Screenwriter Erika Yoshida, known for her work on the hit anime "Bocchi the Rock!", this April's original anime "Maebashi Witch," and the morning drama "Tiger & Wing," recently took the stage at "ANIME FANTASISTA JAPAN 2025" to share her insights on drama and anime creation.
However, her explanation regarding the production of "Bocchi the Rock!" has left many fans feeling uneasy, accusing her of disrespecting the original creator. So, what exactly happened?
▼ The incident even became a trending topic on X today. 
According to her talk, Yoshida specifically highlighted her strong aversion to "characters being sexualized for commercial gain by official sources." She stated, "It's fine how fans enjoy characters privately, but if the official channels push them with a 'come and consume!' attitude, I have a strong resistance."
She gave an example, saying that her recent original anime "Maebashi Witch" features teenage girls. If these characters are placed in a sexualized context, it's akin to exploiting minors in reality. "Even in anime, that line shouldn't be blurred."
However, when it came to "Bocchi the Rock!", which also centers on young female characters, she deliberately avoided certain "unnecessary elements" during adaptation. She pointed out, "In the original manga, the protagonist Bocchi has a scene bathing naked in cold water, but I insisted on changing it to her wearing a swimsuit. Because the selling point of this work isn't that kind of depiction; such shots would actually become 'noise' (ノイズ) that hinders the work from being accepted by a wider audience."
She also removed scenes where manga characters commented on each other's breast sizes. Yoshida stated bluntly, "Not all works need these kinds of scenes; for 'Bocchi the Rock!', they're just a distraction." She believes the core of the series is Bocchi subtly changing herself through the band, yet fundamentally remaining that introverted, clumsy girl – it's about the reality of "no dramatic transformation, but life still goes on."
▼ Original manga scene of Bocchi bathing in cold water.
▼ The anime adaptation specifically changed it to Bocchi bathing in a swimsuit, with no skin exposed.
But her self-serving explanations, especially labeling original plot points as "unnecessary," have many netizens fuming, accusing her of disrespecting the source material. They argue she's rationalizing her changes after the fact. This comes hot on the heels of the tragic incident involving the live-action adaptation of the manga "SEXY TANAKA-SAN", leaving many wondering why screenwriters can't properly respect original creators instead of claiming their "better understanding" justifies alterations.
Some netizens also felt that calling original plot settings "noise" (ノイズ) sounds jarring, even if the anime was successful, giving off an arrogant vibe.
However, other netizens pointed out that original author Aki Hamaji (はまじあき) has actually always been grateful to Erika Yoshida for her role as the anime's series composer. They suggest the issue lies with her choice of words rather than a genuine disrespect for the source material in her adaptation.
Of course, it's not uncommon for past anime adaptations to fall short due to directors or series composers steering the work in an unsatisfactory direction. But given the widespread acclaim for the "Bocchi the Rock!" anime adaptation, it's clear that most people approve of Erika Yoshida's work.
Still, her comments clearly ruffled some feathers, suggesting that perhaps her personal subjective views and choice of words could use some refinement.