Saint Seiya Creator Sues Former Manager Over Alleged Crypto Investments

Saint Seiya creator Masami Kurumada is suing his former manager and other defendants for $19.6 million in damages, alleging that they diverted billions of yen from his companies over six years. The lawsuit claims that around 4.68 billion yen was transferred without authorization from bank accounts belonging to Kurumada's companies into separate accounts controlled by the former manager.

The alleged transactions continued from 2018 to 2024 before irregularities were uncovered during a Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau audit in 2024. Kurumada's lawyers stated that some of the diverted money was used for cryptocurrency investments, but the specific cryptocurrencies and platforms involved are not identified in court reports.

Kurumada initially found it difficult to believe the allegations after working in the manga and anime business for decades. He described feeling empty and frustrated after learning about the alleged losses, which included a canceled exhibition of original artwork due to the financial irregularities.