an exploration of anti-blackness in the anime industry

[@harriyanna]

thank you so much for having me!!! this video turned out so well!

[@itsbasicboi]

Love you Captain !! I appreciate you so much!

[@thegeckojo5803]

helloo!

[@zainmudassir2964]

Sup

[@rosephoenix954]

Sorry.

[@francisconavarrete3031]

@@itsbasicboi terra formers really have you even read the manga

[@Like_A_Dance]

Crazy how the Cowboy Bebop character designs for black people is more respectful than shows coming out 25 years later. Maybe it's because of the fact the whole show had an appreciation for black culture that is seldom seen in japan but damn does it make me sad that almost no one in the industry tried to continue in that same vein

[@bebopobama4686]

Pay more attention to the staff behind these anime. The depiction of how people look will depend a lot depending on that. Cowboy Bebop in particular has Shinichiro Watanabe as director. Watanabe is more aware of the west and more influenced by western art than the average Japanese person, so those influences end up in his works.

[@Like_A_Dance]

@@bebopobama4686 I know, he also directed Samurai Champloo which is probably the anime with the most influence from hip-hop. Also directed my personal fav Kids on the Slope so yeah he clearly loves the culture.

[@francisconavarrete3031]

@@Like_A_Dance crazy but even people think cowboy bebop is racist for it use of blaxploitation

[@francisconavarrete3031]

@@Like_A_Dance I will you mean most a lot of them are good with poc

[@stonks3507]

@@Like_A_Dance Kind of unrelated, but MAN Samurai Champloo is such a good show

[@ashes2inkart]

I think Krone wanting to be a mom, being kind to the non black babies but abuses her black babydoll and her hating herself was just really sad to me as a black woman. I think her character could have been really good representation if the gave her some more development or empathy towards herself

[@afellowpotato]

I'm just replying so you can see how much likes you got

[@Apologetic231]

I don’t think she hates the doll because she was black but saw herself in the doll how bad of a person she thinks she is

[@KoolKeithProductions]

​@@Apologetic231@26:40 l just love that in a conversation about how ASIANS portrayed a BLK WOMAN in an anime, this Immigrant Tether still found the time to take shots a BLK MEN. This is why blk americans are no longer rocking with immigrants like her.

[@selenama]

I agree with Tomi on what the doll represents for Krone. I also think basic kinda miscontrued the argument made in regards to Aunt Jemima vs Krone : Jemima IS a racist stereotype through and through, but Krone sets herself apart from it by displaying cunning, intelligence and moral ambiguity. She doesn't represent some good ol' subservient caretaker for the kids, she is an active threat to them for as long as she's around. I'm not all that satisfied with the way she was disposed of either, especially given the potential her backstory had in regards to her characterization, but I also don't think she fits the Aunt Jemima archetype all that much if at all beyond appearances. ps: then again, you could argue that appearances matter just as much, like was there a need to make her look like some minstrel caricature in the first place?

[@scarcat2469]

As a Japanese person, Japan has a completely different social conscious when it comes to race. Japanese people are not taught any part of Black history. Most Japanese people have never even met a black person. If I tried to have a conversation about race in Japan it usually goes in one ear and out the other because the cultural/historical basis just isn’t there. THIS DOES NOT MEAN JAPAN CAN’T DO BETTER. There are plenty of black-Japanese people and I just really hope Japan actually listens to them for once because my god it’s bad.

[@notgoodatonlinenames9943]

They're not going to. Koreans don't even listen 😒 Asian pretend like they don't know what racism is until it effects them personally, they know what they're doing they just don't care.

[@rinibunny4576]

I remember someone explaining their experience in Japan as a black woman: they were just walking minding their business and a Japanese man fastly walked passed her looking away saying “it’s a black one it’s a black one it’s a black one”

[@KiritoAkira]

No its no Bad because as I what I heard a prominated black man journalist in Japan has call out Japanese men as castred men for no support it a backslash against a black face tv comedy in 2019 or 2018 I don't remember but at the end was canceled. Besides the black urban community in U.S like New York and California isn't safe place to point that the police don't come to that place according to my English teacher. They even don't respect law in their country and they have leading horrible organizations like BLM and ATIFA . The black community really doesn't bend too much in any Asian or middle east country not only in Japan. Japan has been horrible ruined and attacked and humiliated by the white western world and you want Japanse do better with the black community Japan is better as less possible western people being Japan. Because Japan isn't for west is for the Japanese , and I know sounds bad but isn't. Is the ugly truth

[@sundaylovesyoutoo7469]

That makes some sense but why do they get most of their black character designs off of American minstrelsy?

