On July 24, 2026, an article was published on the Chinese portal site Sohu stating that the author of the manga "Nihon Sango" suspended SNS activities after receiving criticism from doujin fans.

The article stated, "The Japanese anime 'Nihon Sango' gained many fans due to its novel setting of a near-future Japanese-style Romance of the Three Kingdoms and high-quality video production, becoming the dark horse of its season. However, recently, the author of the original manga, Ms. Ikka Matsuki, became embroiled in a major controversy surrounding doujin derivative works based on her creation, ultimately leading to her deleting her SNS account and suspending her online activities."

It further pointed out, "Derivative works themselves are not at all uncommon in the anime and manga world. Enjoying them within a personal scope and sharing them within close-knit communities rarely causes major problems. However, the issue arose when some doujin fans of 'Nihon Sango' directly sent derivative works, which significantly altered the characters' personalities and original settings and depicted ambiguous relationships, to Ms. Matsuki herself, attempting to gain official recognition or a response from the author."

It then explained the circumstances: "It was natural for Ms. Matsuki to feel uncomfortable upon seeing such content, as those doujin works were largely divergent from her creative intentions and the essence of her characters. Therefore, Ms. Matsuki publicly stated that she did not desire such derivative works to be sent to her, expressing her discomfort. However, Ms. Matsuki's statements provoked backlash from some doujin fans, who criticized her, saying things like 'She is denying derivative work culture,' 'She is discriminating against doujin activities,' and 'Her way of thinking is conservative and old.' Although Ms. Matsuki later apologized for her statements, the doujin fans were not satisfied and continued their criticism. Ultimately, Ms. Matsuki was forced to delete her account and withdraw from online activities."

The article criticized, "This incident is truly unfortunate. In the first place, doujin creation exists in a gray area from a copyright perspective. Enjoying it personally and sharing it within small communities rarely causes problems. It is already a great kindness that original authors tolerate it without pursuing copyright infringement. Nevertheless, directly sending works to the author herself and demanding understanding is, frankly, putting the cart before the horse."

Furthermore, it concluded, "In fact, various problems are also occurring in the doujin community in China. Especially among some fans who prefer BL (Boys' Love) pairings, there are those whose extreme behavior is deteriorating the reputation of the entire community. We hope that this incident will serve as a wake-up call for all doujin fans. The freedom of doujin creation must not override the will and rights of the original author. Respect for the original work, consideration for the creator, and an attitude of enjoying with a certain degree of moderation are the most important things for doujin culture to continue for a long time."

Regarding this controversy, Chinese internet users voiced their support for the author, saying, "No, the author has that right, after all, it's their own work," "In any genre, respect for the original author is necessary, isn't it?" and "The author is a bit pathetic too. They're the original author, yet they're not even allowed to express their likes or dislikes." They also offered advice, stating, "Those who create derivative works should realize that their creations wouldn't exist without the original work. The original author has rights and can hold others accountable in some cases." (Translation/Editing by Iwata)