"All those rabid fans hurling abuse at Chika online? They are in the wrong! But only because Chika is innocent. If Chika had been actually guilty (i.e. the victim of sexual abuse), then her fans would have the right to be angry at her!"
In chapter 13 Yasumi jokingly compared Kagazaki being affectionate to an abusive boyfriend's lovebombing, And in #14 both Chika and Yasumi jokingly remind each other that sexual misconduct can happen between two women. Which is why it's weird that during the scandal neither of them noted even privately that if a 16-year-old girl were to get any job position in exchange for sexual favors, that would make her the victim of sexual exploitation. Not the perpetrator of any wrongdoing.
Maybe this is just a silly and sleazy light novel that I should not take too seriously. But this doesn't feel right in a story that tries to create drama from an underage voice actress getting roped into a sex scandal. A story created in a post-metoo world, where even real voice actresses have spoken out about e.g. being pressured to give male directors or other stakeholders creepy favors like private bath sessions. Is it really too much to ask that a story like this gives the bare minimum amount of pushback to slutshaming, especially when it affects a girl in high school?
I would have let it go without comment, but I had to say something after the girls made jokes about the topic. It's weird to reference intimate partner violence and corporate HR speak only for jokes, but offer no criticism on the base assumptions of Chika being accused with "sleeping her way to the top", and to not acknowledge that she would be the victim in that situation. The creators want to milk "the dark side of the industry" for drama, but they can't even acknowledge the power dynamic between a boss and employee, or adult and teenager.
I'm not saying the whole series is bad or anything, in fact it's because I otherwise enjoy it that I'm frustrated because of this.
last edited at Apr 19, 2024 7:44PM
