Seven Seas Entertainment released an official statement on October 24, 2024 in response to recent reports of harassment targeting employees and contractors involved in their projects.
The publisher emphasizes its zero-tolerance stance towards bullying.
Although the publisher did not highlight any specific incidents, the statement comes after cover artist Billy Balibally became the target of online abuse.
Harassment stemmed from Balibally's involvement as cover artist for the Taiwanese edition of KinnPorschea project tainted by controversies involving the novel's authors, Poi and Yok, collectively known as Daemi.
Some fans have targeted Balibally for their association with the book, although the artist reiterated that they were not directly involved in the disputes surrounding the series.
Seven Seas Harassment Statement
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In its statement, Seven Seas explained that people working on its projects are often unfairly blamed for controversies surrounding other parties regarding titles.
“Whether someone is an employee of Seven Seas or a contractor hired for a specific role in a title or series, they are not responsible for the conduct of third parties involved in the project ,” the statement emphasized. “We firmly reject all forms of harassment and bullying. We will not tolerate that.”
The publisher urges fans to send complaints about their publications directly to Seven Seas using the contact form on their website, rather than attacking the individuals involved in the creative process .
“While we value the opinions of our fans, we will not tolerate mistreatment or harassment of those who work on our books,” the company added.
Artist Billy Balibally's response to harassment
Billy Balibally also released a statement through X clarifying their lack of involvement in the controversy.
“I have nothing to do with the disputes between the original author and the theater actors,” Balibally said. “When I received the commission and completed the cover artwork, I had no knowledge of these issues from Japan.”
Balibally expressed regret over the situation and added: “Even without knowing it, I created the illustrations sincerely. , and I am deeply saddened to see this situation unfold. I am very sorry for any concern this has caused my readers.”
Other publishers have also released statements regarding harassment of artists.
Background on the KinnPorsche controversy
The harassment surrounding the project is tied to serious accusations against the novel's authors KinnPorschePoi and Yok.
Known collectively as Daemi, the pair faced backlash after fans discovered multiple instances of inappropriate behavior involving the cast of the TV adaptation KinnPorsche.
One incident involved Poi admitting to grooming Thai actor Barcode Tinnasit during the filming of the film.
She claims that she is “teaching Barcode how to be a good actor” by instructing him to give her and Yok massages.
Mile, another host, also hinted at writers behaving inappropriately towards him in the past. Although it was initially dismissed, the authors later received backlash from that incident.
These incidents caused widespread outrage among fans, many of whom demanded that those involved with the series be held accountable.
In addition, controversy also arose around Poi's relationship with actor Build Jakapan.
Poi publicly accused Build of misconduct, leading to widely publicized consequences that affected both the actor's reputation and career.
Fans have become divided over the situation, some defending the actors and others holding the writers accountable for their actions.
Seven Seas Entertainment announced the acquisition of the English license rights to the novel KinnPorsche in 2023, with the cover revealed in May 2024. The novel officially released in September 2024, amid a Some fans criticize.