The official Ensemble Stars!! program, 'Ohanashi-dan', recently launched a campaign to promote merchandise. However, the promotional truck they rolled out has caused a massive controversy. The truck’s visual design and promotional song directly parodied 'Vanilla', a notorious Japanese adult industry recruitment website known for its invasive marketing.
The resemblance is striking. Despite the voice actors and music director tweeting that they found the parody humorous, the choice to use an adult-industry-related joke for a game targeting female fans backfired spectacularly. Japanese and Korean players are furious, with social media flooded by protests that far outweigh previous controversies regarding game assets.
Netizens were scathing in their criticism. Some pointed out that the 'host club' (gyaru/host) industry inherently exploits women, and using such themes in a game marketed to them is toxic. Others argued this reveals the developer’s true, arrogant perception of their player base. Many expressed deep discomfort, with some drawing chilling parallels between the 'Vanilla' ad and the predatory practices of host clubs that groom customers into sex work to fund their favorite idols.
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