The renowned director of anime Makoto Shinkai, who worked on ‘Your Name’ and ‘The Time With You’, broke his silence on the arrest of Kouichirou Itou, his longtime partner in several acclaimed projects.
Itou, 52, was recently arrested on February 22 for soliciting intimate images from a minor. The filmmaker recognizes that Itou’s crime is regrettable and understands the public’s disbelief.
Shinkai appears to be deeply shocked by the situation
Translating the publication, he said he was shocked by the news of his colleague’s arrest. Thus, he made a point of apologizing to the victims.
A second apology still in the publication was directed at people who admire his work, but who went through moments of distress and anxiety after the news of the prison of his then colleague.
He also believes that there will be impacts on the films and that people will naturally be discredited, in addition to being frustrated and sad about the case.
Details of the crime and investigation
Itou was arrested in Japan, as mentioned, for requesting nude photos from a 15-year-old girl in 2021. Authorities discovered the interaction during the investigation of a prostitution case. Police are still investigating whether there are other victims.
Itou’s last work with Shinkai was on the production of ‘Suzume’, a critically acclaimed anime. In this case, there was an impressive 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Itou’s arrest and Shinkai’s statement generated great repercussions in the film industry and among anime fans. Many expressed support for the victims and condemned the crime.
Overall, it is too early to assess the impact of Itou’s arrest on Shinkai’s career. However, it is possible that the filmmaker may need to distance himself from his longtime partner to avoid damaging his reputation.
The company of production founded by Shinkai and Itou, CoMix Wave Films, has not commented on the future after the arrest.
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