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Love Live! character with controversial skirt to continue as orange spokesperson, petitioner says

Casey Baseel Feb 24, 2020
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Change.org petition organizer says agricultural group has pledged their continued support to the anime schoolgirl idol.

Regional produce marketing isn’t usually a hotbed of controversy, but a rare exception occurred this month surrounding a partnership between Shizuoka Prefecture agricultural cooperative JA (Japan Agriculture) Nansun and Love Live!, the smash-hit idol schoolgirl anime franchise. As part of a cross-promotion, Chika Takami, a character from Love Live! Sunshine!!, which is set in Shizuoka, appeared in advertisements posing with locally grown Nishiura Mikan mandarin oranges.

▼ Chika’s voice actress, Anju Inami, and the promotional illustration

【沼津】JAなんすん様より熱いオファーを頂き、本日、高海千歌が『西浦みかん大使』に就任致しました！！
千歌ちゃんに代わって高海千歌役・伊波杏樹が、ららぽーと沼津にて行われた大使就任式に出席しました。
これからも沼津のみかんを、地元の元気を世界に伝えていきます！！🍊🍊🍊

#lovelive pic.twitter.com/gcqbnyHriR

— ラブライブ！シリーズ公式 (@LoveLive_staff) February 12, 2020

However, some people took issue with the way in which Chika’s skirt is drawn. While some see the dark lines in the skirt’s middle section as innocent contours adding some visual dimension to a piece of flat artwork, some others saw it as deliberately clinging to the character’s figure in order to accentuate her crotch. Such negative attention caused the LaLaport shopping center in Numazu, the city where Chika and her in-anime friends live, to take down its Love! Live!!/JA Nansun banners on February 16, just four days after they’d been put up in the complex.

ラブライブ！サンシャイン!!と西浦みかん、並びに西浦みかん大使を応援しております。 pic.twitter.com/G0jCgi3PsT

— 綺羅星 (@kirakilovelive) February 15, 2020

In response, supporters of the character/franchise created a Change.org petition, asking that the artwork be reinstated. The petition organizer has now posted an update saying that he has been contacted by JA Nansun, who assure him that Chika will continue to be their spokescharacter.

According to the organizer, JA Nansun’s statement says “We appreciate the support of the many people who have signed the petition, which has been a great encouragement to everyone involved with the project…We intend to continue having Chika Takami as an ambassador for Nishiura Mikan, and to continue moving forward with various active promotions with Love Live! Sunshine!!”

（ ³ω³）ﾌｧｯ#西浦みかん pic.twitter.com/ow21UBQOrc

— こしあん:さゆりす🌷（W.S.）さゆ……大好き……🫶🏻🎀💗 (@tikakiti_mikan2) February 15, 2020

It’s worth noting that even after the Love Live! banners/posters were taken down at LaLaport, they could still be found at some local grocery stores and JA markets, and also that the quotes from the JA response shared by the petition organizer make no mention of whether or not the ongoing partnership with Chika will continue to use the same artwork, or a new illustration with an less contoured skirt.

Source: Change.org via Jin
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