Sexism, harassment, a web of codependent relationships that hamper reporting — the Japanese media industry is fraught with issues that are often skirted around or swept under the carpet.
But a team of three New York-based Japanese creators is hoping to change that. Calling themselves Derrrrruq!!! — a name derived from the phrase "the nail that sticks out," which always gets hammered down in the Japanese proverb — the trio last February released "HodoBuzz," a six-episode miniseries that shines a spotlight on all the above issues.
"We wanted to create something new and powerful in a way people wouldn't expect from the mainstream media," says Tsukasa Kondo, who wrote the script for the series under the supervision of famous anime screenwriter Dai Sato.