Anime production “Dahliya in Bloom (Madougushi Dahliya wa Utsumukanai)” was involved in controversy after suspicion of involvement of a North Korean company. The production committee issued a statement apologizing for the inconvenience and explaining the situation in detail.

According to the statement, an investigation was carried out into the personnel involved in the production. The subcontracting chain revealed that work had been delegated from a Japanese company to a Chinese company and then to another Chinese company. One of these companies did not provide a list of its staff, leading to suspicions about the possible involvement of a North Korean company. To resolve the issue, it was decided to reshoot the suspicious parts with the Japanese staff before the anime's broadcast in July 2024.

The possible involvement of a North Korean company in the production of a Japanese anime is problematic due to the complex political relations and international sanctions imposed on North Korea. The sanctions seek to pressure the North Korean regime to abandon its nuclear program and improve its human rights policies. The involvement of a North Korean company could violate these sanctions and lead to legal and diplomatic repercussions for the Japanese companies involved.

“Dahliya in Bloom” is an anime adaptation of the popular light novels. The story follows Dahlia, who, after dying from overwork in Japan, is reborn in a world full of magic. Raised by a master craftsman of magical tools, Dahlia falls in love with the craft and becomes engaged to her father's apprentice. However, before the wedding, her father dies and her fiancé confesses that he is in love with someone else. Dahlia then decides to live for herself and dedicate herself to her craft, facing several challenges.

The series caught the attention of fans of the isekai genre thanks to its determined protagonist and its plot focused on personal and professional growth in a magical world. The current controversy highlights the challenges behind anime production and the importance of maintaining transparent and ethical production processes.

• “It's not a bad study, it's THE bad study.“.
• “Wow, I expected a lot from them, but there's not much information from the beginning. I really don't want Koreans or Chinese involved, but I think that's impossible in today's animation industry.“.
• “This is a complete waste of money from the production committee's point of view.“.
• “It's great that they did their research, but the multi-hiring structure is terrible.“.
• “Thank you for all your hard work. I've been looking forward to this and am so relieved that it will go live without a hitch.“.
• “Am I the only one who thinks this doesn't need to be reproduced? It's a burden on the team, can't they say they'll be careful in the future?“.
• “I know it must be tough for the team to fight against the clock, but please don't do anything reckless that could harm your bodies. I know there are a lot of things to be done with the project, but as an amateur, I can wait as long as I want.“.
• “It's so drastic that they're remaking the movie with the Japanese crew (if that's true). Due to the nature of the situation, they couldn't release it as is, and it was still before the broadcast, so I think it's a measure they could have taken.“.
• “Is this the era where we have to manage the supply chain even for anime production?“.
• “It is a lot of work to rework the relevant parts. We will have to draft a contract that does not allow subcontracting and other similar practices.“.

Source: Otakomu