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NEWS: Kokoro Connect Staff Issues Statements on Performer's Treatment

Blood- wrote:

Tanteikingdomkey wrote: I would agree with people not preordering singles in objection to this, and waiting for the season set or even the R1 if I was really offended. I totally don't get this mindset. Even the guy most affected by this stupid stunt probably doesn't want a boycott to happen. So everybody who worked on the production - even those who had absolutely nothing to do with the stunt get to be punished, right? Another depressing example of human stupidity at its unfinest.

First off almost all those people have already been paid. do you know who gets payed based upon sales and who gets paid based on their work?also I never said don't buy it I said wait for a cheaper collection.

Tanteikingdomkey wrote:

Blood- wrote: Tanteikingdomkey wrote: I would agree with people not preordering singles in objection to this, and waiting for the season set or even the R1 if I was really offended. I totally don't get this mindset. Even the guy most affected by this stupid stunt probably doesn't want a boycott to happen. So everybody who worked on the production - even those who had absolutely nothing to do with the stunt get to be punished, right? Another depressing example of human stupidity at its unfinest. First off almost all those people have already been paid. do you know who gets payed based upon sales and who gets paid based on their work?also I never said don't buy it I said wait for a cheaper collection.

That's kind of irrelevant if this boycott prevents a second season from getting made, doesn't it? Starting to understand the ramifications of a stupid boycott or does it still have to be spelled out for you?

you assume though that their would have been a second season now don't you. has their been any indication that there would have been normally. also you assume that all these people can only work on a season 2 and would not be doing other projects. the only person who for sure would receive money if they did a season 2 is the original author. Unless you have some reason why all these people can only work on connect 2, then this is a worthless argument. also who is to say they actually wouldn't try something similar again in season 2 the mastermind supposedly already did a similar incident once. also who says that fans have to all buy singles to get a season 2. they could spend enough on the season box sets to get a season 2.

If they wanted to make Ichiki the PR guy that's fine, but I really don't get why they had to go out of their way to do the prank. The second "apology" on the official site says that their plan was to make Ichiki struggle at first, but by "connecting" with the people around him, he was supposed to overcome them. Okay... Then why punish the guy? Any of you see the mid-term results that was recorded in the caravan? The guy was shocked-- literally. The statement claims they asked him to exaggerate the pain, but how is someone supposed to know that just by watching? From our POV it looks like they're hurting the guy.

Maybe they really didn't mean any harm with this prank but from what was shown, it's hard for the audience to believe otherwise so I think the staff brought this all on themselves.

Can find the rest of the incident online:

http://sakuraiyuuko.tumblr.com/post/30758788495/summary-on-kokoro-connect-incident

http://shakingtheworld.tumblr.com/post/30590243183/about-the-kokoro-connect-incident

Can't say they are punishing him than giving him a chance in the anime series because the staff, voice actors and anime company screwed themselves up royally with this stunt.

But I still don't see the need for a boycott. People shouldn't be punishing the majority for the actions of a few; think of all the other voice actors, animators and production staff who put their time and effort into making the anime adaption. Also, this show is awesome. We can't let something like this spoil it.

Wait, people are planning on boycotting the DVD/BD releases?
...Is it bad that I could actually feel the tears welling up? I seriously adore this show (I have the first 4 light novels on my shelf and I can't even read Japanese!). It would be such an absolute shame to lose any chance we might have had of a second season because of a crappy PR stunt by the anime team.

Basically Terashima asked Ichiki to show up as a surprised guest at the event. While the anime producer including the sound producer was pulling strings behind Ichiki's back as the said PR to promote the anime, which he has no role or cast in the anime. Unfortunately, Terashima and among a female seiyuu went too far into the deep while continue to laugh at the poor guy on and off screen, and radio program. A keen listener asked about the incident on Sugita's radio program before the cancellation and Sugita been giving the Terashima the cold shoulder of literally ignoring him on Bandai Radio when they sat together.

Can find the rest of the incident online:

http://sakuraiyuuko.tumblr.com/post/30758788495/summary-on-kokoro-connect-incident

http://shakingtheworld.tumblr.com/post/30590243183/about-the-kokoro-connect-incident

Can't say they are punishing him than giving him a chance in the anime series because the staff, voice actors and anime company screwed themselves up royally with this stunt.

Oh I know the whole backstory. I've already gone through a bunch of videos with video and audio clips from the different events and radio shows.

I don't think Terashima "asked" Ichiki to show up at the event though. These kinds of things have to go through the agency, so in this case Mausu Promotion. Ichiki wouldn't be allowed to show up just because Terashima asked him to.

Like I said in my first post on this thread, I definitely had my doubts about Ichiki being bullied since he and Terashima are very good friends and I couldn't see his agency allowing this to go on, but if you look at the videos and audio clips objectively then you can't help but believe that Ichiki was being treated badly. Ichiki says that that wasn't the case but I think he's partially to blame for this situation getting out of hand because of how he reacted to things. If he laughed it up a bit more than I think people would have had a different opinion.

Bottom line is I think the staff and cast need to reflect on how their actions are seen by others so as to not cause a misunderstanding again in the future.

Ichiki was the center of the entire situation in which they gave him the PR role, and openly mocked him out in the open in front of many listeners and live audiences. And with all the negativity it's been receiving from the event to the radio cancellation it does say something that Ichiki was being bullied by his peers co-workers and seiyuu seniors.

Sugita stopped speaking with Terashima, and unfollowed him on Twitter. Defend the guy all you want, but that being said I can't believe the producer and certain fellow seiyuu members have stooped so low. Something like this shouldn't have happened and it would have just remain behind the scene for all I know than making themselves look like bunch of jerks.

http://breadmasterlee.com/2012/08/30/terashima-takuma-in-ijime-connect/

Like I said, I know the whole backstory. I read the page you linked last week, before this story was posted on ANN. I understand Japanese and have watched/listened to all the video/audio clips on niconico. I've already mentioned that I was shocked when I heard that Terashima had said some of the things he did.

My point is that the "apologies" are all saying, "It wasn't supposed to turn out like this" or "You guys all misunderstood," yet if you watch/listen to the "evidence," there really isn't any other way to interpret what was going on other than that Ichiki was being bullied. If everyone's reaction was really just due to a misunderstanding then it is not the audience's fault but more the staff and cast's fault for projecting that image.

bradc wrote:

Ichiki was the center of the entire situation in which they gave him the PR role, and openly mocked him out in the open in front of many listeners and live audiences. And with all the negativity it's been receiving from the event to the radio cancellation it does say something that Ichiki was being bullied by his peers co-workers and seiyuu seniors. Sugita stopped speaking with Terashima, and unfollowed him on Twitter. Defend the guy all you want, but that being said I can't believe the producer and certain fellow seiyuu members have stooped so low. Something like this shouldn't have happened and it would have just remain behind the scene for all I know than making themselves look like bunch of jerks. http://breadmasterlee.com/2012/08/30/terashima-takuma-in-ijime- connect/

I fully agree with this. though I have to agree something is off. since I agree that his group should have known something about this and protected their actor better. somewhere someone really screwed up and this idea is beyond stupid anyway, and should never have been done.