What’s wrong with this Tokyo subway picture?

The operator of Tokyo’s subway system has back-tracked on a radical makeover for its promotional character after the new anime incarnation of Michika Ekino was deemed more than a little inappropriate.

Described as the “eternal 23-year-old” station attendant for the Tokyo Metro, the Ekino character first appeared in 2013 as a conventionally two-dimensional character in the brown uniform and a blue hat of subway employees.

In an ill-advised effort to “sex-up” her character, however, the designers seem to have got a little carried away.

In the new design, released on October 13, Ekino has become a doe-eyed “moe” character with parted lips, flushed cheeks and a submissive look in her big, round eyes.

Her dress was also redesigned - to the point where it has become virtually transparent. Ekino’s thighs are visible through the sheer material and it appears that her underwear can be seen.