Some of the Chinese brands announced that they will stop working with streaming service bilibili. Those announcements are the result of accusations of the “misogynistic content” that’s up on the website. The controversy seems to have started because of Mushoku Tensei, an anime series that was taken down from the service last Sunday. The company also suspended the streamer who invited his fans to report the show. Global Times reported that some Chinese citizens have criticized the series for “violating mainstream values and morals and being inappropriate for underage audiences.”
Mushoku Tensei Controversy Continues
Variety reports that some of the female bilibili users accused the platform of “tolerating misogynistic and sexually suggestive content”. What’s more, bilibili, apparently, was shutting down the accounts of those female users, while leaving the accounts of male users untouched. It was especially weird, cause male users of bilibili also were criticizing the site’s handling of Mushoku Tensei.
Due to the Mushoku Tensei controversy, a lot of Chinese brands made announcements that they won’t work with bilibili. Some of those brands are:
- Sigo (contact lens seller)
- UKISS (cosmetic brand)
- Spenny (cosmetic brand)
- Sofy (sanitary napkin vendor)
- Lin Qingxuan (skincare company)
Not only that, but Sofy made a statement saying that it “firmly opposes and strongly condemns any forms of insulting behavior or remarks against women. We respect women and care for them.”
South China Morning Post also reports that the company made the following statement on February 10, 2021: “Respect is the cornerstone of the community and the basic guiding principle for operating bilibili. This includes respect for users, content creators, different genders, various interest groups, cultural circles.” The company wants to remove and take care of “problematic” content and accounts this month.
The controversy started when bilibili took the anime down for ‘techical issues’. It picked up even more when popular Chinese influencer talked negatively about Mushoku Tensei and got it review-bombed.
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Source: Variety & SCMP via Anime News Network
