Hinako Ashihara

Ritsuko Matsumoto (松本 律子), known by the pseudonym Hinako Ashihara (芦原 妃名子), was a Japanese manga artist.

Career
She wrote and illustrated various manga series, including, Homemade Home, Forbidden Dance, Sand Chronicles, Piece: Kanojo no Kioku, Tennen Bitter Chocolate, SOS, and Chouchou Kumo. Ashihara won the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award for her manga series Sand Chronicles, as well as the 58th Shogakukan Manga Award for Piece: Kanojo no Kioku.

Her first published work, "Sono hanashi okotowari shimasu", premiered in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic in 1994.

Death
Ashihara was found dead in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture on January 29, 2024, in a suspected suicide. A missing persons report was filed the day before at 4 PM when police received a call that Ashihara was missing.

Three days before the discovery of her body, Ashihara posted on her blog, criticizing Nippon TV for their television drama adaptation of her manga Sexy Tanaka-san for being unfaithful to the original. She later deleted the blog post and apologized.

On February 15, 2024, NTV issued a press statement where they apologized to Ashihara's family and the TV drama's cast and crew, additionally stating that they have launched an inquiry with Shogakukan's representatives.

Works

 * Girls Lesson (1995–1996)
 * Homemade Home (1996)
 * Room Full of Falling Stars (Hoshifuru Heya de) (1997)
 * Forbidden Dance (Tenshi no Kiss) (1997–1998)
 * Derby Queen (1999–2000)
 * MiSS (2000–2001)
 * Tennen Bitter Chocolate (2001–2002)
 * Pinky Promise (Yubikiri) (2002)
 * Bitter: Nakechau Koi Monogatari (2003) (contributor)
 * SOS (2003)
 * Sand Chronicles (Sunadokei) (2003–2006)
 * Bitter II (2004) (contributor)
 * Butterfly Cloud (Chouchou Kumo) (2006)
 * The Moon and the Lake (Tsuki to Mizuumi) (2007)
 * Konbini S (2008)''
 * Piece: Kanojo no Kioku (2008–2013)
 * Bread & Butter (2013–2020)
 * Sexy Tanaka-san (2017–2024)