While Bleach has recently made a resurgence thanks to Studio Pierrot returning to the Soul Society via Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, not all news is good news when it comes to the anime franchise. Singer Kousuke Atari was responsible for not only the thirteenth ending song of the Bleach anime, “Tane wo Maku Hibi,” but also provided two songs for the anime, Natsume’s Book of Friends. In a new report from Fuji News Network, it has been revealed that Atari has been arrested by Japanese police for alleged sexual assault.
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The incident reportedly took place earlier this week, where it is alleged that Atari sexually assaulted a man in a public bathhouse in the Shinagawa Ward in Tokyo, Japan. The victim reportedly subdued the anime singer following the incident as a bathhouse employee contacted the police in the early morning hours. Atari, 44, has yet to make a public comment on the incident at this time and the Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating. On top of participating in the two anime franchises, Kousuke also has created eight albums and has starred in several Japanese movies including Cape No. 7, Taipei Exchanges, and Happiness Me Too. Atari’s social media team did release a statement in response to the incident earlier this week.
Atari’s Social Media Team Responds
Posted on the singer’s social media account, here’s what Kouske Atari’s team had to say, “Regarding the arrest of Kousuke Atari, Today, some outlets are reporting that Kousuke Atari has been arrested. First of all, we would like to offer our sincere apologies to those who have been affected. We would also like to offer our deepest apologies to fans and all those involved for causing great concern and inconvenience. We are aware of the reports regarding this matter, but are currently unable to contact the person in question and are in the process of verifying the facts. We will notify you as soon as we have confirmed the details, and we appreciate your understanding.“
Atari was only a part of Bleach for the thirteenth ending track of the series, which ran as a part of the shonen anime adaptation from episodes 144 to 154. Taking place during the Arrancar Arc, this theme was the only time that Atari was a part of the series and was not confirmed to return for the recent Thousand-Year Blood War arc. Studio Pierrot, the production house responsible for Bleach’s anime adaptation, has yet to comment on the incident.
