Previously, anime producer and the founder of Buta Production, Federico Antonio Russo, also known by his internet name FAR, was accused of grooming a minor, following allegations made publicly by an artist known as Maryco on X (formerly, Twitter). On Thursday (7/5). Maryco has officially retracted her allegation and apologised for the commotion she created.
The allegation was first made public on Sunday (3/5), when Maryco posted a 33-page document containing her intimate chat messages with FAR. According to her, they were in a relationship that started when she was 14, while Russo was 23.
The two of them first met on Russo’s Discord server, which he operated while he was a VTuber. Their interactions reportedly moved from public conversations on the server to private messages, where the exchanges gradually became more intimate over time.
After she retracted her statement, the document that contained their chat had been removed from Google Drive. The original allegation post on X was also deleted.
Due to the allegation, the short anime adaptation of Let Me Fix You (Kimi wo Tsumugu), which was produced by Buta Production, is being slightly delayed. On their official X account, the staff behind the anime production stated that nobody in the production knew of FAR’s alleged behaviour. The staff expressed their sympathy for the victim, and stated that they will need some time to discuss whether they can continue with the project without Buta Production or FAR.
FAR is an Italian anime producer known for his involvement in titles such as Wonder Egg Priority, My Dress-Up Darling, and Bocchi the Rock!. Together with Blou, they established Buta Productions, a studio that primarily hires overseas freelance staff from all around the world to work on Japanese anime projects.
FAR himself already deactivated his X account after the allegation went public. While Blou, who already left the studio, stated that he stands with the victim.
As of now, there has been no official public response from Buta Productions regarding the allegations.
The Indonesian Anime Times