[@scarcat2469]

​@@sundaylovesyoutoo7469 I don't have very much evidence to back this up, but one theory I have is that when Japanese media started depicting black people, they looked to how they were depicted elsewhere and saw minstrel in America. Because Japanese culture is very resistant to change and because there is just not nearly the same dialogue around representation, it's remained the same for years. My other theory is that Japanese depictions didn't use minstrel as a reference at all, but ended up being similar because Japanese people held the similar racist attitudes towards black people as white Americans. And then that depiction continued because of the change-resistant culture and lack of education. I think looking at Japanese depictions of Chinese people compared to offensive American depictions of Chinese people is something worth looking at as well because I think it might provide some insight into the dissemination of stereotypes. Another thing to look at which I think supports the first theory might even be the Japanese depiction of Japanese people. Like, anime characters who are supposed to look Japanese usually DO NOT look Japanese. Ginormous multi-colored eyes, hair of every color. Like Usagi Tsukino is supposed to be Japanese but that is the most Arian girl I have ever seen. So there's definitely something to be said about the perpetuation of white supremacy/colorism and the beauty standards that accompany it in Japan as well. Not much of an answer to your question but hopefully provides a bit more insight?

[@deadlynn7774]

The main reason I avoid speaking on this topic is because people try to tell me I’m overreacting and “canceling” the character. The conversation around sister crona I fully agree and people were telling me I was being dramatic about it and it just shrinks your motivation to talk about these things

[@rubyaddison5446]

Literally they basically gaslight us 💯

[@ladybluelotus]

Just tell them to read more.

[@akemitsukino]

How the f#$k can anybody stare at that character design, which is so intentionally different that it's basically a different art style from everyone else in the show, and be like "nah, it's fine. You're exaggerating."

[@atmmachine11]

A lot of blind anime fans won’t research or admit it but Japan is a very conservative/xenophobic Country in general, and it always has been. I wish people would stop holding Japan on a pedestal. They have a history of treating other Asian people absolutely horrible to. Just look up what they did to Korean,Chinese and Vietnamese people in the past. A lot of Japanese people still carry those sentiments too. Also great video!

[@DairunCates]

What? A country that openly has organized criminals in political positions, doesn't legally consider most forms of sex work as sex work, didn't outlaw pedophilic pornography until disturbingly recently, has a designated train section for women to avoid a constant sexual assault issue, and uses its constitution as an excuse to be one of the last countries without gay marriage while still actively fetishizing gay women in media is conservative? Say it ain't so. Say. It. Ain't. So.

[@Like_A_Dance]

They also have a history of denying the awful things they did in the past. It's so much more harmful in the long run to deny your history.

[@OneAndOnly.H]

…and then every time it’s brought up some rand-o in the comment is all like: “But EVERY country has PROBLEMS, guys!” Like, no shit Timmy But we’re not talking about those OTHER countries, we’re talking about Japan

[@elyly]

not to mention misogyny which is still normalized, I don't get why weebs seem to think Japan is an utopia

[@peachesandcream22]

For every person who fetishize Japan and denies the fact that many of their people are xenophobic and racist, I recommend to read who "comfort women" were

[@mdragon12]

Wonderful video, I’m a Black woman who enjoys anime a lot and when I bring up anti-Blackness, predatory issues and criticize them, I always have to deal with backlash from anime fans who don’t see these things or want to talk about them.

[@WerewolfCat890]

yes!! so many anime fans are completely blind and/or do not want to face the truth that anime is not some perfect medium completely free of bias and prejudice. i'm a huge anime fan myself but it is truly tiring sometimes to deal with other fans bc of this!!

[@SuperNerd528]

The anime community continues to be a space where misogynist thrive. The ppl who want to enjoy but critique and acknowledge that issue are constantly shut down that it’s exhausting and I think we just enjoy in quiet since its less emotionally taxing. I do find I don’t even give anime with predatory behaviour the time of day.

[@Phos906]

@@SuperNerd528 No.

[@thewatchersdidnothingwrong7702]

@@Phos906 wdym "no."

[@SuperNerd528]

@@thewatchersdidnothingwrong7702 FR

[@kenshix7902]

In regards to sister Krone being played by a Japanese woman in the live action, all the other characters in the anime weren't Japanese either. They were mostly Caucasian. The casting of Asian folk also happened in the Fullmetal Alchemist live actions and Attack on Titan live actions.

[@theshire9173]

Yeah, the casting for these is mostly due to Japan not being diverse, so there are barely any black or white actors there to play black and white characters

[@whatever5401]

THIS. So glad someone finally mentioned it

[@MiamiChica]

I remember that the older animes were actually more respectful of black people. Shows like Cowboy Bebop, Black Lagoon, and even Darker the Black portrayed black people as just normal people instead of stereotypes. I feel like the more social media becomes advanced, the more the internet in both the West and Asia tries to divide people into groups. I’m surprised that nobody sees this.

[@gentle_apathy]

The fact that black people have been told that they should be _grateful_ for representation that doesn't even hit the lowest bar for _good_ representation--an important aspect of which, I feel, is some measure of RESPECT for that character--is absolute nonsense. Grateful for what? Proof of existence? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

[@Ang3lBr3adBask3t]

Harmful stereotypes do not deserve respect or gratefulness in any way whatsoever. Period.

