Watanabe Masako, pioneer of mystery manga, dies at 97

Manga artist Watanabe Masako passed away on October 3 at 00:38, at the age of 97. The news was announced ten days later through her official X account, with a message titled "Notice of the passing of Master Watanabe Masako."

The statement describes how she journeyed through her 97 years of life alongside manga and that her end was peaceful, as if she had simply fallen asleep. The causes of death were not specified.

Watanabe leaves behind a career spanning more than seven decades. Born in 1929, she debuted as a shōjo manga author in 1952. Her specialty was mystery with storylines of love and hate, a field she cultivated in works such as Akujo Series and Hitori Matsuri, the latter adapted into a television drama.

Among her best-known titles are Garasu no Shiro (The Glass Castle) and Sei Rozarindo (Saint Rosalinda). It was precisely these two that made her an essential name in female suspense manga in the second half of the 20th century.

A career recognized inside and outside manga

Institutional recognition came late, but with force. In 2002 she received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award at the 31st Japan Cartoonists Association Awards.

Four years later, in 2006, she became the first female manga artist to receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. It is a fact that says a lot about the place she occupied in the industry: not only as a popular author, but as a figure who paved the way for later generations.

And her creative energy did not fade with age. In 2020, at 91, she began the weekly serialization of a completely new work, Himitsu -Himegoto-. The announcement generated considerable impact: few authors of her generation were still publishing with that regularity.

A farewell message full of gratitude

Along with the news, a message that Watanabe wrote before her death was made public. In it she thanks her fans, her colleagues and collaborators, those who cared for her, the staff of the Ilise residence, the nurses, and her family. "Thank you so very much," the text reads.

There is one phrase that sums up her character: "When you feel sad, think that I am in Paris." It is the kind of farewell that fits an author who dedicated her life to telling stories of intense passions and dramatic twists.

The team managing her official X account said it will continue to showcase the original artwork and unpublished works she left behind. No dates or details were given about possible posthumous publications, but the intention is clear: to keep her creative world reaching readers.

With the death of Watanabe Masako, an important chapter of Japanese manga comes to a close. It remains to be seen how her legacy will be managed and whether any publisher will take on reissuing her most representative works for new generations.