An update for the short yuri anime Let Me Fix You (Kimi wo Tsumugu), an adaptation of the dojin manga by Sakura Kurihara, reveals that it will now be released in mid-June. It was previously announced that it would not premiere in this month as originally planned, following allegations of grooming against the then-animation production studio Buta Production’s CEO, Federico Antonio Russo (FAR).
“After finishing our internal discussions, we decided that we will still publish whatever is already started and paid, but without Buta Productions or FAR involved anymore. The team around [director] ani will do their best to finish what has been started,” says the new post.
While Let Me Fix You will still see the light of day, the situation, which saw Buta Productions staff leaving the studio and reforming as the “informal entity” Ponbleu, have affected its future plans. “While the current scope of the project is secure, the future beyond that remains uncertain,” reads the post. “As mentioned in our last statement, the project was originally intended to be much bigger than what has been announced so far and will be released in June.
“Due to the circumstances, we have had to adjust the plans for everything beyond that until we find a new studio that is willing to take on the project with us. We’d like to take you along on this journey, though, and we’d be thrilled if you’d continue to support Chise and Tsumugi.”
The previously announced staff for Let Me Fix You includes badbrix as in-between checker and color designer, Kam’ kamon as background art director, and Xaryen as director of photography. Russo, who deactivated their X account after the allegations surfaced, was attached as animation producer at the time.
The Buta Productions situation began to unfold on May 2, when X/Twitter user Maryco (@Maryco02_) made a now-deleted post accusing Russo of grooming them since 2021, with their respective alleged ages at the time being 14 and 23. The post also linked to a 33-page PDF, containing screenshots of online conversations and descriptions of the situation, that Maryco described as “just the tip of something that lasted more than 4 years.” Following the allegations, compositor May Yamada said on X that “Everybody associated with ButaPro has immediately left the studio.” Ponbleu’s establishment was announced on May 5.
While the Buta Productions X account has not posted anything on the allegations at the time of writing, a party using the studio’s name told Anime News Network that Let Me Fix You was still being made, and that “I will be involved as less [sic] as possible” (Anime News Network says that the replies they received were in first-person). The party was also reported as saying that “’my legal team is analyzing the situation with the intention of suing the person who made these defamatory accusations’” and called the allegations against Russo “’partial, misleading and malicious.’”
Ponbleu’s first (and currently only) statement, which came hours after the publication of the article, said that it stood “with the victim” and that “ButaPro’s statements to the media on this matter do not reflect our thoughts and opinions on the matter.”
On May 7, after a period in which their account was deactivated, Maryco announced that they were retracting their accusations against Russo, saying that “Involuntarily, I ended up embellishing, warping details of my narration as well as adding totally incorrect information.” Maryco added that “I’d like to apologise to all parties I’ve caused confusion and damages and I sincerely hope everyone can move on from this commotion.” The post containing the allegation and the link to the PDF has been deleted.
According to international law firm Arnone & Sicomo, in Italy, where Maryco’s X account shows them to be located. “The truth of the statement does not exclude defamation.”
Source: @kimiwotsumugu