In the midst of the war between Russia and Ukraine , a
young Russian soldier has captured the public's attention and has become a
trend on social networks due to his outstanding actions on the
battlefield. The soldier, whose identity is being withheld for security
reasons, has been awarded two honorable mentions for his bravery and skill in
combat during the ongoing war.
What has made this soldier stand out even more
is the fact that he belongs to an unconventional military unit: the “Anime
Squad.” This unit, based in the city of Kerch, has gained
notoriety for its peculiar love of anime culture. Members of this unit
not only decorate their weapons with decals of their favorite anime characters,
but they also carry a variety of otaku items with them to the battlefield, including
dakimakuras (hugging pillows) with images of popular characters, cat ears and
other accessories inspired by Japanese culture.
The “Anime Squad” has attracted attention both
inside and outside Russia for its unique combination of passion for anime and
dedication to military service. Although opinions on this
practice are diverse, with some praising the soldiers' creativity and spirit of
camaraderie, while others question its appropriateness in a war environment, it
cannot be denied that this unit has generated an online debate about the
relationship between popular culture and the reality of war:
- " The
Russian army is so populous that soldiers have to buy their own dakimakura
to go to war ."
- " It
seems like he's quite in love with Zero Two in general ."
- « I'm
quite happy that he's still alive after they reported the existence of
this unit a few months ago. "I would like the war to end so that boys
as young as him stop dying on the battlefield ."
- « What
an absolute legend. I hope he comes out alive, I hope everyone does,
actually .
- « He
looks like a Twitch streamer, honestly, but I congratulate him on the
balls he carries .»
- « Russia
has otakus in its army and Ukraine has trans. This war has definitely
become a Wattpad story .
- « You
are the hero of many otakus friend, be proud of it! ».
- « Forget
giving him a medal, just give him money to spend at the nearest otaku
store. Maybe this way we can get a waifu that's less shitty than Zero Two .
- « Would
you rather be killed by one of these otaku or by one who does a Fortnite
dance on you? ».
- « Imagine
being murdered by a guy wearing an anime t-shirt, using a rifle with anime
stickers on it, what the fuck .»
- « The
tattoo in the photo says “FOR THE ANIME!” I am certainly speechless ».
- « Gosh,
some of them are fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion, I hope they come out
alive .»
- « They
are facing death, at least let them have fun and dress as they want while
fighting for their country .»
- " We
need some Japanese volunteers to rescue the waifu once the squad falls in
combat ."
Source: Reddit
