Interest
Etten no Sora Manga Artist Blames Hobby Japan, 'Human Rights' for [New Life+] Cancellation
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
The cancellation of the [New Life+] Young Again in Another World anime has caused ripples throughout the anime industry. Outspoken anime director Yutaka Yamamoto (Wake Up, Girls!, Kannagi) weighed in earlier this week blaming both Japanese neo-nationalists and Chinese nationalists for the cancellation. Taekwondar Park manga original creator Masao Shiro's Twitter account was suspended after using a derogatory slur towards Japanese people while jokingly recommending his own manga for adaptation.
Writer Chiharu Takano, artist of the alternate history military manga Etten no Sora, shared their opinion on Twitter after the cancellation news broke. Takano wrote that the developments are having a chilling effect on social media and fears that statements made on websites like Twitter could put creators' livelihoods in danger.
"I understand that the anime [New Life+] was cancelled, [but] to stop publishing the novels is awful, seriously dangerous, hella scary, and I'm afraid I can't say things on Twitter. It's a dystopia. I'm shaking," they wrote.
Takano added, "Seriously though, people's lives are being ruined by this all mighty bludgeon known as 'human rights'. I'm less afraid of a 'flag' for communism than a 'bludgeon' for human rights," they wrote.
However, Takano added that they do not defend MINE's racist statements, but aren't sure it's something that a writer should be 'cut off' for. Takano said they've never insulted minorities on Twitter or engaged in hate speech but also said "I don't know the definition of hate speech."
They surmised that the cancellation had less to do with creator MINE's racist tweets against Korean and Chinese people, but the contents of the novels themselves. Takano credited publisher Hobby Japan for some of the blame and wrote, "The series had already reached 18 volumes. If it's hate speech, what is Hobby Japan doing? This isn't just the writer, but also the publisher's responsibility."
