It is almost poetic that the man who became famous and a millionaire drawing comedies about characters with questionable intelligence, has made one of the worst financial decisions in the recent history of the industry. Hiroyukithe acclaimed author behind hits like Aho Girl, Kanojo mo Kanojo and Mangaka to Assistant tojust announced this February 27, 2026 that it finally managed to liquidate its monumental debt of 50 million yen (about $325,000).
Monetizing your own mistakes
For those who don’t know the full gossip, Hiroyuki’s financial ordeal wasn’t the fault of poor sales, publishing scams, or unpaid taxes. He mangaka simply developed a severe addiction to collecting luxury watches. The compulsive purchases and interest on loans got out of control so quickly that, by the year 2023, he found himself with the noose around his neck.
Far from hiding it out of shame, Hiroyuki did what any content creator with vision would do: monetize his own misfortune. In October 2023 he published an autobiographical book titled The manga artist with 4 animated works became addicted to watches and ended up with a debt of 50 million yen. With a mix of self-deprecating humor and illustrated vignettes, the author told the world how a harmless hobby almost bankrupted him.
Saved by his own “waifus”
Fortunately, having four works adapted into anime has its benefits. The royalties generated from the impressive sales of Kanojo mo Kanojo (which exceeded 2 million copies) and his new projects allowed him to get out of this financial hole in just three years. On his official account, Hiroyuki simply posted, “I am happy to report that I have completed the payment of the 50 million yen,” closing this stressful chapter of his life.
The fan community was quick to shower him with congratulations, although mockery was the order of the day. Several users responded asking him to celebrate his financial freedom by “buying an even more expensive watch,” while others reminded him that he now has his credit limit cleared to start his next debt.
And you, if you had the salary of a successful manga artist, what stupid luxury thing would you spend your money on until you were in debt?
