The publisher of manga series "Sexy Tanaka-san" has criticized Nippon Television Network for its alleged "insincere" attitude over the television drama adaptation of the manga.
A special investigation team at Shogakukan released a report Monday following the death of the manga's author, Hinako Ashihara, in January.
The report said that Nippon TV may have failed to relay to the scriptwriter of the drama series Ashihara's request that the TV adaptation, aired between October and December last year, stay true to the original manga series.
It noted that the Nippon TV side had taken an "insincere" attitude over script revisions.
Growing increasingly distrustful of the scriptwriter through her interactions with the Nippon TV side via Shogakukan, Ashihara wrote the scripts for the last two episodes of the drama series herself.
Nippon Television Network in Tokyo.The publisher of manga series "Sexy Tanaka-san" has criticized Nippon Television Network for its alleged "insincere" attitude over the television drama adaptation of the manga. | JIJI
She was caught in a social media storm after refuting a social media post made by the scriptwriter to voice bewilderment at having been replaced. Ashihara was found dead soon after that.
While saying that the drama series ultimately incorporated Ashihara's requests, the report stated, "We cannot say with certainty that the extreme mental strain that had accumulated during the scriptwriting process had no impact on (Ashihara's behavior)."
The report also said that Shogakukan could have offered to support Ashihara over responses to social media posts.
It’s been a strange year for representations of British royalty. In March, major photo agencies issued a rare “kill notice” on a photo of Catherine, Princess of Wales after evidence emerged that it had been tampered with. In May, Jonathan Yeo’s official portrait of King Charles sparked online discussion with its arresting red background. And now a portrait of Catherine commissioned by Tatler from Zambian-British artist Hannah Uzor is provoking yet more debate with its questionable degree of likeness.
In fact, British monarchs have grappled with issues of representation, accuracy and flattery in portraits since the Middle Ages, as the stories of these five monarchs show.
From the reign of Edward I until 1504, England’s silver currency carried a generic, full-face representation of a nonspecific king.
The image was intended to convey universal royal power, rather than individual likeness. Henry VII had a relatively weak claim to the throne when he defeated Richard III in 1485, but he recognised the value of the visual arts in promoting his reign. In 1504, his government ordered a reform of the coinage, issuing silver coins with a new likeness of Henry VII in profile. The coins showed the king with shoulder-length curly hair – and a rather prominent nose.
Clearly Henry felt that the older, generic likeness was no longer adequate for the needs of modern monarchy. By tying the currency’s regal authority to his own image, he reinforced his legitimacy, but also looked back to ancient imperial precedents, triggering a new trend for royal portraits that truly resembled their sitters.
2. Mary Queen of Scots (reigned 1542-1567)
On February 10 1567, Lord Darnley, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, died in an explosion in Edinburgh. On subsequent nights, mysterious voices were heard in the streets, accusing Mary’s rumoured paramour, the Earl of Bothwell James Hepburn, of murder.
Placards appeared depicting the queen as a bare-breasted mermaid, holding a falconry lure to symbolise her siren-like seduction of Bothwell. As a symbol of prostitution, the mermaid undermined Mary’s virtue, presenting her as a scheming, lustful woman.
The sketch of Mary Queen of Scots in the English State Papers.National Archives
A horrified Mary summoned her ministers in an attempt to discover the name of the artist, but a sketch of the placard had already made its way to England, where it survives to this day in the English State Papers.
Although sent with a note condemning the “undutiful” behaviour of Mary’s subjects, it was filed away by Elizabeth I’s chief advisor William Cecil as an example of negative intelligence about Mary, whose execution he later orchestrated.
3. Elizabeth I (reigned 1558-1603)
Recognising the damage that bad representations could do to a monarch’s reputation, Elizabeth I’s regime made several attempts to control her image. As early as 1563, a proclamation was drafted prohibiting portraits containing “errors and deformyties”. This was never enacted, but a similar warrant issued at the end of her reign, in 1596, ordered the destruction of unflattering portraits of the queen.
The portrait miniature of Elizabeth I of England by Isaac Oliver (1592).Wiki Commons
In the 1590s, when Elizabeth was in her 50s, artists often employed the “mask of youth” in her portraits: a fictive, never-ageing face pattern, intended to allay fears about Elizabeth’s advancing age and lack of heirs.
