Warning: The following story discusses criminal acts around the abuse of children that some readers may find distressing. As with Hollywood and video games, the anime industry is often guilty of carting out some of its older hit-making stories and remaking them for a new audience with mixed results. Weve seen this time and time again with shows like Dragon Ball Z Kai, Hunter x Hunter, and Ranma 1/2 leading the charge as streamlined remakes of their progenitors. While animes batting average with purposeful remakes tends to fare better than other media, the industrys worst pet project has been its repeated attempts to make the classic samurai series Rurouni Kenshin a thing once again. Rurouni Kenshin, written by mangaka Nubuhiro Watsuki, is a historical action shonen series that follows a wandering samurai named Kenshin Himura who turns over a new leaf from being the once-feared revolutionary killer to a peace-loving vagabond. Since releasing as a manga in 1994, the series spawned an anime series from studio Gallop and Deen, making it a formative anime/manga shonen combo alongside its contemporaries like Yu Yu Hakusho.This streak continued until the series conclusion in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999 and its anime finale in 1998.While the merit of Rurouni Kenshins story remains one of animes most memorable tales, even spawning a five-movie live-action trilogy starring Netflix One Piece live-action star Mackenyu Arata, its authors baggage all but ruined the series reputation for fans in the U.S. In February 2018, Watsuki was fined 200,000 yen ($1,900) for possession of hundreds of child pornography DVDs. According to Anime News Network, possession of child porn in Japan can lead to a year of imprisonment, a one million yen fine, or both. At the time, publisher Shueisha reiterated that it took the charge seriously and placed Watsuki and his wife Kaoru Kurosakis sequel series, Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc, on hiatus. Shueisha would resume the series four months later, with ANN writing that Shueisha and Watsuki decided to continue the manga to answer the desires of fans was a matter of duty. While the series resumed in Japan, with Watsuki stating hes living a life of reflection and atonement, Rurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc would not receive new chapters in its English edition under Viz Media. That is until anime studio Liden Films announced it was making an anime adaption of the arc at Jump Festa 2022. Its now currently airing on Crunchyroll. These sorts of controversies unfortunately arent uncommon in the anime industry. Weve seen it in the past with folks like Toriko writer Mitsutoshi Shimabukukuro getting arrested and convicted of child prostitution in 2002 (his two-year sentence was suspended, freeing him of jail time); Act Age manga writer Tatsuya Matsuki getting an 18-month prison sentence for indecent behavior with a minor (which was also suspended for good behavior); and prolific voice actors like One Pieces Toru Furuya resigning last year following a scandal where he admitted to having an affair and physically abusing a fan. While there is undoubtedly room for argument over the age-old dilemma of separating the art from the artist and the statute of limitations on atonement, Rurouni Kenshins almost desperate prevalence in the anime industry following Watsukis wrist slap as a consequence of possessing child porn remains one of the anime industrys weirdest paradoxes. Overseas, most of the outcomes for the above boiled down to societal punishment for the crimes being punishment enough. However, Rurouni Kenshin, being the big shonen series success story it was, prevented it from being canceled like its contemporaries. This, in turn, has left seasoned anime viewers to advise newer fans not to support the series despite companies like Aniplex, Shuiesha, and Crunchyroll promoting with the acclaim and adulation of any other anime remake through social media campaigns and convention floor banners. This kind of muddles the whole societal shame aspect of punishment when a show gets this much of a push despite its creators controversy. The anime industry wouldve been better off if Rurouni Kenshin remained a thing of the past, rather than trying to force it back into relevancy. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.