Japanese animation "Niko Mew" caused controversy and was removed from the shelves due to its depiction of tobacco, alcohol and drugs

After the Japanese black humor animation "Nico Meow Meow" was launched in early July this year, the content in the show has repeatedly triggered discussions from all walks of life.

The Japanese black humor animation "Nico Mew", which was launched in July, was successively reported in Hong Kong and Taiwan for violating tobacco control and other laws, and was forcibly removed from the shelves by multiple animation platforms, sparking anger among animation fans. Prior to this, Japanese viewers complained about "Nico Mew" scenes such as smoking and the association with illegal drug use. Japan's Broadcasting Ethics and Program Promotion Organization (BPO) responded that such scenes fall within the scope of "creative freedom."

According to comprehensive Japanese media reports, the "Nico Mew" animation, which will be broadcast on July 3, 2026, is adapted from the work of the same name by the cartoonist "Nyan Nyan Factory" and will be serialized in Kodansha's youth comic magazine "Weekly Young Magazine" in February 2023. The plot is set in a Japanese society where humans and beasts coexist, and tells the story of the heroine "Nikoko Sato" who is a heavy smoker, and the lazy daily life of other friends with various addictions.

The report pointed out that even though the animation production company of "Nico Mew" chose to broadcast it in the late-night time period when children are less likely to watch it, it was still criticized by some Japanese people shortly after the broadcast, and was even reported to the BPO. The reason for the complaint was: "Repeated close-ups of characters smoking, and characters suspected of using syringes to inject illegal drugs. Related scenes are inappropriate even if they are broadcast in the late-night time period." The BPO youth committee members who received the report held a meeting on July 28 to discuss the matter.

A BPO member bluntly said that judging from the broadcast time of the "Nicholas" animation, it can be felt that the producers have concerns, and the drama does not clearly state that the items used by the characters are illegal drugs. From the perspective of "freedom of expression", the relevant scenes are within the permissible range. Other committee members compared live-action TV series and believed that TV series with the same content may have different considerations, but animated descriptions have a relatively limited impact on young people, and freedom of creation and expression should be respected.

After the news was exposed, many debates started in the Japanese community. One group of netizens criticized "Nico Meow" for showing scenes of characters injecting themselves with syringes and falling into a trance, which has clearly crossed the line. Another group of netizens pointed out that the work itself is based on "social black humor" and criticized the attackers: " If you can't even act this kind of thing, what else can you create in the future?" Many anime fans and viewers bluntly said that the possibility of imitating bad behaviors such as heavy smoking in the play is really low. After watching it, they will regard the work as the best negative teaching material.