The Cat on a Hot Tin Roof manwha series has been canceled after plagiarism accusations. Many of the readers claimed that the art and layouts are the same as older manga like Neon Genesis and Urasawa’s Monster. While the accusations have been going on since September, the series has finally been canceled by Naver Webtoons.
These comparisons began to circulate on Korean message boards. These comparisons began after the manga got serialized. Readers were also quick to point out the resemblance between the main protagonist and Shinji Ikari and his love interest Kawrou Nagisa. Regarding Monster, the series copies many plot points from the series, as well as many manga panels. This is the first known incident of Neon Genesis facing plagiarism.
The End of the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Manwha
According to a Korean language database, the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof manwha’s author defended their work by saying that it was inspired by another series. The 1919 series of inspiration is titled Demian by Herman Hess. Demian is known to explore themes of duality and spiritual enlightenment, which is coincidentally the same inspiration behind the Neon Genesis franchise (furthering the plagiarism accusations).
Despite the defenses, many readers did not accept the explanation. Naver Webtoons soon announced that it was canceling the serialization of the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof manwha. On top of that, the company also issued a public apology for the incident.
The Cat on a Hot Tin Roof manwha was first published on August 11, 2021. It told the story of high school outcast Min-Seo as he rescues a popular student from a car accident. The two students then become close, but their relationship soon starts to unravel when secrets come to light.
This is not the first time international artists have had a series canceled due to plagiarism accusations. The most popular of examples was when Nick Simmons was accused of tracing panels and copying character designs from other popular manga series. Simmons defended his work, saying that it was an act of homage, rather than an act of plagiarism. His series Incarnate was soon canceled after.