TBS President Defends Vivent Amidst Criticism from Chinese Media
TBS President addresses backlash over Japanese drama Vivent, asserting it is fictional and not intended to offend.
Beijing, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : The president of TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System), Masamine Ryuhou, responded to criticisms from Chinese media regarding the popular Japanese drama “Vivent.” He acknowledged receiving the comments and stated, “We take these remarks seriously.” However, he emphasized that the show is a “completely fictional” work and was not intended to demean any particular country or hurt the feelings of its citizens.
In response to his clarification, numerous Japanese netizens quickly pointed out that while the drama referenced hostile nations, claiming it was not specific was an entirely meaningless excuse.
Senator Hiroyuki Konishi from the Constitutional Democratic Party also chimed in, arguing that editing programs that portray specific countries as hostile and villainous violates the broadcasting guidelines of the Japan Commercial Broadcasting Association and breaches broadcasting laws.
On October 28, around 11 PM, Sanrio (Shanghai) International Trading Company Limited issued a statement regarding the termination of its collaboration with “Vivent” and its characters. They expressed, “We have received feedback from various parties. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
As of now, there has been no statement from Sanrio Inc., the parent company in Japan, regarding the end of its joint venture with “Vivent.”
