Interest

Trigger's Anime Beer Ad Pulled Off YouTube

Anyone looking to rewatch Kirin Beer's animated commercial by Trigger's Fukuoka studio will be disappointed — the ad is no longer on YouTube. The most likely reason appears to be a public statement released by ASK, a Japanese non-profit specializing in the prevention of alcohol or drug related issues, encouraging Kirin Beer and Trigger to remove the ad.

The commercial, which premiered on August 2, follows a 25-year-old game illustrator named Anna, her 21-year-old voice actress sister Saki, and two 21-year-old male college students Chihiro and Tatsuya. In ASK's August 10 statement, the group expresses disapproval of the ad's portrayal of youth culture — anime, games, SNS, and idols — in scenes with drinking.

The commercial received negative comments on YouTube, so Kirin's Alcohol-Related Problems (ARP) division brought up the issue. The response they allegedly gave was that there should be no problem because, for web commercials, there can be an age gate. "The standard age for drinking in television commercials is 25," the division allegedly responded. "But the industry standard doesn't apply to web commercials, so the characters were made at least 20." (The drinking age in Japan is 20.)

However, ASK claimed there was no effective age gate on the video, especially not on Facebook and news sites where it was posted and visual to minors. Even when they saw the age gate, users would need only click "yes" to claim they were over 20.

ASK took the standpoint that web commercials should have the same standard as television, and requested in the statement that Kirin Beer remove the commercial. The group went on to request other web commercial developers show the same considerations.

Fans have launched a change.org petition to bring the commercial back. It will be delivered to Trigger, Kirin, and ASK, among other entities, but ASK was adamant that Japan's standards on the issue are relatively lax.

[Via Hachima Kikō]