My Hero Academia‘s latest chapter has revealed one of the central mysteries in the entire series as it shared the true identity of All For One’s mysterious doctor. But while this would have been a big enough event on its own, the doctor’s true name has sparked all sorts of controversy as the translations for its name have recalled some major war crimes during World War II. As a result of this controversy has officially banned the manga series along with the new anime and video game releases of the franchise as well.
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While Shueisha has previously issued a statement about the controversy in the past, the official website and Twitter account for the company has shared a formal apology statement in Japanese, English, Korean, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Shueisha’s official statement begins as such:
“Regarding the character “Maruto Shiga–which appeared in chapter 259 of My Hero Academia (Weekly Shonen Jump Issue 10, February 3, 2020), a large number of readers from China and other countries have pointed out that the name evokes memories of the tragic past. “Shiga” is part of another character’s name, and Maruta (kanji: round + fat) reflects the appearance of the character in question.”
Continuing further, Shueisha states, “Any apparent reference to historical events was wholly unintentional. Despite this, the character’s role as a doctor for the evil organization, combined with his name, ended up being hurtful to overseas readers in China and elsewhere. The editorial department out to have taken the time beforehand to put more thought into this. We did not, and for that, we are profoundly sorry.”
Finally, Shueisha’s statement includes their path of action going forward, “With all sincerity, we realize the gravity of this issue and will change the name both in the physical volume release and, as soon as possible, in the digital version of the chapter. So that this kind of issue does not occur again going forward, we intend to devote our energies toward deepening our understanding of a variety of historical and cultural matters. By being more intimately aware of the thoughts and feelings of those from all walks of life, we will deliver manga that can be loved by all.”
What do you think of this controversy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or talk to me directly about all things anime and other cool things @Valdezology on Twitter! My Hero Academia was created by Kohei Horikoshi for Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in 2014. The story follows Izuku Midoriya, who lives in a world where everyone has powers, even though he was born without them. Dreaming to become a superhero anyway, he’s eventually scouted by the world’s best hero All Might and enrolls in a school for professional heroes.
