Fuji TV Scandal Puts One Piece and Dragon Ball Anime at Risk

A recent scandal involving Fuji Television Network, one of Japan’s largest broadcasters and the longtime home of popular anime like “One Piece” and “Dragon Ball”, has raised concerns, with speculation mounting that the controversy could disrupt the future broadcast schedule of these series.

Fuji TV recently came under scrutiny for allegedly selling out its female staff like sex workers to powerful individuals at private parties. One of those involved, ex-SMAP member Nakai Masahiro, reportedly assaulted a woman and attempted to cover it up with hush money.

One of the magazines, Shukan Bunshun, reported that in June 2023, a Fuji TV employee arranged for female TV personalities to entertain Nakai and other celebrities at a hotel. However, the gathering ultimately led to only Nakai and an unnamed female victim being present, resulting in nonconsensual sexual activity and a 90 million yen ($577,000) out-of-court settlement.

Fuji TV held a follow-up press conference on the Nakai Masahiro scandal to recover from its disastrous one earlier this month. The grueling event, open to all journalists, ran until 2am, lasting over 10 HOURS. It didn't appear to change advertiser's minds one bit. pic.twitter.com/c9qKs0Kahp
— Unseen Japan (@UnseenJapanSite) January 28, 2025

As the scandal came to light, public outrage erupted, leading to a ripple effect that saw dozens of major companies—including Nissan and Toyota—pulling their advertisements from the network. Fuji TV was also heavily criticized for its attempts to cover up the controversy.

The latest casualties of this fallout were two of Fuji TV’s flagship anime, Sazae-san and Chibi Maruko-chan, both of which aired this past week without any sponsor support. These shows, which have been cultural staples for decades, were left relying on in-house promotional content, with Sazae-san featuring ads for the station’s own programs, while Chibi Maruko-chan displayed a still image of its characters.

The last official sponsor of the Sazae-san pulled their ads from Fuji TV, so instead of the usual "sponsored by" segment at the end of yesterday evening's credits, they added in a few seconds of the family cat walking around.pic.twitter.com/HWIZdcFADA https://t.co/Mqy1kZrr15
— Jeffrey J. Hall 🇯🇵🇺🇸 (@mrjeffu) February 3, 2025

Many sponsors’ names have also vanished from the sponsorship placards traditionally shown after the theme songs of these anime. So far, Fuji TV’s failure to adequately address the accusations has led to the loss of nearly half of its sponsors, putting other major anime series at risk—most notably One Piece and Dragon Ball.

As One Piece’s primary broadcaster since its debut in 1999, Fuji TV’s operational stability is critical to the anime’s return in April 2025. With advertisers distancing themselves and the network facing financial losses for the first time in its history, irregular air dates for One Piece could become a possibility. The same risk applies to Dragon Ball DAIMA, which is currently airing on the station.

Industry experts, however, urge caution. Given that One Piece and Dragon Ball are major revenue powerhouses, both Fuji TV and Toei Animation have strong incentives to protect them from any fallout. However, if the scandal deepens, contingency plans—such as shifting broadcasting rights—could emerge.

Fuji TV is now completely ad-less, with programming filled with unpaid public service announcements per the latest New York Times reporting

The top executives have resigned, though they continue to deny involvement in the Nakai scandal pic.twitter.com/MddBd26Ra7
— NANTE JAPAN (@NanteJapan) January 27, 2025

For now, the Japanese government has urged Fuji TV to regain public trust and repair its relationship with sponsors. The network has also promised a full third-party investigation into its handling of the scandal and its governance policies. Until the results of the investigation are released, sponsors remain reluctant to renew their advertising deals.