2012-09-02, 00:47 | Link #165 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
|
Not actively. However, lots of people were passively involved (including Eufonius, until Hajime Kikuchi made that tweet and drew himself into the prank) in that they knew what was going on but ignored it or quietly derived enjoyment from it.
That's how bullying works. There's no way this stunt could've been pulled off without the cast and core staff all in on it together. (BTW, active participants include the show's director and sound director, so they can't exactly distance themselves from the prank. They're the ones who held the audition, wrote the lines, gave the instructions, made the video, etc.) |
2012-09-02, 01:05 | Link #166 | |
Administrator
Join Date: Dec 2003
Age: 41
|
Quote:
I guess basically this whole story depends on the fact that the actor in question did not know he was being setup; that, in fact, the real acting job he was being paid for was to play this role of the gipped voice actor (sort of an act within an act). That, in truth, even this role was all part of his promo job for this production. But I guess it also depends on what all the actors and other players knew, or thought they knew. In the end, for all the controversy this has caused, I can see how a lot of the people involved may have been under the impression that everyone else was "in" on the joke (including the actor in question), when in fact some people may not have been told and then had to make up for themselves whether this is a joke or not. The problem is that we may never know for sure; even if the central actor involved came forward now and said "no, this was all an act, and I knew about it beforehand", people would say that he was bullied/coerced into making that statement just so the controversy goes away. So, in the end, it'll just end up as a sort of urban legend that they hope time will bury. Personally, I have a really hard time believing that so many people were involved in a stunt that was designed strictly to play on someone's misery and be aware that the person involved wouldn't know and that they wouldn't realize this was part of the act. If that's actually what happened, then I just see it as a case of a stray idea that went terribly wrong in the execution, rather than something that's outright sinister. Like I could see someone saying afterwards "wait, wait, wait... you didn't tell him?!" "Well, we thought it'd be more realistic this way..." "You idiot..."
__________________
|
|
2012-09-02, 01:10 | Link #167 |
絶対領域に嵌り過ぎた。
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Trendy Backwater
Age: 38
|
This incident mirrors the recent school bullying that happened in Japan, only little less serious. People involved in bullying also pretty much swept it over as if it's nothing unusual. As much as I like Japanese Culture, sometimes, they play real dumb by letting some offenders go with the light punishments.
Is Japan having a show 'Punk'd' of their own? At least the victim should receive some repercussion fee for public humiliation. |
2012-09-02, 01:29 | Link #168 |
そのおっぱいで13才
Join Date: Dec 2006
|
Quote:
And you know, we don't allow unauthorized use of video and audio, so we are gonna try and punish the people who released these things and got us into trouble! Damn, I hate those guys! If it wasn't for them... If it wasn't for them...!" In other words: Luke: "I'm not wrong! I'm not wrong!" PS:If the staff REALLY feels sorry like the message says, they should maybe quit or something. After all, it seems that it isn't the first time Yamanaka has bullied someone. PSS: Hyaha! http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm18744286 The staff has finally started to move, trying to delete anything involved with the incident. By the way, this video has the VAs (explained in video explanation) talking about the incident or talking to the victim. In general, Sugita and Mingos gives a good impression while the first two (rather no-names) were having................... their good times.
__________________
|
2012-09-02, 02:15 | Link #169 |
Seishu's Ace
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kobe, Japan
|
This all seems very weak to me - a pathetic attempt to try and recast what happened in a less incriminating light. I really don't think most people are going to buy it, and in fact it just increases the contempt I feel for the perps - even now that they've been caught red-handed - on video no less - they won't own up. They're still trying to pretend it's all a misunderstanding. Public figures just never learn - it's rarely the act that ruins you, it's the coverup.
In terms of Kokoro Connect "overcoming" this, I'm not sure what that even means. It wasn't going to sell well, and it wasn't going to have a second season either way. I think it'll finish airing and probably see all the extra eps finished, so in the end I don't think this will have mattered for the show apart from a few hundred fewer discs sold. I hope it doesn't effect the writer and illustrator, who had nothing to do with any of it. The ones who may not "overcome" this are Yamanaka and the two VAs directly involved - their careers may well suffer for this, and they probably should. I don't think their careers should end as a result, but they certainly have no basis to complain if work gets a little harder to come by for a while.