But one artist who did not follow this trend was Isaac Oliver, whose miniature (created circa 1590) presents an unusually accurate likeness of the ageing queen. The portrait was apparently never finished, and historians have sometimes assumed that Elizabeth rejected it.
When the French Revolution began in 1789, many in Britain feared the revolutionary spirit would spread. In 1792, the Royal Proclamation Against Seditious Writings and Publications was issued – primarily as a response to the popularity of Thomas Paine’s book Rights of Man (1791), which argued in favour of popular revolution against despotic monarchs and hereditary aristocracy.
The royal proclamation outlawed “all such Attempts which aim of the Subversion of all regular Government within this Kingdom”, and looked set to impinge on the rights of caricaturists such as James Gillray, who regularly parodied members of the government and royal family.
Gillray’s retort, Vices overlook’d in the New Proclamation (1792), took aim at the king’s hypocrisy, representing George III and Queen Charlotte as “avarice” clutching moneybags, and the Prince of Wales, future George IV, as “drunkenness”.
A year later, the French king was beheaded and France declared war on Britain, leading many caricaturists to tone down their representations of the royal family for a time. But fear of sedition remained.
In 1795, two acts known collectively as the Gagging Acts made it a treasonable offence to incite people to hatred or contempt of the king or government “by publishing any printing or writing” – a clause that encompassed caricatures like Gillray’s.
Not all unpopular royal portraits were suppressed for being offensive – they could also be deemed too sexy. Queen Victoria commissioned a portrait from the German painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter in 1843, as a surprise gift for her husband Prince Albert’s 24th birthday.
She referred to it in her diary as “the secret picture”. Kept in Albert’s private writing room at Windsor, it depicts Victoria in a low-cut, translucent dress, leaning against a red cushion, her lips slightly parted.
After her death in 1901, the portrait was apparently thought “too overtly sexual” to be shown to the public, and was only finally put on display in 1977.
I’ve been waiting for the arrival of summer—err, dress weather—for quite some time now. I have some major things to look forward to this June and July (mainly my wedding to the love of my life!!), and though I’d be remiss not to mention such big, impending life moments, the warmer weather also brings a more relaxed, joyful air that boosts everyone’s mood. People are smiling! People are frolicking! Fashion girlies are wearing the ‘It’ dress of the season! Wait, which one’s that?
Late last summer, I caught wind of this sexy, super-flattering silhouette, but I only had a few months to wear it with fall nearing. So, I packed the few styles away after minimal wear, only to crave them so dearly during the wintertime. But finally, after months of waiting, it’s time to wear them again—and the best part is that my idol, my icon, and my name twin, Eva Mendes, ushered in the style in the most nonchalant way.
Instagram @evamendes
The actress shared an Instagram video of her walking through beautiful L.A., looking like a vision in summer white. Her hair was bouncy and voluminous, her makeup was sunkissed and glowy, and her dress? So good, my jaw dropped. Lucky for me, Mendes shared that the crisp white dress, which featured the flattering detail I’m all-in on this summer—a drop waist!!—is from none other than fashion girl favorite brand Staud. To my dismay, it’s almost entirely sold out, but considering drop-waist dresses are trending big time for summer 2024, I had no issue finding similar styles from other labels.
Reformation Sariah Dress
Reformation
Free People Free-est Onda Drop-Waist Tube Midi Dress
Free People
Mendes’s white dress featured said drop-waist bodice, which is basically like a V-like design on the front that flows out into slightly more voluminous hips. This design detail creates the illusion of a snatched waist, which I’m always here for, and is actually incredibly comfy to wear, as you get said illusion without having to wear an ultra-tight, constricting corset. There are also variations of drop waists, ranging from more subtle to super dramatic, like the styles House of CB is known for.
One thing's for sure: I’ll be wearing this Mendes-approved dress style all summer long, especially as I prepare my outfits for my upcoming Italy trip. Shop some of the styles that are in my cart, below.
Abercrombie and Fitch Strapless Drop-Waist Maxi Dress
It’s officially sandal season and there is NO shortage of pretty (or more favorably; sexy, strappy) ones out there. I can’t think back to a summer when I had this many pairs on my wishlist. Oof haha. Greaaaat.
