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TV Tokyo Issues Formal Apology For Kemono Friends 2 Producer's 'Unprofessional Conduct'

posted on by Kim Morrissy
Nobuyuki Hosoya is believed to have created a TATSUKI bashing Twitter account.

TV Tokyo issued an apology on Monday for a Kemono Friends 2 producer's unprofessional conduct. On TV Tokyo's Kemono Friends 2 website, the notice states: "An employee of TV Tokyo has made statements on social media regarding the broadcast of Kemono Friends 2. Some of these statements have included unpleasant and unprofessional conduct towards viewers.

"It is entirely up to the viewers to express their evaluation of a product. Those who are involved in the creation of Kemono Friends 2 must accept the results earnestly. We believe that this is an essential aspect of working in production.

"We deeply apologize for this incident."

Although the apology does not name anyone, it is believed to refer to TV Tokyo producer Nobuyuki Hosoya, who is responsible for recruiting Ryuichi Kimura as a director on Kemono Friends 2. On Tuesday, the Kemono Friends website posted a last-minute change of plans to a previously announced screening event to be held later the same day, indicating that Hosoya would not be attending.

On Twitter, Hosoya gained a reputation for replying condescendingly to fans criticizing the Kemono Friends 2 anime. On April 2, the day the final episode of Kemono Friends 2 aired, he wrote several tweets insinuating that the naysayers were not perceptive enough to understand the appeal of Kemono Friends 2 and were just blindly following the first anime. He has not tweeted since then.

It is also believed that Hosoya created a Twitter account to bash TATSUKI, the director of the first Kemono Friends anime. This alleged Twitter account, which went under the handle Hyōmura Faneru (@Palis12832142), has since been deleted. Fans speculated that the Hyōmura Faneru account was actually run by Hosoya because it stated information that only a production insider would know, and because the two accounts had suspiciously similar writing quirks and personalities. The two accounts would have friendly exchanges on Twitter. Hyōmura Faneru once retweeted an Aikatsu! promotion tweet, despite having never shown any interest in Aikatsu!, and then reversed the action. (Hosoya is also a producer on Aikatsu!.)

The production of Kemono Friends 2 has been a source of controversy ever since it was revealed that TATSUKI and Yaoyorozu, the director and studio behind the first Kemono Friends TV anime, would not return for Kemono Friends 2. A fan reportedly shaved his head to protest TATSUKI's removal.

Kemono Friends 2 premiered on January 7. The new anime's story begins with Serval and Caracal finding a "human" child in the forest. As they travel with the child, they meet new Friends, uncover the secrets of Japari Park, and become involved in an event that will "shake the earth."

Source: TV Tokyo, Love R (Link 2), Kemono Friends 2 official website, Nobuyuki Hosoya's Twitter account


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