Otaku Culture

They already want to cancel the loli wife anime

This morning the first promotional video for the anime adaptation of “If my wife became an elementary school student (Tsuma, Shougakusei ni Naru)”. Although the story may be controversial due to its theme and appearance, the synopsis is completely opposite:

Keisuke Niijima lost his beloved wife, Takae, 10 years ago. Since then, he has not felt alive and is seen as a dark man. The only family Keisuke has left is his only daughter, Mai. Keisuke wants Mai to be happy, but he has done nothing for his daughter other than provide for her. Time between father and daughter stopped 10 years ago. They live in the same house, but lead very separate lives and do not communicate well. One day, a middle school girl appears in front of Niijima's house and claims to be Takae's reincarnation.

The story is completely charming and there is nothing “perverted” about it. However, unfortunately, when the news reached the Western media, It didn't take long for internet users to jump to conclusions and immediately criticize the project.:

«This is why it's so hard for new people to start watching anime».
«Yeah, the judge won't believe your wife turned into a girl, brother, you're going to federal prison».
«I swear the anime gets weirder and weirder with each new season.».
«What the hell am I looking at?».
«The Japanese never won the charges».
«And that's how we do gatekeeping right, October is going to be a crazy month».
«If tourists had their way, all of Japan's entertainment would be Marvel/Lucas Films filth.».
«I understand why people are scared. Honestly, it's not that bad. It's a pretty wholesome manga. Personally, I don't find it interesting, but from what I've read about it. It's wholesome.».
«I don't think I read the title correctly. I really need to improve my English. Because there's no way something like this will ever hit the market.».
«I'm not usually interested in loli anime, but I like the plot of the wife/mother being reborn as an annoying brat, so I'll watch it.».
«I forgot they were doing this, it looks really cool, but I don't know how I feel about the character designs».
«Lots of pedophilia schemes. Kudos to the Japanese for never trying to avoid criticism».
«With all these comments talking about the title of this show... what would be a good replacement title for it? honest question».
«Okay... I like cute stuff, but this is... like this is weird... Like super weird. I understand there's a difference in Japan and America, but hmm, I feel like this is a little weird, it's definitely not on my list of expected anime».
«An anime dedicated to certified pedophiles».
«Who the hell thinks of these things? “If my wife became an elementary school student”, what kind of title is that?».
«Mao Zedong's biggest mistake as a commander was not invading and occupying at least half of Japan when the Soviets entered.».
«For those who won't watch the series because of the title. It's very misleading. Very good manga about loss, nothing suspicious, depressingly good material».
«I read the manga. It's a very bittersweet story. Basically the uncle's wife dies and she is reincarnated but with her memories intact. The story focuses on how her family deals with the grief and how they both move on with their lives. since the wife also has a family».
«I was also shocked by the title when it was announced months ago, but instead of wishing Japan would be bombed again and calling everything pedophilia like “normal people”, I started researching and realized that it’s actually a good story and there’s nothing strange about it.».
«Reminder to the West: You are not the target audience. Being upset about something made for another country's audience is like going to a restaurant and trying to return someone else's order to the chef because you don't like what they ordered.».
«I have a feeling this is heading towards comedy, but it all depends on how they present it. On its own, it starts with reincarnation and the fact that they preserve memories of their past lives, so let's see what they do with these letters.».
«People really need to not be reactionary and immediately outraged by these things, especially when you are wrong in your assumptions. I have read the first volume and it is very good and honest. For now, I recommend it.».
«I understand that it's supposed to be a story about helping a family mourn the death of their mother. But it's so obvious what the author was going for with the premise of the mother turning back into a girl. And you already know how the dark side of the internet is going to treat this idea.».
«Honestly, I would like more anime or series in general that address themes of reincarnation, noisekai-type reincarnation.».
«Okay, from what I’ve heard, the actual content is completely harmless, it just has a really alarming title. “If My Wife Became an Elementary School Student” was definitely not the best choice.».
«People coming up screaming about lolis when they don't even know the tragedy that is his wife reincarnating as an elementary school student and her remembering».
«It makes you think it's a bad thing, but then it hits you with deep thoughts, existential crises, and the reminder that loss is inevitable.».
«I think that sums up the content of anime. A lot of these shows seem to rely on one gimmick and use it for multiple episodes. Some people might like it and that's fine, but it's not for me.».
«Seriously, aren't there other works worth animating that are better than this one?».
«Is there any way to cancel the show and not waste money on this shit and put it into an anime that is worth watching or what?».
«This thread is like a free blocklist. Since this is probably the most wholesome manga ever (and also incredibly sad), people on Twitter judge it by the title. Honestly, it's a great filter, but I really shouldn't have to filter... Either way, I'm glad an anime is being made!».