A recent Twitter post has trended in Japan criticizing
the constant sexism present in anime , manga, video
games, and music in the Japanese entertainment industry. The author of
the post argued that Japan needs to start creating content that does not
perpetuate gender inequality, warning that failure to do so will have negative
consequences. He also suggested stopping supporting, purchasing, or
consuming entertainment that reproduces these values, noting that too many
people have been “casually contaminated by misogyny” in these media.
- « Japan
should really start creating anime, manga, video games and music that are
not sexist, because the situation is quite dire. Also, we should first
stop supporting sexist entertainment. Don't buy it, don't support it. Too
many people are being casually poisoned by misogyny because of sexist
entertainment in Japan .»
In his post, the user compared the situation
to popular comments overseas, where many viewers have expressed their weariness
with the constant sensualization of young women in anime. Examples cited included comments such as:
- « I
stopped watching anime because of misogyny. It's everywhere, no matter how
much you select, you can't escape it .»
- « I
got tired of the obvious sexualization of teenage girls, so now I read
Korean manhwa aimed at women .»
- « I
find most anime disgusting now, because of the creepy fans and the
sensualization of women and girls .»
The thread also mentioned examples of works that were
once popular but that some stopped watching due to the inappropriate portrayal
of underage characters , such as “My Hero Academia” or the harem
comedy “Ladies Versus Butlers,” which was described as an anime filled with
“universal misogyny.”
The post sparked a heated debate among Japanese users,
with opinions both for and against. Some supported the initial
argument, highlighting that the problem of misogyny in anime is real and
widespread , while others criticized the stance, pointing out that the
industry is not as problematic as it is made out to be.
- « Why
don't you do it yourself? It's too much to ask others to do it for you. If
you want different content, you should create your own .»
Other users pointed out that most people don't
see this supposed problem in the industry . One particularly popular comment mentioned:
- " Most
people don't even think about these things. They're
exaggerating ."
In defense of anime, some users mentioned
examples of series where women are the protagonists and sexist roles are not
perpetuated, such as “K-On!”, “Bocchi the Rock!” and “BanG Dream!” ,
where women are not only the central focus, but have strong and active roles.
On the other hand, there were those who
pointed out that, although there is sexist content, sales data shows that the
Japanese entertainment industry is in good shape . One user pointed out:
- « Sales
figures show that there is no problem, the industry is stronger than ever.
Works that have tried to force politically correct messages such as
Assassin's Creed or Disney have failed ».
In short, the post sparked a wide-ranging discussion
about the state of anime and manga in relation to misogyny, where opinions vary
drastically. Some users demand change in the industry, while
others defend creative freedom and claim that the majority of the public is not
affected by these issues. In the end, the debate makes it clear that the clash
of opinions surrounding gender representation in anime is a topic that
continues to generate controversy both in Japan and abroad.
Source: Otakomu
