Kadokawa apologises over Pitch-Black Infatuation manga designs

Kadokawa’s Young Ace editorial department has apologised after using character designs from another manga as references for Pitch-Black Infatuation (漆黒の慕情) without first obtaining permission from the artist involved. The department said the mistake was its responsibility and that neither the original novelist nor the manga artist was at fault. ¹

What happened

The apology concerns the manga adaptation of Rokakoen’s horror novel Pitch-Black Infatuation, drawn by Kei Natsumi. Young Ace said it had wanted to reference character designs from Ieri Komen’s earlier manga adaptation of Festival of Heresies because the two stories share a setting and some characters. However, the necessary confirmation with Komen did not happen before work progressed. ¹

The editorial department said the issue came to light after the first collected volume of Pitch-Black Infatuation was published. A later review found that designs for four characters and one background location had been referenced. Young Ace apologised directly to Komen and said the original author, Rokakoen, and Natsumi carried no responsibility for the oversight. ¹

Kadokawa’s account

According to the official Young Ace statement, production began in August 2025. Young Ace contacted the Kadokawa Horror Bunko editorial department about using designs for Rumi Sasaki and Yukiyoshi Aoyama, characters who appear in both stories. The response was understood as allowing original designs, but the permission process remained unclear and Komen was not asked directly. ¹

The statement says Young Ace has accepted responsibility for failing to confirm both permission and rights before publication. The manga’s first volume launched in Japan on 4 August 2026. Kadokawa’s official product page describes it as a modern urban-legend horror story centred on a striking young man whose surroundings become increasingly disturbed. ²

Our opinion

This is a serious editorial failure, but the public apology is unusually clear about where responsibility sits. Young Ace has identified the missing permission step, separated the editorial mistake from the creators who were not responsible for it, and acknowledged that the problem extended beyond a single character design. That clarity matters, although the practical next step is still important: readers and the artists involved will need to know how the affected material is being reviewed or corrected.

The case also shows why “reference” is not a harmless word when a recognisable artist’s character designs and background work are involved. Shared characters and a shared fictional world may explain how the confusion arose, but they do not replace direct permission. The official statement records an apology; it does not yet announce a detailed remediation plan. ¹