Since last July 13, the 2023 Japan Expo has been taking place , an event dedicated to Japanese culture in France . This year's edition is taking place at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center, but it seems that the fact that author Ken Akamatsu ( Love Hina, UQ Holder!, Mahou Sensei Negima! ) is a guest of Honoring the event has infuriated some French people.
This was reported by the activist cosplayer “ Connasse de Conne (@connasse2blonde) ”, who widely criticized the presence of the author Ken Akamatsu in the place, especially now that he has dabbled in politics in Japan to avoid the introduction of censorship laws on manga. . This has led a group of people to distribute leaflets tarnishing the author's image, calling him a "promoter of child pornography" and an "enemy of feminism".
The full brochure writes the following:
- This year, Ken Akamatsu will once again be the guest of honor at Japan Expo. Many know him as the author of Love Hina! and Negima, but last year he became a deputy for the Liberal Democratic Party, "Japan's largest far-right organization," according to Wikipedia.
- He began his political career about ten years ago to protest against laws regulating child pornography in Japan, and this remains the main focus of his fight. This has led him to criticize certain UN recommendations, painted as an external influence that tries to censor Japanese culture. Fortunately, we know that there are more interesting things in Japanese culture than child pornography! Since then, he has aligned himself with the far-right and deeply anti-feminist ideas of the Liberal Democratic Party, and has become a star of this reactionary and dangerous party.
- Many of us grew up with Akamatsu's work and are attached to it. It's not bad that we like Negima or Love Hina. However, we cannot deny it. His internationally recognized author status gives him legitimacy in Japan, which he uses to propagate his reactionary ideas. Nor can we forget the complacency of a large part of the manga world towards child pornography, as demonstrated by the wave of solidarity with Nobuhiro Watsuki, author of “Rurouni Kenshin”, who was in possession of monstrous amounts of pornographic content involving minors.
- By inviting him back and helping to be seen as that endearing author, Japan Expo directly participates in giving him legitimacy, which he will use to push ideas from another time in Japan. It is a matter of solidarity with Japan, of solidarity with all the people whose rights are threatened by these far-right ideas. It is time to show that we are not taking advantage of their culture, to show that we will do what we can to help them defend themselves. And that means refusing to care about the people who put them in danger on a daily basis.
- Refusing to go to events where Ken Akamatsu is present! Question him about his ideas. Question the Japan Expo staff. Ken, we don't want you!
It is certainly a rather particular matter, and it turns out that the distribution of brochures or pamphlets is prohibited within the Japan Expo facilities (not only for reasons of ideology, but because many of these papers end up becoming garbage on the ground). For this reason, the group is distributing these papers outside the facilities.
And of course, since the author Ken Akamatsu is an acclaimed personality inside and outside Japan, the fact that a group of French people are trying to cancel it did not go unnoticed on social networks, where comments towards France in general have emerged :
- « You deserve to have your whole country burned by African immigrants, you fucking anti-Asian French. That's why you're doing the way you're doing, you stinking skunks ."
- « “Anime is bad, think of the children”, says the French activist who was discovered defending the film Cuties ».
- « And you wonder why the whole world hates France, now you know ».
- « Opinion of France? I'm sorry, but I'm not even interested ».
- « And where were these people when they released Cuties? ».
- « Apparently, this woman is a defender of the film Cuties. If that's the case, any views she has on child pornography are immediately irrelevant ."
- « Ken Akamatsu supported gay marriage in Japan and is openly supported by lesbian artists like Takano Saku, as well as liberal feminists like Yukari Fujimoto. The French ridiculing themselves again before the whole world ».
- « Is the country that brought Cuties to theaters complaining about child pornography? It seems to me rather that they are being projected ».
- " France deserves everything that is happening to it at the moment ."
- " These people are crazy crazy, they prefer to focus on this instead of solving their rape problems ."
- « Imagine how crazy you have to be to be a trans otaku in France and go to protest that they have invited a famous Japanese mangaka to the Japan Expo “because he is macho and far-right” » .
- « You have your country that is being burned by African invaders who want to burn you alive, but you protest because they invite a Japanese manga author to a Japanese manga festival! ».
- Remember , your president blamed video games for the protests. The global mockery! ».
Source: @connasse2blonde on Twitter
