The accuser says parts of her claims were “totally incorrect.”
An X (formerly Twitter) user named Maryco (@Maryco02_), who previously accused Buta Productions CEO Federico Antonio Russo, also known as FAR, of grooming, has formally retracted her allegations.
In a new post made today, Thursday 7 May, Maryco stated that she had “ended up embellishing, warping details” of her account and had included “totally incorrect information.” She later apologized in a reply, saying that she hopes “everyone can move on from this commotion.”
The original accusations, which have since been deleted, alleged that Russo began grooming her when she was 14 years old, and he was 23. The posts also included a document containing alleged chat logs and descriptions of their interactions. The document has now been made private.
What were the allegations against Russo?
Disturbing allegations came to light against Russo when Maryco released a 33-paged document on Monday, 4 May, detailing Russo's grooming of them when they were 14 and he was 23.
"I was 14 and he was 23 and this relationship lasted throughout all my teenage years", a part of the document read, “[…] I fear that his position as a producer of a “studio” gives him much more power and authority that can influence other young artists.”
The document also contained a number of screenshots, which features conversations between Russo and the accuser on Discord, and another unspecified messaging application. The conversations, which spanned from when the victim was 14 to 18 years old, alleges that Russo groomed the then-minor, and even went as far as to “develop” a romantic and sexually-charged relationship with her during that time.
In one of the screenshots, Russo allegedly stated that in Italy, where he is from, “if you want to get engaged to a fourteen-year-old and screw her as much as you want when you're 60, it's perfectly legal.”
In another, Russo allegedly apologised, saying “I'm afraid that maybe I did you a huge wrong by letting you spend your formative teenage years with me.”
“What I have shown is just the tip of something that lasted more than 4 years,” the accuser stated at the end of the document, “I was faced with a reality that was difficult to accept at first but I could not accept his conduct and what he had done to me when I was just a little girl.”
What happened to the “Let Me Fix You” anime?
The controversy affected the upcoming anime adaptation of “Let Me Fix You” (Kimi o Tsumugu), which had been announced by German publisher Dokico on 4 April.
Following the allegations, the anime’s official X account stated that staff members had only learned of the accusations hours before making their statement. The production team added that nobody involved with the project was aware of Russo’s alleged behavior, and said they wanted to distance themselves from the situation.
The staff also stated that discussions were underway regarding whether the anime could continue without Buta Productions and Russo.
Series creator Sakura Kurihara later confirmed that the anime would be delayed slightly, while expressing gratitude that the team still hoped to continue production instead of canceling the project entirely.
Are Buta Productions and FAR still involved with the Let Me Fix You anime?
According to statements given to Anime News Network, Dokico confirmed that Buta Productions and Russo are no longer involved with the Let Me Fix You anime. Dokico added that it will continue overseeing planning and communication for the project, while discussions about its future continue.
Buta Productions, however, told Anime News Network that the anime remains in production with Russo “involved as little as possible.” The studio also stated that it plans to shut down following the incident, with Russo moving on from the company.
The studio, although it seems that Russo was using the official email as it was noted that correspondence was written in first-person, further claimed that “my legal team is analyzing the situation with the intention of suing the person who made these defamatory accusations.”
It is unconfirmed whether the alleged victim retracted their accusations after Russo threatened legal action through Anime News Network.
What is Ponbleu?
An X account representing a group called Ponbleu, which says it consists of former Buta Productions staff members, also released a statement yesterday, 6 May.
According to the post, former staff reorganized separately from Russo, and are currently operating informally to fulfill existing client obligations. The group added that there are currently no updates regarding previously announced projects.
What is Buta Productions?
Buta Productions is a Europe-based independent animation studio which works on freelance animation production in collaboration with Japanese studios. The studio, according to its official website, has been contributing to anime titles like Bocchi the Rock!, Spy x Family, Otachan!, Wonder Egg Priority, and more.