Anime Composer Tanaka Hidekazu Submits Plea in Sexual Assault Case

By Megan Peters

According to new reports, a well-known creator in the anime industry has addressed recent allegations of sexual obscenity. Tanaka Hidekazu, a popular composer for anime and video games, confessed in court this week after charges were filed against him. The case in question references Hidekazu's gross language to a 15-year-old girl as he attempted to solicit them for sex.

According to Unseen Japan, the report was shared overseas by Livedoor after Hidekazu's trial came to a close. It was there the composer of Uma Musume Pretty Derby admitted to the charge in court. According to the musician, he did harass a 15-year-old with solicitation, so the charges of obscenity against him were proven true.

During his appearance in court, Hidekazu also admitted this instance of obscenity was not his first. The composer said he's done this same thing "numerous" times in the past decade. The musician said doing this helped him "relieve stress", but at this time, no further charges have been placed against the composer.

If you have not been keeping up with this court case, Hidekazu was arrested back in October 2022 after being suspected of sexually assaulting a teenager in Tokyo. The composer was taken into custody, and now, anime fans are learning more about his failings as Hidekazu is on trial now.

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For those not familiar with the disgraced composer's work, Hidekazu provided music for several major series. Fans will know his work best from The Idolmastter Cinderella Girls, Love Tyrant, and more. He also oversaw the music for Pokemon Journeys, Love Tyrant, Koimonogatari, and several others. At this time, Hidekazu's name has been removed from many of the projects he worked on previously, and his career in composing is at a standstill following his arrest last fall.

Sadly, Hidekazu is far from the only anime creative in recent years to face accusations of sexual harassment and assault. Most famously, the creator of Rurouni Kenshin was investigated in 2017 after authorities were directed to Nobuhiro Watsuki. Police discovered child pornography at the creator's home which led to his arrest. Ultimately, Watsuki was fined roughly $1,500 USD by authorities after the discovery. And while his latest installment of Rurouni Kenshin was put on hiatus during trial, Watsuki returned to work at Shueisha in the summer of 2018. The manga's comeback was not included in U.S. editions of Shonen Jump following the arrest, but Rurouni Kenshin: The Hokkaido Arc has thrived despite the controversy. 

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