Unico: Awakening Manga Removed From North Carolina School District After Parent Raises Concerns Over Graphic Content

A mother in Richmond County, North Carolina, has voiced alarm over graphic content in a manga her six-year-old son brought home from a school book fair, prompting the removal of the title from district schools.

Nikki Fletcher, a mother of a first-grader at Mineral Springs Elementary, said her son chose Unico: Awakening manga at a Scholastic Book Fair held at the school.

Fletcher shared her concerns in a Facebook post, expressing shock over scenes depicting gun violence and animal cruelty.

“My son loves to draw and thought the book would have cool illustrations. I told him to get what he wanted because I never expected gun violence to be a part of a book fair for children of any age, and offered in schools at that!”

Fletcher said her son approached her with questions after reading the book, prompting her to review its content.

Upon reviewing the manga, Fletcher discovered scenes depicting gun violence and animal abuse, including a man kicking a cat and firing a handgun at a feline character.

According to Scholastic’s website, the manga is aimed at readers aged 8–12 or grades 3–7. While a 26-page preview on the website omits these graphic scenes, Fletcher said their inclusion in the full book is inappropriate for young readers.

“I never expected gun violence to be a part of a book fair for children of any age — and offered in schools at that!” Fletcher wrote in her post, adding that she believes Scholastic should be held accountable.

Staff at Mineral Springs Elementary immediately removed the book from circulation, and Richmond County Schools followed suit, pulling copies from across the district.

“We are aware of the issue and take all parent concerns seriously,” said Cameron Whitley, executive director of communications for Richmond County Schools. “The book has been removed from the current Scholastic Book Fairs to allow us time to review the concern and reach out to Scholastic.”

Fletcher emphasized she does not fault the school, as the staff appeared equally surprised by the content. She however felt that Scholastic should be held accountable for making the manga available to children.

Following the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook in 2012, schools have become zero-tolerant towards guns in United States.

In 2022, Tezuka Productions partnered with illustrator duo Gurihiru and writer Samuel Sattin to launch a Kickstarter campaign for Unico: Awakening, a modern reimagining of Osamu Tezuka’s original Unico manga.

Funded within 24 hours, the campaign exceeded expectations, expanding the first volume from 162 to 224 pages by 2023.

Published by Scholastic’s Graphix imprint, the first volume—a retelling of the original chapter “The Cat in the Broomstick”—was released in the United States on Aug 6, 2024.

The plot follows the young unicorn Unico, cursed by the vengeful goddess Venus and saved by the West Wind, awakens in a mysterious land with no memory of his past. Befriended by Chloe, a watch cat with a protective streak, Unico finds himself aiding a kind but frail old woman in a forest village. Chloe pleads with Unico to transform her into a human girl to care for the woman, but this act of kindness awakens Venus and her minion, Byron, who set out to destroy them.

Recently, Horry County school libraries pulled Assassination Classroom manga following concerns from parents regarding its content. Similarly,  Sasaki & Miyano, Vol. 1 was banned from Florida School board district libraries, despite the book’s content not violating state statutes.

Source: Richmond Observer