Ani-One Asia Pulls Chainsmoker Cat Anime Over Smoking Rules
The removal is a regulatory action driven by smoking laws in Hong Kong and Taiwan, not a licensing dispute, and it spread across all of Ani-One Asia's regions.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
Ani-One Asia removed the Chainsmoker Cat anime from its streaming lineup on Thursday, citing local government regulations. The pull follows Hong Kong's Department of Health letter saying the show violated the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance, and a Taiwanese health official said images from the anime may violate the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. The show prominently features real cigarette brands, especially Mevius.
Chainsmoker Cat's ninth episode will not air until September 2. A special program featuring the cast airs in its place next week, and the official X account's announcement does not say whether the delay is tied to the streaming removals.
The removals began Monday, when Bahamut Animation Crazy halted the anime in Hong Kong after the Department of Health sent a letter saying the content violated the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance, which bars placing a smoking product advertisement on the internet. Medialink Entertainment, the Hong Kong-based company behind Ani-One Asia, then pulled the show from all regions where it streams, including Southeast Asia. Lo Su-ying, head of the Tobacco Control Division of Taiwan's Health Promotion Administration, said images from the anime might violate the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. The show features real cigarette brands, most prominently Mevius.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network News Ani-One Asia Also Removes Chainsmoker Cat Anime From Streaming Lineup