Reactions to Koda's apology

[Tokyograph News]

On Thursday, Kumi Koda appeared in an exclusive interview on Fuji TV's "FNN Super News" to apologize for a remark she made on "All Night Nippon" last week. She had stated that "when women turn 35, their amniotic fluid goes rotten," leading to many angry reactions from the public.

During Thursday's interview, she attempted to explain her comment and tearfully apologized for the harm she caused.

Not everyone was convinced, however. An informal poll taken after the broadcast through Sankei Sports' website indicated that 81% of the viewers felt the apology was insufficient, while only 9% said it was enough. Fuji TV later announced that by midnight on Thursday, it had received almost 300 phone calls about the broadcast. About a third of them carried heavy criticism, such as saying that Koda's apology felt insincere. Only 9 of the callers defended the singer.

According to Video Research Ltd., Koda's appearance did not boost ratings. Her apology drew ratings of 10.1%, the same as the average for the show's second half.

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