Eel-conceived video cops flak

SHIBUSHI (JAPAN) — A city in south-western Japan withdrew an online promotional video this week in which a young girl in a swimsuit transforms into an eel, the city’s speciality food, following criticism that it was sexist.

The city of Shibushi, Kagoshima Prefecture, released the two-minute video on YouTube on Sept 21 to promote its farmed eels.

In the video, the teenage girl in black school swimwear appears by a swimming pool and says: “Feed me”. A male narrator then tells a story about feeding her in and around the pool for a year. She grows up and finally says “goodbye”, before diving into the pool and transforming into an eel.

The eel is then shown being broiled before the video closes with another young girl in a swimsuit saying from the pool: “Feed me”.

The video soon went viral and apart from drawing allegations it was sexist, some viewers said the footage was suggestive of confining people and cannibalism. The city received about 50 telephone calls complaining about the video.

A city official admitted the video “lacked consideration” but said its makers, by using the words “feed me”, were trying to illustrate how local farmed eels are raised with care. The video has been removed due to concern the incident may cause damage to eel farmers, the official said. KYODO NEWS