Police in Wakayama detained Kouichirou Itou , producer of the animes Your Name and Suzume no Tojimari , for harassing young people in Nagano, Japan. Itou confessed to the charges, although he told authorities that he “has already done this to other people , so it is uncertain whether the charges relate to the minors mentioned.”
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According to information provided by authorities, Itou requested photos of this girl in September 2021, aware that she was a minor.
Itou was discovered as part of a separate prostitution investigation, police said. Authorities are currently investigating whether there are other victims involved in this case. It is important to note that Itou was a producer on many of director Makoto Shinkai's works, including his second feature film “Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho”, “Hoshi wo Ou Kodomo”, “Kotonoha no Niwa (The Garden of Words)”, his successful film “Kimi no Na wa. (Your Name.)”, and his next two films “Tenki no Ko (The Time with You)” and “Suzume no Tojimari”.
The news caused a stir in the anime industry and among followers of the works in which Itou was involved. So far, the studios and production companies related to his projects have not commented on the matter. Although this situation has also raised concerns about the safety and well-being of minors working in or associated with the entertainment industry:
- I thought he only produced Your Name, but I took a look and it looks like he's been a constant collaborator with Makoto Shinkai for a long time.
- Considering the scene where the girl gropes her breasts, it makes me wonder how long I've been doing this kind of thing.
- I find it quite curious that the girl in “Your Name” is also a high school student like the victim. When I watched the film again, I felt that her crimes would be linked to the story. It is worrying that this producer will now face multiple accusations of sexual harassment of minors, it is no longer a matter of simple possession of images.
- It was clear, you can't make a movie where a high school girl gropes her breasts and gets away with it.
- You Namef hi made by many people, but everything goes to hell because of just one.
- As expected, a criminal record will haunt you for life
- Although many say it's unnecessary to mention the detail that he was the producer of “Your Name”, this guy is a close collaborator of Makoto Shinkai and has been in almost all of his projects. I think this will really have an impact on his future films.
Synopsis:
Mitsuha, a teenager living in the picturesque town of Itomori, situated in the mountains of Hida, Japan. Feeling bored with rural life, she longs for urban experiences and dreams of moving to Tokyo. In a family tradition, she and her family prepare kuchikamizake, a special sake, and offer it at the ancestral shrine, located on a mountain on the outskirts of the city.
Finally, the producer has an extensive list of works with director Makoto Shinkai.
Source: Yahoo! Taiwan
