A mangaka is reminding Elon Musk, the new CEO of Twitter, that using other people’s artwork without permission and credit does not come for free, even if he is a billionaire.
As reported by Anime News Network and GameRant, mangaka Kentarō Satō quote-retweeted a post from Musk back in March on Nov. 6. In the post, Musk used a popular meme called “Crying Aya Asagiri,” which originated from Satō’s manga Magical Girl Site. In his tweet, Satō wrote, “Twitter’s new CEO Elon Musk has been posting my drawings without permission, so I’d like a usage fee of one billion. In dollars.” As Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion, many fans have supported Satō, reasoning that the mangaka’s ask of $1 billion is practically nothing in comparison.
The “Crying Aya Asagiri” meme is a popular one that has been used online and often in conjunction with a manga panel of Ken Kaneki throwing his head back from Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul:re series. In Satō’s work, the manga panel comes from Chapter 103 of Magical Girl Site. In the previous chapter, Aya learns about her adoption. As she tries to reconcile with her new reality, Aya’s adoptive father and mother get into an explosive argument. At a certain point, everything overwhelms her, and she bursts into tears.
Satō’s series Magical Girl Site is a spin-off of his previous series Magical Girl Apocalypse. The story follows Aya, a high school girl who, as a result of the physical and emotional abuse and bullying she suffers from both her family and school, constantly thinks about ending her life. One day, a terrifying figure pops up on her computer and turns Aya into a magical girl. With her newfound powers, Aya can finally deal with her tormentors, but she realizes that her powers put her in danger.
A Manga Meme Isn’t Musk’s Only Problem
This incident isn’t the first time Musk has been in hot water. Since Musk acquired Twitter on Oct. 27, many of the site’s users have viewed his actions negatively. Musk initiated a mass layoff of Twitter employees on Nov. 4, with some employees comparing it to the “Red Wedding” episode from Game of Thrones, before asking a few previously laid-off employees to return to work a few days later, either because it was a mistake or because Musk realized that they were essential to the functioning of the platform. The new initiative of Twitter Blue has been rife with controversy, where users can pay $8 per month for a verification check mark. On Nov. 11, Musk paused the service due to users “abusing” the system to impersonate people. Since Musk’s take-over, many users have contemplated turning to other social media platforms.
Musk has not responded to Satō’s demands.
Source: Anime News Network via GameRant, Twitter
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