Demon Slayer Fan Gets Arrested Over Unapproved Merchandise

When it comes to Demon Slayer, the series is so popular that it is hard to imagine any anime fan [...]

By Megan Peters

When it comes to Demon Slayer, the series is so popular that it is hard to imagine any anime fan overlooking it. The series has experienced a meteoric rise since its anime went live, and it is still rising by the day. Of course, that means plenty of fans want to cash in on the craze, but one netizen is in legal trouble following their unlicensed foray into anime goods.

The news comes from Yomiuri Shinbun, a newspaper from over in Japan. It was there netizens learned a 42-year-old man has been arrested because of his DIY Demon Slayer merchandise. The man, who lives in the Okayama Prefecture, began selling licenses for the anime's characters without officially licensing their use.

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(Photo: ufotable)

According to the paper, these cards were made to look like actual driver's licenses in Japan, but they featured Demon Slayer heroes rather than real people. It seems Nezuko was popular buy with fans as her card was photographed as evidence several times. The text on the card even says the license is valid until Nezuko is returned to her human form, so you can see why this cute piece of merch would be popular. The only issue is that the items weren't licensed by the team behind Demon Slayer.

Authorities in Japan made their arrest this month after the cards hit the online market in December 2019. They were sold up through February 2020 for about $10 USD. The seller says he didn't believe it was illegal to sell this kind of merch, so his case is still pending.

If you want to buy into some authorized Demon Slayer merchandise, you can do so through sites like Funimation and Crunchyroll. The series' first season is available through both of these streamers while Viz Media oversees the manga. You can read up on Demon Slayer's official synopsis below:

"It's the Taisho period in Japan. Tanjiro, a kindhearted boy who sells charcoal for a living, finds his family slaughtered by a demon. To make matters worse, his younger sister, Nezuko, the sole survivor, has been transformed into a demon. Though devastated by this grim reality, Tanjiro resolves to become a demon slayer to turn his sister back and kill the demon that massacred his family."

What do you make of this case? Have you ever been duped by fake anime merchandise...? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

HT - Otaku USA

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