In order to calm the Pretty Sandal Chaos and see which ones rise to the top tier, I put together a little list of my absolute favorite sexy, strappy sandals out there right now. This is an edited-down version from a list of like 40, btw…
A sexy sandal, to me, is one with minimal coverage, usually thin straps, with a little extra oomph from color, detail, quality or just something special. These 12 pairs stand out from the rest (and have stunning reviews). Come swoon.
Oh how pretty these are. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect strappy sandal, Reformation has SUCH a great selection (a bunch made it in this post). These are my fave because of the minimalism and simplicity. They also look just so easy to wear & style.
This pair by Loeffler Randall is sleek & minimalist with a little bit of something. I love a lil bit of uniqueness in a strappy sandal and that little silver accent is perfection.
I’ve had my eyes on these Alohas sandals for months. HOW freaking cute is that little crochet rose? I’m a sucker for a minimal wrap sandal but these have a little bit of fun too.
That classic Loeffler Randall knotted bow looks just so dang good with shiny leather straps. Elevated + the perfect amount of feminine. I want to wear these with a white linen maxi dress ASAP.
I’m still pretty obsessed with metallic footwear. These would be some of the easiest to style due to that mixed silver & gold foil leather. Super gorgeous and could definitely be dressed up with ooo, this.
Agh these are such a good wrap-up pair. The square toe adds a pretty edge that I’ve come to loooove in my shoes. It just looks a teeny bit fancier. They also come in black & ivory.
I’ve heard pretty great things about these Jenni Kayne sandals for years. The oiled leather is high-quality, durable, and undeniably luxurious. The little toe ring is such an interesting little detail.
Woah.. these are like a wrap sandal and a flip-flop mixed! The thicker straps are really different & provide some good ankle security. The green-washed suede and reddish brown are sooooo gorgeous, too.
I love the super thin straps on these ones – and that the model is wearing them all bunched up tied around her ankle. Just such a pretty, summery pair of sandals. That tan color is one of my fave shades that I’ve seen.
S has these and they’re soooo good. They’re the type of sandal that can go with anything from running shorts to a fancy sundress. And UGH look at that cushioned footbed. *Drools*
A pair of sexy, strappy sandals never steered us wrong.
Jenner specifically reached for the Saint Laurent one-piece swimsuit, which included an olive hue, high leg, and a risqué back cut-out. The only downside? It costs $770, which is a bit out of my budget, but I found a few lookalikes you’ll want to live in all season long—beach not included.
7 Strapless One-Piece Swimsuits
Holipick Ribbed Backless Bandeau Swimsuit
Amazon
The $29 Holipick swimmie captures the same statement-worthy details, putting the revealing open back on display. Ribbed fabric sets it apart from traditional smooth finishes and removable straps offer peak versatility. It comes in four colors and sizes S to XXL.
Milumia Backless Bandeau One-Piece Swimsuit
Amazon
This Milumia bandeau option puts a glitzy spin on the Jenner-worn swimsuit, with reviewers calling it flattering and sexy, making it their “favorite swimsuit ever!” It’s available in eight colors that are ideal for an array of water-filled occasions, including bachelorette weekends, tropical vacations, and resort stays.
Lpa Ingrid Backless Strapless One-Piece Swimsuit
Revolve
Lpa Ingrid took a slightly more covered approach in a shimmery off-white fabric that would be perfect for a bride-to-be. The “S” closure in the back ensures a secure fit, while delicate ruching creates the illusion of an eye-catching hourglass figure. Though, some sizes are already selling out, so I’d secure this find before it’s too late.
Smismivo Strapless Ruched One-Piece Swimsuit
Amazon
If showing off your entire back isn’t for you—or you’re worried about getting overly sunburnt—you can still achieve Jenner’s look by opting for a traditional strapless one-piece swimsuit. For $32, Smismivo offers a full-coverage silhouette that over 8,000 shoppers have given a five-star rating. Best of all, it’s fully lined, which eliminates any accidental peek-a-boo moments.
Whether you snag a back-baring swimsuit like the supermodel’s or add a modest pick to your cart, you’ll be leaning into the sexy, sophisticated trend just the same. The secret is ditching the straps to obtain an even tan that camouflages under clothing—no matter what you wear.
Shop more strapless one-piece swimsuits, below, including a buttery-yellow option that shoppers call “flattering and comfortable.”
Tommy Bahama Paradise Fronds Bandeau One-Piece Swimsuit
Nordstrom
Free People Toast Signature Tube One-Piece Swimsuit
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