This isn't the kind of post I thought I'd ever be writing regarding Obey Me, but given the amount of traffic my old theory posts get, I think it's important to cover it.
I've never been shy about being critical of Solmare when it comes to their game decisions and business practises, but they have always carried themselves in a professional manner - I am glad they responded in such a timely manner and are taking appropriate action.
Media companies often sweep these things under the rug, and this is a very positive sign that Solmare is not doing so.
Miura Ayme (VA of Asmo) statement:
I want to say first and foremost that I am not focusing on what is legal or otherwise here - a huge number of negative incidents that occur in the space between creator and fan fall between what is legal and what is moral.
Something does not need to be a provable crime to be wrong.
When it comes to creators, whether that be VAs, actors, performance artists, media personalities, or whatever - we do not know these people.
We know their creations. Their performance. Their fiction. Don't put your trust in strangers.
When I first saw the allegations, I of course did not want them to be true - because I did not want any young person to have been harmed.
However, because of my own experiences working with celebrities in a not dissimilar creative field, including being behind the scenes with them at conventions and other fan events... I know all too well how much predatory and unprofessional behaviour occurs in these industries, and how far removed the reality of a person can be from the persona they have created and work behind. (And indeed, how depressingly many people turn a blind eye or even cover up such behaviour in others.)
Thus I am always inclined to believe victims when they speak out, and I know that evidence is often difficult to prove - and that doesn't mean the victim should be disbelieved.
An adult man meeting with a 14 year old fan privately is inexcusable. To be frank, an adult man meeting with a 16 year old or 18 year old fan privately is inexcusable. But this was a child.
Fan meetings should be undertaken in professional events, with all the safeguarding that such venues provide.
At best, this was highly inappropriate and untrustworthy.
I need not speculate about what it implies at worst, but that does need taken into account by Solmare.
I am glad Solmare are investigating, and hope that they come to a conclusion that maintains trust in them from the community, that brings some form of closure to the victim, and secondarily, that allows us to keep recommending this franchise to others knowing it is not unsafe.
I also hope that the victim(s) in question have support, and that they ignore any people minimising their hurt, or prioritising a performer over actions.
As a final note, the feelings towards a fictional character are not remotely on the same level as the distress a real person has caused others irl.
A performance can be recast.
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