Danica Davidson
July 23, 2024 
After the highly publicized death of Sexy Tanaka-san manga creator Hinako Ashihara, Japanese station NTV has unveiled new guidelines on how it will work to prevent a tragedy like that from happening again. Through misunderstandings and miscommunications, the TV adaptation Sexy Tanaka-san didn’t stick with the original source material even though it was supposed to. After complaining about this online and then deleting the complaints, Ashihara killed herself.
According to NTV, they’re changing things up with the production process, safety, social media policies, and human resources.
The production process will now guarantee that original creators meet with staff adapting their work. It also appears that NTV is making sure that production lasts longer, so things aren’t rushed.
The company additionally promises not to overwork its employees. This seems to be what’s referenced in the safety part.
NTV is creating a “Social Media Crisis Response Team,” and employees who face online harassment will be able to get legal and medical help if they want. There’s also the NTV Social Media Policy, and it includes advice on being cautious on social media.
Things are supposed to get better with human resources, and there will be more meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page. Veteran producers will help newer producers.
Mishandling the work of Hinako Ashihara
Ashihara passed away in January after she had been reported missing. NTV gave a public apology in February, and also promised to investigate what had happened. The investigations did not find malice or anything like that, but they did find that communications did not always go through, and one group might not know what another group was doing. Ashihara seemed to be devastated by changes to her work, changes that she said went to the “core” of the story. The results of the investigation were made public last month, with NTV quickly making these new guidelines as a preventative measure for future projects.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please know that there is help available. In America, you can call 1-800-273-8255. In Canada, you can call 1-833-456-4566. In Japan, you can call 03-5774-0992. For other countries, numbers and resources are available on this site.
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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