Renowned Japanese artist “Channel / Caststation”known for his videos and illustrations of Hatsune Miku, announced in a statement that it will stop illustrating the popular character due to the controversy generated on social media. According to reports and testimonies, the artist was the target of criticism from users who consider that Hatsune Mikudespite being a fictional character with no defined canonical age, She should not be represented in an erotic way, as some consider her a “minor”.

The Channel's statement explains that, due to the cancellation of some of its projects and the free time this left it with, it decided to return to focusing on illustration. However, he also mentions that after receiving increased criticism and backlash online, he decided to stop posting sensitive content related to Hatsune Miku on his account.

«I thought that since Hatsune Miku is a character free from any specific configuration, it was okay to draw her freely without worrying about the repercussions. But having achieved this level of recognition and having increased the number of people who feel uncomfortable with my work, perhaps it is a little unfair to continue using the nature of the character Hatsune Miku as an excuse. Therefore, starting this month, I will no longer post Hatsune Miku artwork with sensitive content on this account.", he wrote.

The community response has been varied, But many voices have risen in defense of the artist, questioning the “cancel culture” and intolerance that seems to be on the rise.especially on Western platforms. Some notable comments include:

• «Sometimes Western anime fans really irritate me. Why can't they just ignore the things they don't like? Why do they insist on ruining things for others too? This isn't the first time; it happens again and again with Japanese artists, and it's very sad.».
• «I don't know anything about this artist, but I don't understand why people who don't like something can't just ignore it, instead of harassing the creators and forcing them to stop.».
• «They're saying it's problematic to portray her this way because she's supposedly 16. Even leaving aside the fiction versus reality debate, it's a silly argument because back then it was just marketing. Miku is whatever age you want because the point is that she's a character with no defined history.».
• «The level of entitlement people feel today is insane. It's like being vegan and demanding a salad at a steakhouse instead of simply leaving and finding another restaurant.».
• «Sad. Never stop doing what you love because of others.».
• «I'm not a fan of Evangelion's erotic art, but like you said, I just ignore it and think it should be allowed to exist.».
• «I'll be honest. Western/modern audiences have ruined my daily joy more than my work or politics.».
• «We have to convince them to continue, we have to show them that we, Western fans, are just like them, we like these things. They shouldn't listen to these people.».
• «It takes 100 talented artists to start a fun trend. It only takes a bunch of toxic idiots online to ruin everyone's fun.».

This situation has sparked a debate in the community about the limits of creative freedom, especially when it comes to fictional characters, and to what extent artists should bow to social media pressures. For many, the Channel's removal is a worrying sign of how online criticism can affect creators' work and passion.

Source: Official Twitter Account