4 Unexpected Anime Controversies
How about we take a look at 4 unexpected controversies in anime? When we talk about “controversies,” we often think of serious situations where some colossal drama unfolded. Maybe the term “controversy” doesn’t fully apply to all the cases here, but they were still instances that generated discussion and complaints.
And as mentioned, these are “unexpected controversies,” cases that happened that no one foresaw could occur! Let’s see what they are?
4 Unexpected Anime Controversies
Hana Kimura’s Mother Calls for Boycott of Oshi no Ko
Shall we discuss a more recent controversy? Episode 6 of Oshi no Ko depicted Akane going through a very difficult situation, unfortunately, to talk about this story, I’ll have to give spoilers.
After receiving multiple online complaints, Akane attempts suicide but is saved by Aqua. This anime scenario bears a striking resemblance to the real-life case of Hana Kimura, who was part of a reality show, was forced to play the villain by producers, received online criticism, and was harassed until she took her own life.
The controversy in this case came from Hana Kimura’s mother, who objected to the anime using her daughter’s story to generate buzz. You can find more details about this case here.
Mushoku Tensei Banned in China
During the airing of Mushoku Tensei’s first season, the anime encountered issues in China due to a certain influencer who began spreading malicious things about the anime.
Mushoku Tensei was subsequently removed from China’s largest streaming site, bilibili, apparently due to this influencer. The complaint was related to a betrayal scene in the anime, leading people to accuse Mushoku Tensei of being “immoral.”
Super Cub ignorou leis do Trânsito
Super Cub is an adorable anime about girls who enjoy riding motorcycles. Imagine the surprise when online complaints emerged, claiming the anime depicted a traffic violation?
In Episode 6 of Super Cub, the protagonist gives her friend a ride on her motorcycle shortly after obtaining her license. However, according to Japanese law, novice motorcycle riders can only carry passengers after holding a license for one year.
The anime showed a violation as the protagonist forgot this detail. It even reached the point where Yahoo News contacted Kadokawa seeking explanations.
Kadokawa’s response?
“The license plates on the motorcycles shown in the anime use ‘shi’ and ‘n,’ which are not seen in reality, and it is clearly stated that the work is fictional.”
The illustrator of Super Cub also had to state the obvious:
“Entertainment works, not just manga and anime, are not textbooks, so I don’t think it’s necessary for characters to do everything correctly.”
漫画やアニメに限らず、娯楽作品ってのは教科書じゃないので、登場するキャラクターが絶対に正しくある必要なんて無いと思っております。
— 蟹丹＠カブ8巻4/10発売 (@kanitoon02) May 26, 2021
SPY x FAMILY and the “Recording Error”
But wait, SPY x FAMILY had a controversy? Well, of all the cases here, this one has the least blame on the anime; in fact, the main complaint is directed towards TV Tokyo.
During the airing of SPY x FAMILY Episode 14, “Disarm the Time Bomb,” there was a slight delay due to a table tennis championship occurring at the time.
It’s quite normal for some programs to experience delays due to sports events or other essential news, right? Now, imagine the surprise of those who can’t stay up late to watch their anime and set up recorders to capture it.
When they woke up the next day to watch the episode, where was it? On that day, there were numerous complaints on Twitter, so much so that the term “Recording Failure” became a trend, with many people complaining that they couldn’t record the episode.
So, what happened? According to news I saw at the time, the regular airing time for episodes was 11 p.m., but that day, the official anime Twitter account said the time was uncertain but listed the episode as airing at 11:50. However, TV Tokyo actually started airing the episode at 11:26, as the tennis championship ended earlier than expected!
This left those who set their recorders in a lurch. TV Tokyo acknowledged the complaints and prepared to re-broadcast the episode immediately.
And there you have it, 4 “unexpected anime controversies.” What do you think, and which ones were new to you?
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