Japanese voice actor Junji Majimaknown for his roles in popular anime series such as “My Hero Academia” and “Boruto: Naruto Next Generations”, has offered a public apology after making insensitive comments about women on his social media account. The reception of the actor's statements has been divisive. According to Japanese news site Oricon, Majima posted a statement on his official Twitter account in response to the controversial comments he made on June 20, 2024.

The now-deleted posts showed Majima complaining about women changing seats around him out of fear on a sparsely populated train, expressing his confusion and belief that such actions also made men uncomfortable in such situations. However, many online users have pointed out that Japan has an unfortunate history of harassment of women on public transport, especially on trains and subways. This problem led the Japanese government to introduce women-only carriages in the early 2000s to combat sexual assault attempts.

«I would like to sincerely apologize for causing discomfort to the public and for the great inconvenience caused to everyone involved by my careless comments.» Majima said in his statement. «As they pointed out, it is true that some people feel uncomfortable sitting next to strangers, and it is very important to take daily precautions to protect yourself. I am aware that I made a naive, hasty and reckless comment. From now on I will change my way of thinking and will place even more emphasis on what the people around me feel and think, and I will reflect so as not to repeat the same mistakes. Once again, I sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.».

Although Majima has apologized for his words, fans seem divided in their responses. Some Japanese users pointed out that Majima has made insensitive and childish comments about women in the past and believe his apology feels more imposed by his agency than authentic.

Majima's controversial statements come shortly after legendary anime voice actor Toru Furuya admitted to having an extramarital affair with a fan., during which he physically assaulted her during an argument and pressured her to have an abortion. Furuya recently left his roles in “One Piece” and “Detective Conan (Case Closed).”

Majima has been in the anime voice acting industry for over twenty years. His most famous roles include Koku Hanabata in “My Hero Academia,” Kankitsu Akitsuki in “Boruto: Naruto Next Generations,” and Ryuji Takasu in “Toradora!” As of this writing, it has not been announced whether Majima's recent controversial statements and subsequent apology will have any significant impact on his voice acting career.

Source: Oricon News