The editorial department of Kadokawa's Young Ace magazine has issued an apology over the manga adaptation of Pitch-Black Infatuation (Shikkoku no Bojo). In a notice posted on the Web Ace site last week (October 8th), the team admitted that it used character designs created by Ieri Komen, the artist behind the manga adaptation of Festival of Heresies, without first getting Komen's confirmation or permission. Both manga adapt horror novels by Rokakoen that take place in the same world.
The editorial team said the fault was entirely its own. "The cause of this matter and the responsibility for it lie entirely with the editorial department, and neither the original author, Rokakoen-sensei, nor Kei Natsumi-sensei, who draws the manga, bears any responsibility," the notice reads in translation. Young Ace also shared the apology on its official X account:
What Kadokawa Says Happened
According to the notice, the Pitch-Black Infatuation manga by Kei Natsumi was produced while partly referencing Komen's character designs from the Festival of Heresies manga. The editorial team said it should have asked Komen before the serialization began, but went ahead without that confirmation or permission. "We deeply apologize for the discomfort this caused Ieri Komen-sensei," the department wrote.
The notice lays out a timeline. Work on the Pitch-Black Infatuation manga began in August 2025. During production, the Young Ace editorial department contacted the Kadokawa Horror Bunko editorial department, which publishes Rokakoen's original novels, and said it wanted to reference the Festival of Heresies manga designs for Rumi Sasaki and Yukiyoshi Aoyama, two characters who appear in both stories. Young Ace also asked Kadokawa Horror Bunko to check with Komen and share the plan.
Kadokawa Horror Bunko replied that it might be fine to create original character designs instead. After discussing it with the manga artist, Young Ace moved forward using the Festival of Heresies designs as reference. The notice says the design checks went ahead while the exchange with Kadokawa Horror Bunko remained unclear, and the serialization continued without anyone confirming or sharing the plan with Komen.
The problem came to light after the first collected volume was released, when Komen contacted the editorial team. Young Ace then reviewed how much of the earlier manga had been referenced and found that two more characters, Ishigami and Emi Shimamoto, along with one background location, had also been used without the necessary confirmation.
What The Editorial Team Admitted
The department also addressed its own process. It said "the basic duties of an editorial department" were missing, explaining that creators should be told in advance and asked for permission before their character designs are used as reference, and that rights should be checked. It apologized to Komen again, and also to Rokakoen, Natsumi, and readers for the trouble caused. The team said it will make sure to carry out these checks in advance as the serialization continues.
The notice also points to a case where the process worked. For Gokuraku ni Itaru Imon, another manga adaptation from the same novel series, Young Ace said it checked in advance with artist Rumio Sakaki that it wanted to reference some characters, and received permission before production. The notice does not say whether the affected designs will be changed in future chapters or reprints of the first volume.
The Sasaki Agency Series
Rokakoen's novels are published in Japan under Kadokawa Horror Bunko, and Yen Press releases them in English as part of what it calls the Sasaki Agency series. Festival of Heresies came out in English on November 19th, 2024. It follows Emi Shimamoto, a young woman who has never been able to tell the living from the dead, as she falls for the strange young president of Moriya Foods while her worried brother turns to an agency that specializes in the supernatural.
Pitch-Black Infatuation followed in English on August 12th, 2025. It centers on Toshihiko, a cram school teacher whose striking looks drive people to obsession, who seeks out the Sasaki Agency after a woman starts stalking him and attacks one of his students. Yen Press also lists Saint's Fallen Antlers as part of the same series.
Komen's manga adaptation of Festival of Heresies was published by Kadokawa and wrapped up with its second volume on November 21st, 2025. Natsumi's adaptation of Pitch-Black Infatuation started in the April 2026 issue of Young Ace, which went on sale on March 4th, and its first collected volume was released on August 4th.
Do you think a public apology like this one is enough when a mistake like this happens, or should publishers be expected to go further and change the affected designs?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.