The internet's been buzzing lately, all thanks to "Bocchi the Rock!" series composer Erika Yoshida. Her comments about cutting "unnecessary elements" from the original manga during the anime adaptation sparked a massive debate, reigniting discussions about how past anime have handled source material changes.
Naturally, this whole brouhaha dragged "Golden Kamuy"'s infamous character, "Shiton Anehata," back into the spotlight on Japanese X (formerly Twitter). Fans were quick to recall how even the anime director had to specifically address the challenges of adapting the "Anehata arc," reminding everyone just how truly terrifying this character is.
For those unfamiliar, let's introduce "Shiton Anehata." This self-proclaimed scholar is, in reality, a zoophilic psychopath who raped and killed livestock across Hokkaido. He was eventually captured by a rancher and thrown into Abashiri Prison. After escaping, he returned to his old habits, ultimately meeting his end from "sudden death during intercourse" while assaulting a brown bear.
( Further Reading: Stranger Than Fiction! The Real-Life Incidents Behind "Golden Kamuy"'s Shiton Anehata's Actions, Even Leading to Death )
One netizen on X quipped, "So, was 'Golden Kamuy's' Anehata-sensei's storyline impossible to adapt for TV anime because his very existence was already an 'unnecessary element' from the original manga?" This post quickly blew up, drawing a flood of replies, with almost everyone agreeing: "Yep, that's precisely it."
The comments section went wild, with users emphatically agreeing: "YES! (Loudly!)", "Naturally! (No mercy!)", "He's basically a special-grade cursed object, right?", "That's not noise, that's death metal blasting directly into your brain!", and "Forget noise, he's weapon-grade!" Clearly, there's a universal consensus on just how utterly messed up this character is.
Back in 2018, anime director Hitoshi Nanba himself publicly addressed the issue. He explained that the "Anehata arc," found in original manga volumes 18 and 19, depicted animal rape and murder, and was immediately red-flagged as "NG" (No Good) by TV broadcasters. As a result, it had to be replaced with an anime-original storyline. He candidly stated, "This part simply couldn't be animated, so we ask for your understanding."
Many fans also consider it a miracle that the OVA managed to adapt Shiton Anehata's storyline at all. Comments included: "We should just be grateful it got any kind of visual adaptation," "It's unbelievable it was even serialized in the manga to begin with," "Even if it had been cut, readers would've totally understood," and "No one would complain if it couldn't air on terrestrial TV." Some even joked, "Well, 'Golden Kamuy' is a series that finds its fun in 'impurities' anyway!"
Summing up netizen sentiment, it's clear that Shiton Anehata has long transcended the realm of mere "impurity." He's more akin to "explosive noise," a "cursed object," or even a "weapon-grade" entity. While his storyline was indeed cut or altered for TV broadcast, it's precisely this controversy that keeps the character a constant topic of discussion.
Guess some truly awful characters from original works really do give anime production teams a massive headache!
via： togetter