing series.
*sighs* *grumbles*
Why couldn’t she have just had a large stable of artists assisting her to get all these manga done? Why did she choose the plagarism path?
July 16th, 2008 at 2:18 am
[...] [Scene] Facing plagiarism charges, yaoi author Youka Nitta puts her career on hold. [...]
July 16th, 2008 at 9:39 am
She shouldn’t have plagarized, but I am surprised that she’s ceasing activities.
An American comic artist by the name of Greg Land copies Sports Illustrated Swimsuit covers and things like that constantly (he’s often referred to as a ‘porn tracer’) but there are no repercussions like this. In fact, he’s working on Uncanny Xmen, one of Marvel’s biggest titles.
She had bad behavior, but is quitting the right decision, I wonder?
July 16th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
electric goldfish: I’m not surprised at all. I don’t really think she had a choice. I bet it was her publisher who put the pressure on her to “take a break” for awhile. Honestly, if a short break is all that she is required to do, she is lucky.
July 20th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
[...] about it in the near future. In the meantime, Gia kept on top of the issue with the general scoop, resulting effect and an amusing follow-up from one of the advertising companies whose photos were [...]
July 20th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
She knew what she was doing. It’s just that she’s gotten away with it for so long. I might actually think this is a sincere apology, if it weren’t for that whiny snippet about how no one caught her when she was “growing.” BS.
She’s probably not gone forever though. I also think this is just a forced vacation. Hopefully when she comes back it’ll be with some original artwork.
August 27th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
She wanted to create realistic pictures. I understand that it is easier and more comfortable and doesn’t need an army of assistants to just take examples from real life pictures. I would have done the same…in a less obvious way though.
Hmpf…she should put her next manga stories into fantasy worlds. Like Dragonball/ One Piece/ Naruto …with round houses and cars, weird plants, and ugly ninja outfits. *sarcasm*
OK! Nearly all/ Many of those plagiarized images were taken for her cover/ color pictures/ backgrounds.
Honestly…yaoi manga is about the STORY and the SEX scenes!!!
And I didn’t like most of those colored cover images anyway…:P
August 28th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I’m just going to copy the comment I’ve made elsewhere:
I agree with the line of thinking that Nitta’s work would be normally regarded as quoting/derivative/commentary unless someone was trying to make a big deal out of it to fulfill their own agenda (re: to stir up negative public opinion so they could win a lawsuit or something).
If this was a “problem” that had been going on “for years” and it’s a “serious offense in Japan”, then where was the simple phone call to Nitta (or to her publishers) asking her not to do it?
In the manga world there is a LOT of zeitgeist and borrowing, and one of the great things about Youka Nitta is that she does go beyond the perfunctory and the cliches to tell her own story. She generates ideas and puts in a lot of work, and she earned the fans she has.
As for the grievances of the under-appreciated photographer: who is to say the person who got the credit for the picture is solely responsible for the arranging the shot? Maybe an anonymous intern contributed ideas or provided some feedback. Was the architect of the building recognized? Were the pedestrians in the background recognized: perhaps one random woman’s choice of a turquoise dress provided the splash of color that balanced the shot. What about billboards in the background?
I’m sorry that photographers feel under-appreciated, and it’s great that they’re striving for recognition, but to do it by attacking a great mangaka is not only to unfairly single someone out to ruin their career but to deprive all the people who love her work.
I’ve seen a lot of kneejerk reactions from people who haven’t even seen Nitta’s work in context. Various bloggers just jumped on the scolding bandwagon, eager to get attention by issuing an opinion while the topic was hot, without concern about how they were affecting the life of the person they were ragging on. Where’s the discussion of the ethics of blogging-while-uninformed?
Furthermore, I’ve seen drive-by comments that look suspiciously like they were made by people who have something personal against Nitta. Perhaps they are all from the guy who was hoping to squeeze some $$$ by suing Nitta’s publishers. Give the motive some thought.
September 3rd, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I’ve made a livejournal just for discussion of the manga copyright issue: http://manga-copyright.livejournal.com/
October 26th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
well i understand her… I have an account on zedge (for ringtones and wallpepers…) and I use a couple of image that i found for the mobile wallpaper… then i recive a mail for the staff it says: ” we gonna delete this wallpapers ___ because they’re have copright” and something else… welll, I really don’t know about it… I hope that she finish Haru one day…. I really hope….
November 11th, 2008 at 12:56 am
[...] to creating manga? You may be familiar with the controversy surrounding well known mangaka, Youka Nitta. But many fans would like her to return to creating, I happen to be fan of her works. But people [...]