Shimizu Fumika: Reveals Discomfort with “Cannibalistic Race” Role and Swimsuit Work, Explains “Science of Happiness” Cult

So all of the sudden there’s been some uproar around Shimizu Fumika (Touka’s actress in Tokyo Ghoul Live Action) and her statement that she will retire from the entertainment industry. Many fans (including myself) are upset about this because it is directly following the filming of Tokyo Ghoul, and seems to throw shade at her fellow cast-members as well as the work itself, creating huge implications for the actual marketing and post-production of the film.



I ended up translating the entire article that is the official release of her statement (here), and tried to be as objective as possible in the translation. The highlighted parts are the ones most fans, especially in the JP fandom, are focused on, but I’d encourage fans to read the entire article in order to have a greater understanding of Shimizu’s come-from. Here we go:

Actress Shimizu Fumika says that she is going to enter the religious organization ‘Science of Happiness,’ making clear that she intends to retire from the entertainment industry.

On February 11, Shimizu deleted her Twitter account titled “レプロ” and its company name, and created a new personal account (@sengen777). With her statement “we will have a declaration next week,” speculations around her possible independence from the office were on the verge of bursting (related article). In such circumstances, the just-released news of her retirement has created a huge uproar.

According to the Public Relations Division of “The Science of Happiness,” Shimizu has participated in religious events of the cult since childhood. After admitting that this is in fact true, Shimizu explained that she “wanted to deliver energy and encouragement to those who see her [perform],” which is why she continued to pursue performing [despite her participation in the cult].

However, [Shimizu expresses her discomfort in how] recently, the number of works that do not conform to her conscience and ideological beliefs, such as “the role of a member of a race that eats human meat,” have been increasing. Regarding the work of swimsuit DVDs, Shimizu declared that she couldn’t bear being forced into such sexually targeting roles even when she said she didn’t want to, stating that she was told “if you refuse your assigned office, it means you’ll be dried up as an actress.” As a result, Shimizu says she began to appeal for mental and physical disorders, and received a doctor’s diagnosis in February. She’s just been told that she should take a break from entertainment activities.

Amid such circumstances, Shimizu’s ‘Guardian Spirit’ was recorded and released by President Takao Okawa and published with the title “Possibility of Actress Shimizu Fumika’s Protective Spiritual Interview.” With this as a trigger, Shimizu is determined to become a religious owner so as to “dedicate 24 hours a day towards salvation of the soul.” Now, her legal name is 千眼美子 (Sengen Yoshiko).

As for her future work, such as reappearing in movies, Shimizu says “I won’t do it anymore due to unavoidable reasons, such as serious mental and physical disorders. However, when I recover from these conditions, I think I will move on from the entertainment industry as a religious owner” (*the response from the PR Department of “Science of Happiness” is delineated in full at the end of the article).

Afterwards, at a press conference run by the spokesperson of “Science of Happiness” on Feb. 12th, a hand-written message by Shimizu was made public. In it, the actress described some of her struggles in the eight years since her debut, such as how her heart was unable to keep up and was complaining daily, and told her manager, who was opposed and repeatedly told her “I don’t know what you mean so please stop,” of her intention – that is, to establish an understanding of her reaction, including her desire to believe in God, Buddha, and others. All of this was what she spelled out in [the note’s] 24 lines.

Lastly, Shimizu stated, “I hope to reveal to everyone this series of events, that may be mistaken as brainwashing, as the honest feelings I have felt throughout the last 8 years.” And, taking the opportunity to remain close to fans and others involved, Fumizu said “Truly, truly, thank you [for your understanding],” as her words of future gratitude.

Attached to the linked article are Fumika Shimizu’s hand-written letter to fans and the official statements by the PR division of the organization “Science of Happiness.”

