Interest
Police Step In Amid Fight Between BanG Dream! Fans in Osaka
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Things got heated in Osaka after a fight broke out between BanG Dream! fans at the Animax Musix event on Saturday. What started as a group of fans gathering for photo and hoping to enjoy a performance by Poppin' Party ended with a police intervention.
The group posed for a photo but a disagreement escalated into a full-scale argument and shoving between at least four members. Concert-goers captured the fight on their phones and, allegedly, an iron pipe was brandished and used to smash a cell phone.
事の発端となった光害勢 pic.twitter.com/OBtEiuju8t
— *ぽよんほ* (@yui0_a) January 19, 2019
光り物ごときで乱闘起きてるけど…これが声優現場ですか…#animaxmusix pic.twitter.com/B8ZsT4X0vh
— *ぽよんほ* (@yui0_a) January 19, 2019
One member of the group, seen briefly in the above video, is shown wearing a colorful BanG Dream! happi coat while arguing with another member. The individual bears a resemblance to one of the three suspects arrested for vandalizing the Love Live! Sunshine!! manhole covers in Numazu but has not been positively identified as the same person. It's unknown if his resemblance to that suspect is related to the fight breaking out.
BanG Dream! executive producer Takaaki Kidani wrote on Twitter on Sunday that he received many messages on Twitter regarding security at the upcoming BanDori 7th Live three-day concert at Nippon Budokan. Kidani wrote that he'd like to come up with a perfect security system for the event and will announce details at the scene. He hopes that that the staff can put on an event that everyone can enjoy with confidence.
バンドリ7thライブの警備体制に関して私のツイッターに多数ご意見を頂いております。当日は万全の警備体制で臨みたいと思いますが詳細は現場と詰めまして発表します。皆さまが安心して楽しめるイベントの開催を目指しております。ミルキィ武道館も同様に考えており、何卒ご理解よろしくお願いします。
— 木谷高明 (@kidanit) January 20, 2019
Bad idol fan behavior has left an indelible mark on the Love Live! fandom. Raucous concert-goers at a Love Live! Sunshine!! event at Akihabara UDX led to a reminder that continued poor behavior could lead to events being cancelled. The official site has also issued multiple warnings to Numazu visitors to respect the town's citizens and private property.
Problems have continued in Numazu including the aforementioned manhole vandalism that led to authorities removing the covers from the streets. Since then, a Love Live! Sunshine!! itasha driver was arrested for a hit-and-run in the town. The anime's director Kazuo Sakai also received online harassment from alleged "fans" of the series and threatened legal action if the behavior did not stop.
