Surprisingly, there were also voices of gratitude.
Magmix published an article titled “TV Station Says ‘We’re Sorry’ for Unexpected Mistake: Strange Incidents in Showa Anime Young People Don’t Know About.” It covered troubles unique to the Showa period, such as the double broadcast of “Armored Ronin Warriors (JP),” the failure to broadcast the first episode of “Combat Mecha Xabungle” in the Kansai region, and the collapse of animation in “Super Dimension Fortress Macross.”
This article has received much attention, especially regarding the double broadcast of “Ronin Warriors (JP).” This unprecedented broadcast accident occurred in September 1988. Episode 18 was supposed to be broadcast, but the unusual event of episode 17, which had aired the previous week, was broadcast again. At the time, the show was flooded with complaints and was widely reported in the newspapers the next day, but now, more than 35 years later, many fans seem to have fond memories of the incident.
Many viewers were impressed by the apology caption that appeared the following week. “We mistakenly broadcast a work already broadcast last week in ‘Ronin Warriors (JP).’ We are truly sorry. Please continue to support us,” recalled viewers who were junior and senior high school students at the time who were touched by the words. “It wasn’t a formal ‘apology and report’ like today, but a truly apologetic, yet kind apology.”
Conversely, readers who missed episode 17 the week before the broadcast accident also sent messages of gratitude, such as “The unexpected rebroadcast saved me” and “It was like a miracle that I was able to watch the episode I missed even though I rushed home after club activities.”
In an era when there were no video distribution services and the penetration rate of recording devices was not as high as it is now, the opportunity to catch up on episodes that you missed was rare. It has also been pointed out that a unique relationship of trust was born between the production side and the viewers. Comments such as “I was impressed when they added ‘please support us’ after the apology” and “I liked how they admitted their mistake and apologized honestly” give a glimpse of the relationship that the creators and the viewers were trying to face each other sincerely.
The double broadcast of Ronin Warriors (JP) is often discussed as a rare event in anime history. However, in retrospect, it also feels like an incident symbolizing the bond with the viewers who accepted the mistake and tried to grow the work together.