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The woman is the one who suffered here.
I don't care how old she is, what she knows or doesn't know.
She said to stop. He didn't.
She was a fan, and he took advantage of that.
She made a mistake. He knew exactly what he was doing.
I'm not even going to get into the way that Japanese culture insists on women being meek, humble, and passive, especially if a man is involved. The shame, threat of ruining careers, all of that piled on her, it's a wonder she didn't kill herself. Many would in her position.
I don't care how old she is, what she knows or doesn't know.
She said to stop. He didn't.
She was a fan, and he took advantage of that.
She made a mistake. He knew exactly what he was doing.
I'm not even going to get into the way that Japanese culture insists on women being meek, humble, and passive, especially if a man is involved. The shame, threat of ruining careers, all of that piled on her, it's a wonder she didn't kill herself. Many would in her position.
The woman is certainly a victim, but her lesson should also be learned by all - the same regarding the predator.
The culture of fandom on various artists can become so twisted that it creates predators & their victims.
Furuya's career, if not his marriage, is dead now, at his own fault. I hope the woman can recover from the trauma.
The culture of fandom on various artists can become so twisted that it creates predators & their victims.
Furuya's career, if not his marriage, is dead now, at his own fault. I hope the woman can recover from the trauma.
Well given that I am pro abortion I don't think a child was killed in this situation. That being said if he did abuse her as even he admits I hope he gets punishment for his actions.
Also since someone mentioned Michael Jackson I don't believe he molested anyone. I think those people just wanted money.
Also since someone mentioned Michael Jackson I don't believe he molested anyone. I think those people just wanted money.
Perhaps some parents did just want the money by allowing their lil kids to sleep w/ him. 
Likes:
kasumigenx
About Furuya himself...
I have a feeling that what may have messed his mind up, or at least had some role in it, was that he continued to voice relatively young characters all the way into his old age, due to, well, his well known youthful voice.
It may have made him think he's not all that old.
And looking at the recent pictures of his, him dying his hair, maybe he can't accept that he isn't young anymore.
I have a feeling that what may have messed his mind up, or at least had some role in it, was that he continued to voice relatively young characters all the way into his old age, due to, well, his well known youthful voice.
It may have made him think he's not all that old.
And looking at the recent pictures of his, him dying his hair, maybe he can't accept that he isn't young anymore.
Likes:
Rika-Chicchi
Yeah, he probably committed that for the thrill of feeling young again & still being attractive to younger women, & his being a celebrated VA & the accompanying fan activities have provided him aplenty opportunities to do it.
Likes:
kasumigenx and Psajdak
That's not fair. Even if we are super harsh and say she should have known it was a bad idea to get involved with someone 30 years older than her and was also 100% complicit in his adultery, that doesn't mean she has any blame to shoulder regarding the physical, sexual or emotional abuse she was subjected to. That abuse in turn might have (and in my opinion, almost certainly) have played a part in the abortion. He may well have threatened to harm her if she didn't have the abortion.
We can sit here and say 'well why didn't she fight back or walk away', and it just isn't that simple. Domestic abuse sadly can be a complex web of social, emotional and financial entanglement. We can't judge someone when we don't know the full details of what was going on.
Basically, whilst we should praise anyone (man or woman) who has the strength to get themselves out of such situations, we shouldn't in turn shame or condemn someone who one way or another is unable to do that.
We can sit here and say 'well why didn't she fight back or walk away', and it just isn't that simple. Domestic abuse sadly can be a complex web of social, emotional and financial entanglement. We can't judge someone when we don't know the full details of what was going on.
Basically, whilst we should praise anyone (man or woman) who has the strength to get themselves out of such situations, we shouldn't in turn shame or condemn someone who one way or another is unable to do that.
I mentioned him in the context of most people (at least here in the UK) believe he was a molester and have believed that since before his death in 2009. It was even a UK documentary that brought the subject more topical again in the 2010s. My point in mentioning him was purely from the POV of you can know a creative person is bad but still enjoy their creative output, or at least their past creative output.* Most people here in the UK still enjoy Michael Jackson's music and appreciate his talent and place in pop culture even though, rightly or wrongly, most people here also believe he was a molester.
Similarly, whilst I do not believe this to be true, most people believe Walt Disney was anti-semetic. Such claims have been around since before he died in the 1960s and became more prevalent in the 2000s, over 20 years ago. And yet the Disney movies he made are still loved today and hailed as classics.
Some people believe Lewis Carol, the author of Alice in Wonderland, was a pedophile but Carol's books are hailed as classics of English literature.
