News
Kokoro Connect Cancels Part of PR Campaign This Weekend
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The official website for the Kokoro Connect anime announced on Friday that it is cancelling the itasha (decorated car) publicity campaign and Ustream streaming portions of the "Tochi Random" publicity events for the September 8-9 weekend.
The staff will still host the Tochi Random caravan events on those two days at Animate stores in Sendai and Yokohama. The Sendai event will feature voice cast members Takahiro Mizushima (Taichi Yaegashi), Asuka Ōgame (Rina Yaegashi), and Mitsuhiro Ichiki (the appointed head of the show's public relations department). The event in Yokohama will have both Ōgame and Ichiki.
On Sunday and Tuesday, the official website issued two statements regarding the public treatment of Ichiki since an advanced screening event in June. Ichiki had auditioned for an anime-original character, but he was informed at the June event that he would instead act as the Head of Public Relations for the series, not as part of the voice cast.
After the fan backlash for the "Candid Camera-style project," the anime's production committee said that it had planned from the beginning to make Ichiki part of the voice cast for the last episodes of the series. The production committee apologized for "insufficient consideration regarding performers" leading to "widespread discomfort and misunderstanding" in its publicty campaign.
[Via Jam Guru]
