Hirokoshiko’s Boku no Hero Academia got caught in an unfortunate incident with the Chinese government. Even after the public apology was given by Hirokoshiko and Shueisha, the manga and anime have been taken down from bilibili, a Chinese streaming platform.
The name of a villain, Dr. Ujiko, was recently revealed to be “Maruta Shiga” in chapter 259 of the series, titled “A Quiet Beginning.”
“Maruta” refers to the code-name for human experimentation undertaken by the Imperial Japanese Army’s Unit 731 during the Second Sino-Japanese War of World War II.
The Chinese victims of the experiments were called ‘maruta’ and the Japanese word for “logs” was a reference to the facilities cover story that it was a lumber mill. Victims, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, and the mentally handicapped, were purposefully infected with diseases, dissected, lobotomized, and amputated while still alive.
This name reminded the Chinese people of the horrors of World War II and upset them. Hirokoshiko and Shueisha published public apologies for this, which can be seen below:
今週発売のジャンプで登場した志賀丸太という名前について、歴史的な出来事を想起させるというご意見を多くいただいています。命名にあたり、そのような意図を込めたつもりはありませんでした。ご指摘のお声を重く受け止め、今後は名前を差し替えさせていただきます。
— 堀越耕平 (@horikoshiko) February 3, 2020
Many have heard that the name Shiga Log, which appeared in the jump this week, is reminiscent of historical events. I didn’t mean that in the naming. We take your comments very seriously and will replace your name in the future.
English Translation
週刊少年ジャンプ10号(2月3日発売)『僕のヒーローアカデミア』についてお知らせ
— 少年ジャンプ編集部 (@jump_henshubu) February 3, 2020
週刊少年ジャンプ編集部 pic.twitter.com/rKzagOJHl0
News about Weekly Shonen Jump No. 10 (released on February 3) “My Hero Academia”
Weekly Shonen Jump Editorial Department
English Translation
[Notice] Weekly Shonen Jump No.10 (Released on February 3) It was pointed out that the character of “My Hero Academia”, “Shiga Log”, has a name that “recalls past historical facts”. The authors and editorial departments do not have such intentions in naming.
However, because it is not unique to be able to superimpose works with irrelevant historical facts, we decided to change the name of the person at the time of recording the comic in consultation with the author.
February 3, 2020 Weekly Shonen Jump Editorial Department
English Translation
Subsequently, Tencent comics and bilibili manga removed the manga series and the anime from their platforms. Before they were taken down, an array of negative reviews dropped the rating of the anime to a mere 3.7/10.
Along with this, the My Hero Academia: Strongest Hero game was also removed from Xin Yuan’s page. The game would have been the studio’s first game release. However, that seems highly unlikely now. No confirmation about the game’s cancellation has been announced.
About My Hero Academia:
My Hero Academia or Boku no Hero Academia is the story of a quirkless boy Izuku Midoriya and how he backed the greatest Hero alive. Midoriya, a boy who has been admiring heroes and their ventures since the day he was born, came into this world without a quirk.
On one fateful day, he meets All Might the greatest Hero of all time and discovers that he was quirkless as well. With his diligent attitude and unwavering spirit about being a hero, Midoriya manages to impress All Might and is chosen to be the heir to the power of One for All. Upon inheriting, he gets access to all the abilities of the No 1 hero.
Source: https://www.abacusnews.com/culture/hit-manga-my-hero-academia-removed-china-over-war-crimes-reference/article/3048874
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