Anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is Japan’s biggest box office success. A politician hoped that some of his popularity would go away, it seems, and borrowed the logo for a campaign poster.
Demon slayer, of course, is a hugely successful anime and manga.
Fukuoka politician Makoto Oniki (鬼 木 誠) copied the logo, replacing his name with Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼 滅 の 刃). Since the kanji character of 鬼 appears in both the anime title and Oniki’s surname, this was a visual pun.
The anime logo can be seen on the movie poster below:
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However, as ANN News reports, the politician was severely criticized online for unauthorized use of the logo and apologized.
Oniki is a member of Liberal Democratic Party and member of the National Diet.
“I sincerely faced any displeasure I caused the creator [of Demon Slayer], the publisher and the fans, ”said Oniki. “I’m really sorry.”
The campaign posters with the logo have been removed.
Oniki is not the first Japanese politician to have problems this month for overthrowing Demon slayer. Keisuke Mitsumoto, councilor of Hyogo Prefecture, also knocked down Demon slayer for a campaign poster.
The editor told the press that he “had absolutely no connection” with the campaign and Mitsumoto, who made the poster, apologized.