Interest

Updated:Tatsuki Learns More About Kemono Friends Script Incidents, Apologizes for Previous Tweet

The translation of TATSUKI's tweets have been updated below for better clarity.

On Friday, former Kemono Friends director TATSUKI tweeted about the new Kemono Friends season's run-in with plagiarism in its auditions for a new unit. He also spoke up about how he had not received fees or royalties for the original anime's scripts. The tweet spread across social media, and it has received nearly 72,000 retweets as of Monday.

After further discussing the matter, TATSUKI followed up on Sunday and corrected his previous statement. The director wrote:

I was informed of more developments regarding the incident of the [audition] script being used without authorization. Many things like the timing and certain details are questionable to me, and now that it's over, I think it would have been better with the author's permission. I think it became a touchy issue for me.

In a second tweet, he continued:

I caused issues on my end, too. I seized the opportunity a little too much [to bring attention to it], and for that I am sorry. Knowing what actually happened now, perhaps if other things in the world got better, if the incidence of similar issues lessened even a little, I think that would be good. If there are any developments I will report them and share details if necessary, but for now I will be focusing on the work I was originally striving towards.

TATSUKI's first tweet references the situation where Age Global Networks used a practice audition script from a blog without permission as part of its auditions for the Kemono Friends anime's new unit. The blog creator Akari-sensei noted her disappointment, Age Global Networks investigated the unauthorized usage of the script and removed it from its audition website.

The second tweet may be in regard to TATSUKI's work as the scriptwriter for Kemono Friends or further explanation about the audition scripts. It isn't clear whether he's discussing better clarification for payment for himself and others in the future or future appropriate use of copyrighted material.

The Kemono Friends scripts were initially credited to Danchi Tomoo anime scriptwriter Shigenori Tanabe. However, TATSUKI took over and Tanabe instead sat in on writing meetings from the first to last episode. Tanabe was credited for the anime's script and series composition during the anime's run, but the credits were changed after the anime aired to better reflect the writing process. TATSUKI is credited with series composition for the anime. His original tweet implied that he did not receive payments for scripts in addition to being paid for his directorial duties.

TATSUKI is working on the upcoming Kemurikusa television anime. After leaving the Kemono Friends franchise, he already created the Keifuku-san original video anime and the Hentatsu anime shorts.

Source: TATSUKI's Twitter account via Yaraon!
Thank you to Brandon McInnis for the updated translation.