If you've got a Twitter account in Japan, you've probably seen the promoted tweets for Netflix featuring comedian Sanma Akashiya. In these video spots, Sanma compares working for a streaming service to working for a commercial broadcaster, but doesn't mention the context for his remarks.

Last July, he was supposed to launch a drama series on Netflix about his apprentice Jimmy Onishi, but it was canceled because Keisuke Koide, the actor who plays the young Sanma in the series, admitted to having had sex with a 17-year-old girl. Subsequently, all of Koide's projects, past and present, were either pulled from public access or re-edited to remove his participation. The Sanma series is now being reshot with a different actor.

This sort of damage control is common in Japanese show business, and usually comes down to economics. Sponsors supposedly get anxious if someone involved in something they're paying for does something scandalous, but Netflix doesn't have sponsors. The service derives its income from subscribers. Is it afraid customers will unsubscribe if it shows something with Koide in it? Or is it the fear of appearing to support a person who may have committed a crime?