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Kuroko's Basketball Ichiban Kuji Line Delayed

posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Osaka dōjinshi event asks circles for 'self-restraint' by not releasing Kuroko's Basketball material

The Japanese character goods maker Banpresto has announced that it is postponing the start of its Ichiban Kuji lottery line for the Kuroko's Basketball franchise. The campaign was slated to begin near the end of December. The company did not provide a new start date for the campaign, but noted that it will announce the new date on its website when a decision is made.

Banpresto had already cancelled sales of the lottery line as well as display, sales, and giveaways of other Kuroko's Basketball-related merchandise at this week's Jump Festa event after event supervisors cancelled the Kuroko's Basketball Super Stage event as well as other Kuroko's Basketball events, exhibits, and sale of tie-in goods.

Additionally, the Comic City Osaka 92 dōjinshi event announced on Tuesday that it is asking dōjinshi circles to show self-restraint by not distributing any Kuroko's Basketball-related material at the event. The event is slated for January 6. Both Banpresto and the Comic City Osaka 92 event supervisors apologized to fans for the late notice and asked for fans' cooperation and understanding.

On December 8, the Comic Market Preparations Committee, the group responsible for organizing the largest dōjinshi event in the world, announced that the event is "with deep regret" disqualifying Kuroko's Basketball circles from participating due to threats. In addition, other circles are asked not to distribute Kuroko's Basketball dōjinshi, goods, and other materials. The event is also stepping up security in cooperation with Tokyo Big Sight event complex (the host of the semiannual event) and the police. The measures included bag checks for hazardous materials.

Since October, multiple locations linked to Kuroko's Basketball creator Tadatoshi Fujimaki have received threat letters with powdered and liquid substances. A source in the investigation of Kuroko's Basketball threat letters said there is a high possibility that the liquid sent to Sophia University on October 12 could emit a lethal dose of hydrogen sulfide if vaporized.

At least six Kuroko's Basketball dōjinshi events were canceled last month. Tokyo Big Sight received a threat earlier in October, but the "Shadow Trickster 3" event proceeded without incident there on October 20. The official "Kuroko no Basuke produced by Namco Namja Town" event in Tokyo did end 19 days early as a result of the threats, and Animate Café Tennoji in Osaka cancelled a planned Kuroko's Basketball collaboration event.

[Via 0takomu, Yaraon!, Hachima Kikō]


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