The country's state-run television channel China Central Television is airing an anime that appears to be ripping off Japan's Pokémon, Naruto and Digimon franchises.
This is not the first time Japanese anime has been copied by Chinese broadcasts, reports website Record China. Both Crayon Shin-chan and animated film 5 Centimeters Per Second has been reworked for Chinese viewers without permission or proper attribution.
This latest "borrowing" is a Chinese anime about dinosaurs that heavily borrows characters and plot line from Pokémon, Naruto and Digimon.
When asked about the anime, those in charge at the government's CCTV replied that the issue was with the actual company the produced this Chinese anime. What's more, CCTV didn't seem to think this rip-off was so bad. "This is a rip off?," a spokesperson at the channel added. "What's being called a rip? What's being called a copy? Please think first, then talk."
Since September 2006, foreign anime has been banned on Chinese television between 5am and 8am — prime time for kids. This decision on the part of the Chinese government is to improve the domestic anime business.
中国TV局がまたまた日本アニメをパクる！今度は「ナルト」や「ポケモン」-中国 [Record China via http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/4344811/>Livedoor]