The creator of Go For It, Nakamura-kun!!, Syundei, has deleted her X account following harassment connected to the series’ handling of a teacher-student dynamic.
For those not caught up, Go For It, Nakamura-kun!! is a Boys’ Love manga about Okuto Nakamura, a closeted 16-year-old high school student who has feelings for his classmate, Aiki Hirose. The series recently received an anime adaptation, with the show beginning its run on April 2.
The controversy centres on material involving Hirose and his 25-year-old homeroom teacher, Sou Otogiri. According to reports, the backlash did not simply come from the latest anime episode itself, but also from earlier discussion around a “what if” illustration by Syundei that showed Hirose fantasising about Otogiri. That artwork was not part of the manga’s main story.
In the manga, Hirose’s feelings for the teacher are presented as one-sided. The anime’s latest episode included a scene where the student and teacher exchange contact information, though Syundei reportedly asked the production team to reduce the suggestive angle compared to the original material.
Before deleting her account on April 11, Syundei posted a long message on X expressing frustration over the complaints and harassment. A machine-translated version shared online showed the author questioning whether there was any point in continuing as a manga creator if she could not make work that satisfied everyone.
Japanese webcomic imprint HERO’S WEB later released a statement from Syundei. In it, the author said she had specifically requested that the anime keep the Hirose and Otogiri relationship from feeling too close, while always remembering that it is a teacher-student dynamic. The statement also said she asked the team to avoid sexualising female students or female characters, and to soften vulgar material from the original work where possible.
Importantly, the statement clarified that Syundei and the anime production team do not endorse teachers and students privately exchanging contact information.
Syundei also addressed her past work in the BL genre, acknowledging that she had previously created stories involving large age gaps or adult-minor dynamics, including teacher-student pairings. Moving forward, she said she does not plan to use those themes again, citing recent serious crimes committed by adults against minors as part of the reason.
For Malaysian and SEA anime fans, this is one of those messy moments where fandom, adaptation choices, creator responsibility, and online harassment all collide. It is fair for viewers to criticise uncomfortable themes, especially when minors and adults are involved. Anime fans here are not shy about calling out sus content either, and honestly, that conversation matters.
But bullying a creator off social media is a different thing. Criticism should be sharp, clear, and accountable — not a dogpile until someone disappears from the platform. The more useful takeaway is whether anime studios and manga publishers can handle sensitive material with more care, especially when an older work is being adapted for a modern audience with very different expectations.
Go For It, Nakamura-kun!! remains one of the season’s notable BL adaptations, but this situation has put a spotlight on how even niche romance subgenres are now being examined much more closely by global audiences.
Source: Kotaku