Evangelion Star Pleads Fans to Understand Anime Delays Following Coronavirus Outbreak

The coronavirus is on the minds of just about everyone these days, and those who work in anime are not immune. The virus has hit Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, and China hard since it cropped up this year. So far, a slew of TV shows have been hit with delays as projects shut down because of the virus, and one anime actress is pleading fans to be patient with series at this time.

Megumi Ogata hit up Twitter the other day to share her thoughts on the situation. The actress, who is best known for her work on Neon Genesis Evangelion, said she grew upset after seeing fans complain about the quality of shows still airing during the outbreak.

"To everyone who loves anime," the actress wrote being adding (via ANN), "I [have] a variety of feelings right now. But please, please don't say things like "sakuga hōkai" (when animation quality drastically drops) or "it's not moving". With the way things are in China, Korea and other countries, it's amazing that anything is on the air."

アニメを愛してくれる皆様へ。
想いはいろいろあられると思います。だけどお願い。どうか今は「作画崩壊」とか「動かない」とか言わないで…。
中国・韓国他、いろいろな国とこのようになった今、オンエアに乗せられるだけで凄いこと。制作側皆身を切るように辛い中、必死に頑張っています。どうか。

— 緒方恵美【M's BAR】代替公演・4/22横浜&4/29郡山！ (@Megumi_Ogata) March 9, 2020

"While the cuts to production are painful to everyone working on that side, we're working as hard as we can. So, please."

For fans, the message is a reminder that the production of anime goes two ways. Fans may have an expectation for their favorite series, but its creators also want to keep safe. Japan has been in the news as of late for how little it pays animators, and these are the same people needing to contend with the coronavirus. The combination of meager pay and illness will lead to delays, and there are likely more to come before the virus runs its course.

So far, the coronavirus has prompted a slew of short delays for series like A Certain Scientific Railgun and Infinite Dendrogram. This week, it was announced Re:Zero season two has been delayed to July from April, and the latest Doraemon film has even been pushed back to keep audiences from hitting up crammed theaters.

Did you expect this second season to get delayed...? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!