The light novel series Welcome to the Outcast’s Restaurant! and I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time are undergoing illustrator changes, with Gaou being replaced following his reported admission of a sexual relationship with a minor. Publishers Dengeki Bunko and Overlap Bunko announced the immediate removal of Gaou from both series, with new illustrators to be named in due course.
The Controversial Removal of Illustrator Gaou
The decision to replace Gaou stems from his reported admission during a Japanese livestream program on June 29 that he had engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor girl. This admission led to swift action from the publishers of the light novel series he illustrated. Gaou also reportedly stated he felt he had “no choice but to retire” from his illustration career.
Dengeki Bunko and Overlap Bunko, the respective publishers for I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time and Welcome to the Outcast’s Restaurant!, made separate announcements regarding his removal on July 1 and 2. The scandal quickly gained traction on social media, leading to inquiries about Gaou’s involvement in various projects.
Impact on Associated Projects
Beyond the light novel series, Gaou’s involvement in other projects has also been affected. His name was removed from the official website and X (formerly Twitter) account for the anime adaptation of Welcome to the Outcast’s Restaurant! on June 30, even though the anime premiered on July 3. Promotional videos for the anime were also temporarily removed before being reposted.
DMM GAMES’ EXNOA company, for whom Gaou had designed characters for their role-playing game Girls Creation, stated on June 30 that Gaou was no longer creating content for the game and that some character designs might change.
The Affected Light Novel Series
Gaou was a prominent illustrator known for his work on several light novel series and even VTuber designs, including Minato Aqua. His removal impacts two key fantasy series:
Welcome to the Outcast’s Restaurant!
Welcome to the Outcast’s Restaurant! (Japanese: 追放者食堂へようこそ！, Hepburn: Tsuihōsha Shokudō e Yōkoso!) is a Japanese light novel series written by Yūki Kimikawa. The series was originally serialized online on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō from October 2018 to September 2020. Overlap later acquired the series, publishing three volumes under their Overlap Novels imprint since June 2019, all with illustrations by Gaou.
The story centers on Dennis, a skilled chef who, after being banished from a powerful party, opens an adventurer’s restaurant in the countryside. He eventually takes in a traumatized young girl named Atelier as his waitress, and together they build their new lives and restaurant. An anime television series adaptation produced by OLM premiered on July 3, 2025. Overlap Bunko has confirmed they will be replacing Gaou in existing volumes of the series.
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time (Japanese: ギルドの受付嬢ですが、残業は嫌なのでボスをソロ討伐しようと思います, Hepburn: Guild no Uketsukejō desu ga, Zangyō wa Iya na node Boss o Solo Tōbatsu Shiyō to Omoi masu) is a light novel series written by Mato Kousaka. This series began publication under ASCII Media Works’s Dengeki Bunko imprint in March 2021 and won the gold prize at the 27th Dengeki Novel Prize in 2021.
The narrative follows Alina Clover, a guild receptionist who, to avoid endless paperwork and overtime, secretly ventures out at night to defeat monsters and dungeon bosses herself with a massive war hammer. This series also received an anime television series adaptation, which aired from January to March 2025, produced by CloverWorks. Dengeki Bunko is currently in discussions regarding the handling of existing novel volumes for this series.
Both publishers have stated that they will announce the new illustrators for each novel series once decisions have been finalized.
