The past year has been a tumultuous one in the world of manga, with numerous authors putting their works on hiatus, as well as the conclusions of popular series like Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia leaving holes in the Shōnen Jump lineup. Now, the publishing house behind the most successful manga takes another hit, as Shueisha has been forced to pull the one-shot manga Sayonara Wonder Rabbit from the Tonari Young Jump website (the same online magazine where One-Punch Man is published) for suspicion of plagiarism.

First reported by Japanese news outlet Jisin, the one-shot manga by Yuki Komuro, released on November 21, 2024, instantly drew attention from readers due to its similarity to a 2017 American film titled, Brigsby Bear. Jisin ed Shueisha regarding the comments from concerned fans, which prompted them to release a statement regarding the matter on their official blog. The manga was swiftly pulled from the web soon after.

Sayonara Wonder Rabbit Drew Suspicion for Its Similarities to Brigsby Bear

The New One-Shot Gets Pulled Out by Shueisha Following Accusations

Sayonara Wonder Rabbit was a manga focused on a girl named Luna who lost both her parents in an accident. As a child, she was enthralled by a television show titled "Wonder Rabbit", which featured a cartoonish rabbit mascot host. After the accident, however, she discovered that the show never really existed, and was made for her by her parents. To deal with the grief, she decided to continue the show with the help of her friends.

While a tenderly wholesome concept, the 2017 film Brigsby Bear did it first. The film, featuring a star-studded cast of Kyle Mooney, Mark Hamill, and Claire Danes, among others, centers around a man named James who is forced to live in a bunker and watches an educational show called "Brigsby Bear". After being separated from his fake parents, whom he learned were responsible for making the TV series, James decides to make his own movie continuation of the fake show. While certain elements of the two stories are different, the similarities are very apparent.

Shueisha Takes Another Hit Following Plagiarism Accusations

Wonder Rabbit's Removal Follows Other Misfortunes For Jump Publisher

Recent times have not been easy for the Jump line of magazines. Jujutsu Kaisen, despite a lukewarm response to its ending, is a massively popular series that has ceased publication. ed recently by Spy x Family.

While Sayonara Wonder Rabbit held nowhere near the popularity of Jump's most well-known titles, its forced removal for plagiarism is surely an unprecedented occurrence for the manga industry. Following the manga's removal, author Yuki Komuro has yet to comment on the matter.

Source: Jisin