The situation is the same here. Putting aside how we do not know if the Toru Furuya of the 1980s-1990s was doing anything along the lines of what we know he has done in recent years,** we can all still enjoy the anime he has starred in and the characters he played in them. Not today, not for a while in fact, but eventually we might even get to a point wherein we can again appreciate his talent and performance, whilst still vehemently condemning the person themselves.
Basically, I was arguing for seperating art from artist in terms of personal enjoyment.
*Purchasing stuff that gives them money after you know/believe you know they are bad is a different matter.
**In which case I believe we should not presume he was an abusive person back then.
Similarly, whilst I do not believe this to be true, most people believe Walt Disney was anti-semetic. Such claims have been around since before he died in the 1960s and became more prevalent in the 2000s, over 20 years ago. And yet the Disney movies he made are still loved today and hailed as classics.
Some people believe Lewis Carol, the author of Alice in Wonderland, was a pedophile but Carol's books are hailed as classics of English literature.
The situation is the same here. Putting aside how we do not know if the Toru Furuya of the 1980s-1990s was doing anything along the lines of what we know he has done in recent years,** we can all still enjoy the anime he has starred in and the characters he played in them. Not today, not for a while in fact, but eventually we might even get to a point wherein we can again appreciate his talent and performance, whilst still vehemently condemning the person themselves.
Basically, I was arguing for seperating art from artist in terms of personal enjoyment.
*Purchasing stuff that gives them money after you know/believe you know they are bad is a different matter.
**In which case I believe we should not presume he was an abusive person back then.
I think for us Moonies this situation is going to take the longest to reconcile with our enjoyment of the anime/Mamoru as a character because, unlike Furuya's roles in Saint Seiya, Gundam or Dragon Ball, there is a meta element at play. Simply put, Furuya's crimes happened in the context of a romantic relationship and his role of Mamoru chiefly exists within the context of a romantic relationship, which in turn was at the heart of, if not the show as a whole, then large swathes of the 200 episodes and first film.
Again, in time we will be able to seperate Mamoru (including the sound of his voice, the emotion of his delievery, the context behind his lines and actions) from Furuya himself, but it ain't happening in the immediate future. But, first and foremost our emotional energy on this matter should be directed towards our sympathies for his victim(s).
On a far less significant note, I can already predict this news encouraging yet more unfair slander towards the anime version of Mamoru and Mamoru in general because they won't be able to do the sensible thing and seperate art from artist. But again, that isn't the priority right now.
Again, in time we will be able to seperate Mamoru (including the sound of his voice, the emotion of his delievery, the context behind his lines and actions) from Furuya himself, but it ain't happening in the immediate future. But, first and foremost our emotional energy on this matter should be directed towards our sympathies for his victim(s).
On a far less significant note, I can already predict this news encouraging yet more unfair slander towards the anime version of Mamoru and Mamoru in general because they won't be able to do the sensible thing and seperate art from artist. But again, that isn't the priority right now.
It's unfortunately ironic that the 90s anime-only scenario of him saving Usagi from sexual assault/rape (Demande) is in such contrast to the VA's real character.
If news of this has reached Takeuchi, I'm sure she's upset.
If news of this has reached Takeuchi, I'm sure she's upset.
Likes:
FloraKiraraHime
I'm sure everyone is upset, including Kotono Mitsuishi. For the first time, I am glad the 90s anime iteration has not and seems unlikely to get any kind of revival. I want more Sailor Moon, but perhaps it is best to just go for a new iteration altogether.
In a way, whilst I am loath right now to praise Furuya, the fact he did such a good job of playing a character who was seemingly the opposite of who he was IRL (or at least later in his real life, he may have been at least a normal person when he played Mamoru) is a testament to his acting abilities. Sadly, those same abilities in real life can also be employed with malicious intent.
Your point about Demande also made me think about how the inverse of these situations don't usually happen. As in, we all feel weird today about rewatching Mamoru's scenes because fo the actions of the actor behind them, but we do not feel weird about the actor for Demande who played a character who was on screen doing similar actions.
In a way, whilst I am loath right now to praise Furuya, the fact he did such a good job of playing a character who was seemingly the opposite of who he was IRL (or at least later in his real life, he may have been at least a normal person when he played Mamoru) is a testament to his acting abilities. Sadly, those same abilities in real life can also be employed with malicious intent.
Your point about Demande also made me think about how the inverse of these situations don't usually happen. As in, we all feel weird today about rewatching Mamoru's scenes because fo the actions of the actor behind them, but we do not feel weird about the actor for Demande who played a character who was on screen doing similar actions.
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