In response to the recent controversy and tragedy related to the live action series from “Sexy Tanaka-san”, Nippon TV has issued a press release announcing important changes to its production policies.. These changes are focused on “respect the original material” and “establish a social media monitoring team”.

• «We express our condolences on the death of Hinako Ashihara, the author of the live-action “Sexy Tanaka-san” broadcast in October 2023. Nippon TV takes this situation very seriously and, based on the investigative report by “Sexy Tanaka-san” published on Friday, May 31, has formed the “Promotion Team for Improving the Live-Action Production Process.” We will follow the attached guidelines for the production of live-action series by Nippon TV, with the aim of constructing and implementing a proper production process for live-action series.».

The author of the manga, Hinako Ashihara committed suicide earlier this year following a social media controversy. Ashihara had stated on his blog that Nippon TV did not respect his condition of keeping the adaptation faithful to the manga, pointing out several deleted scenes and changes in characterization. Although she wrote the scripts for the final two episodes, Ashihara deleted her post shortly before her death. After her death on January 29, Nippon TV said it followed protocol in consulting with her and that she approved the script.

The television station's new guidelines include:

• Reconstruction of the Production Process: Appropriate processes will be reviewed and established, emphasizing respect for the source material. There will be direct and frequent communication with the original creators, and a basic agreement on the adaptation will be reached one year before broadcast.
• Building a safe and reliable production environment: Workload and staff distribution will be optimized to avoid overloads, ensuring clear communication and transparency in production processes.
• Proper Use and Management of Social Networks: A social media policy will be implemented, consultation points will be established and a rapid response team will be formed to deal with social media crises, protecting those involved from harassment and defamation.
• Talent development in live-action production: The training and experience of producers and production staff will be promoted, offering training and mentoring programs to ensure that the team is well prepared and supported.

Nippon TV is committed to following these guidelines to ensure a more careful and respectful production of live-action series with everyone involved. However, comments from netizens in Japan show that they are skeptical about this:

• «They say this, but in the end they will pressure the original author to accept the changes.».
• «Respecting the source material should be a no-brainer. Is that when they decide that?».
• «The fact that they can't say they're going to stop making live-action series for a few years shows that their policies are just a facade. In a society where even comedians take a break after a traffic accident».
• «Unless the author really wants a live-action adaptation, it's best to reject it.».
• «You can't trust anyone when there's already been a death».
• «It reads like an essay by a high school student. They ask business partners to also make an effort, but they assume that it is the production team's fault and not the company's, which is ridiculous.».
• «No matter how much they set guidelines and sign contracts, if they believe that 'television logic' will prevail, it won't do any good. They need to get rid of this privileged mentality so that the same thing doesn't happen.».
• «Honestly, it seems like they're rushing to clean up their image before the 24-hour television event. Anyone could say the same.».
• «The best strategy would be not to do it live action series based on original works».

Source: Hachima Kikou