__________________
|
2012-09-02, 02:41 | Link #170 |
18782+18782=37564
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: InterWebs
|
"We're very sorry from the smallest corner somewhere in our hearts"
Oh well, if they think this is gonna help then screw them. Otaku would still boycott their products, and who else but otaku ever buys them?
__________________
|
2012-09-02, 03:08 | Link #172 |
Senior Member
Author
|
Yeah, I'm completely with Guardian Enzo on this. This really sounds like grasping at straws for PR Damage Control to me.
I like Kokoro Connect and it's really unfortunate that something like this has happened to the KC franchise (I especially feel for the writer of the KC novels), but it was selling poorly (as an anime) anyway. It's not like this controversy makes the difference between a likely 2nd season and no 2nd season - a 2nd season was unlikely in any event. This just makes it even more unlikely.
__________________
|
2012-09-02, 03:15 | Link #173 |
Banned
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Dai Korai Teikoku
|
1. Overcome as in the general franchise, meaning this incident wouldn't be hitting the novels or the manga.
2. While I have to say I usually don't say much about a second season, it is to my belief that a second season is still quite possible. Regardless of the profitability of the anime, it has done a pretty nice job as advertisement. Of course, I tend to be optimistic when it comes to my favored series, but given where the anime is supposed to stop, not making a second season is probably going to be a bit hard to swallow among the core fans. |
2012-09-02, 03:16 | Link #174 |
Princess or Plunderer?
Join Date: May 2009
Location: the Philippines
|
Soliloquy: This is the reason why I made that connection between this incident and Jigoku Shoujo is because the story is roughly the same. It shows the really, really bad side of Japanese culture — no, scratch that — make that human nature.
Yeah, it sucks that KitaEri had to suffer because of some rumor that linked her with one of the culprits. I hope that the wounds created by this fiasco on Eri's heart would heal soon.
__________________
|
2012-09-02, 03:37 | Link #175 | |
うるとらぺど
Join Date: Oct 2004
Age: 44
|
Quote:
If the studio and their staffs who are involved in the incident are truly victim of a smear campaign as they claim they are, why the need for such measures ? |
|
2012-09-02, 03:55 | Link #178 |
Portable Dude Mk. II
Artist
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: All ghillied up spying on someone ~2,000 yards away using telescope sights.
Age: 35
|
In fact, with that kind of... damage control... or at least I'm trying to say that believably (I'm being a bit sarcastic here), it's going to do the reverse...?
Seems people there (speaking from a "I don't know how people there do things" POV) depend on "erase the 'evidence,' let it die out" a lot huh?
__________________
|
2012-09-02, 04:26 | Link #179 | |
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
|
Quote:
As for the PR response now...it's like they're reading from the "The Bad PR Handbook". They're already going with the "it's taken out of context" move and also trying the "hey, we're the victims here" (illegal upload of stuff), along with the "we're sorry you got offended" move. What's next, Kikuchi going with the "my Twitter was hacked" or the equally believable "my brother/friend got a hold of my phone" moves? The apology is like shooting oneself in the foot, then pouring gasoline all over it and then lighting it on fire. Kokoro Connect sales were going to tank; are they trying to get all of King Records' shows to tank in the future? It would have been better if there was no "apology", seriously. |
|
2012-09-02, 04:55 | Link #180 |
うるとらぺど
Join Date: Oct 2004
Age: 44
|
http://ameblo.jp/garoumow/entry-11344293982.html
Ichiki broke his silence. He just says that while it's true that he was kept in the dark about the audition being fake, he just takes the disappointment in his stride as part of the job. He didn't expect the entire thing to get out of hand, too as he didn't harbour any ill will towards those supposed "bullies". Everything was taken out of context and Ichiki chided those who makes things seem worse than they really are. Finally, he express his apologies to those who are now under disterss because of the percieved crime aganist him. How one makes of this statement is his own decision. Ichiki might be sincere about this or he could be under order to downplay the issue for fear of losing his job. At least we get a comment from the victim now. The timing between the blog entry and the official apology is kind of uncanny though. Last edited by MakubeX2; 2012-09-02 at 06:07. |
Thread Tools | |
|
|