News
Kuroko's Basketball Stays in Bookstore Chains Despite Threats
posted on by Egan Loo
Several Japanese bookstore chains have continued to sell the popular manga Sanseido, Junkudo, Miyawaki, and other bookstores plan to continue carrying the manga.
Junkudo said, "We did not consider removing it," and added that it has received requests to remove specific titles in the past, but does not respond to such requests. The chain said it was aware of what sets publications apart from other goods, "Books are works of expression, and bookstores are in a position to maintain them for readers. We cannot so easily remove them."
Miyawaki said, "This is a matter of freedom of expression, and of freedom of press."
The public relation department of Shueisha, the publisher of the manga, said, "We are not in a position to comment on the decisions of individual retailers. We are continuing to cooperate with the police investigation."
In related news, the YTV news program Miyaneya aired a report on the ongoing threats and showed some of the threat letters (pictured left) sent to convenience stores, newspapers, and television stations. The letters singled out Kuroko's Basketball, but also disparaged "pirate manga," "ninja manga," and "decadent, obscene gourmet manga."
Background
Since October 2012, locations linked to Kuroko's Basketball creator said there is a high possibility that the liquid sent to Sophia University (Fujimaki's alma mater) on October 12, 2012 could emit a lethal dose of hydrogen sulfide if vaporized.
Several Kuroko's Basketball barred Kuroko's Basketball items and circles last December.
In February, the organizers of the Comic City dōjinshi events barred circles from selling Kuroko's Basketball items at March 17's Haru Comic City 18 event, after they received a request to do so from the management of the insisted on allowing Kuroko's Basketball circles. Comic City Tokyo 131 proceeded without incident on January 27.
The convenience store chains removed the "Voi-Colle Kuroko's Basketball Wafers 2" cookies, and Family Mart stopped selling the "Ichiban Kuji Kuroko no Basuke ~Seirin & Kaijō~" lottery merchandise line. The Circle K Sunkus store chain is also considering suspending sales of the merchandise.
The second streaming the anime outside of Japan as it airs.