[@davy209]

Although I do acknowledge that there’s a problem in regards of the lack of diversity in the anime industry, and the numerous, racist, and anti-blackness depictions of black characters in anime, I do not think the solution is to force diversity and proper representation onto the anime characters. No one should be pressured to write for a diverse character, they personally know nothing about. Art is not only subjective, but also personal and every artist should be allowed the freedom to express themselves and create whatever they want. Instead of forcing it, we all should be supporting new and diverse talents who are huge anime fans and want to get into the industry. We’re in the age of social media, we are able to support anyone online than we could before. If you want to see more diversity and better representation, then go out and support all of the divers

[@BradLad56]

​@@Ang3lBr3adBask3tand yet they criticise black people who 'act white' for not following those same exact stereotypes.

[@Snormite]

@@BradLad56 Exactly, speaking in a polite english as a black person is asking to be alienated from other blacks.

[@PureMagic101]

I find the “they didn’t intend to be racist!” argument so stupid Like yeah,, no shit I highly doubt most people set out thinking “I’m gonna do something racist” Doesn’t erase the harm And the “well that’s important to part of the story” argument? Who made the choice to have that be apart of the story?? That was an active choice, and it’s one that still contributes to racism.

[@jermiachrist2049]

Literally 😭 it’s 2023, not that many people are INTENTIONALLY racist anymore what racist is gonna admit to being racist?

[@hajimeyoshinori4161]

@@jermiachrist2049 it’s so offensive right

[@BradLad56]

Oh sod off with the doesn't erase the harm crap. What harm does a 2d drawing do?

[@PureMagic101]

@@BradLad56 perpetuates and reenforces harmful ideology at the very least, which isn’t good

[@BradLad56]

@@PureMagic101 my god you couldn't sound anymore like a robot if you tried.

[@sleepywarship2443]

I realize the people who minimize bigotry in media are the same ones who will have a tantrum over "wokeness" when a minority is introduced. Very validating video 🖤✨

[@aspebb]

This. All of this.

[@davy209]

Although I do acknowledge that there’s a problem in regards of the lack of diversity in the anime industry, and the numerous, racist, and anti-blackness depictions of black characters in anime, I do not think the solution is to force diversity and proper representation onto the anime characters. No one should be pressured to write for a diverse character, they personally know nothing about. Art is not only subjective, but also personal and every artist should be allowed the freedom to express themselves and create whatever they want. Instead of forcing it, we all should be supporting new and diverse talents who are huge anime fans and want to get into the industry. We’re in the age of social media, we are able to support anyone online than we could before. If you want to see more diversity and better representation, then go out and support all of the diverse and very talented artists who really need it!

[@ziolp]

​​​​Diverse content continues to thrive, yet it faces relentless review bombing driven by hate (recall the launch of 'Black Panther' and consider who instigated the review bombing). The problem lies not in lack of support for these narratives, but in the sudden backlash they provoke. Statements such as "if you want to see more representation, then go out and support talented artists to get these stories " overlook the adversity that accompanies such support​@@davy209 Which is why OP said what they said...but yes, it's their fault for not supporting these artists not the people who are organization to cease said representation I guess lol. In fact, you have a whole petition made by non-black and non-japanese fans of Assassin's Creed Shadows to cancel Ubisoft for focusing on a real-life, human being named Yasuke. You cant even write about historical non-white figures without people screaming woke or being accused of "not supporting diverse stories and talent".

[@furuyawn]

it is always extremely baffling (read: infuriating) to me that there are western anime fans out there still using the "well anime is from japan, it's not from the west, it's different over there" defense for anti-blackness in modern anime... anime has become so incredibly global and widespread in even just the span of the time since i got into anime 16 years ago. it's gone from a couple of big-name animes getting a weekly dub airing on toonami and 144p 3-part youtube fansubs for everything else, to international licensed simulcasting. saying "it's different in japan" could have maybe hypothetically seemed like a reason for some of the anti-blackness in anime back when i first started watching but still??? really??? the anime industry is not some singular sheltered, untravelled japanese person that needs to be defended and babied and given a pass for being racist sometimes because it doesn't know any better. it's a multi-billion dollar global industry that is only continuing to grow. anime production studios have more than enough international connections by now to be able to figure out how to portray black characters in ways that are, at bare minimum, inoffensive.

[@elyly]

people that get mad at "westerners" having a problem with racism in anime are usually westerners themselves too😭 pick me behavior

[@PinkNintendoDuo87]

Not to mention, you don’t have be Japanese/Asian to create anime/manga-style art. Saying so wouldn’t be any different from discouraging BIPOC artists to create European-influenced art. (Come at me you toxic/delusional otakus! 🙃😈)

[@furuyawn]

@@PinkNintendoDuo87 true!! the manfra radiant and the magazine saturday AM are great examples of that fact!

[@PinkNintendoDuo87]

@@furuyawn Not sure if it completely counts, but there’s also the “Gold Ring” manga (a collaboration between an Arab writer and Japanese illustrator). On a more personal note, it’s sometimes tiring to see “generic” takes on anime/manga (even from Asian artists). I would like to see more variety within the medium, including non-Asian takes. (Saying this as an Asian myself.)

[@furuyawn]

@@PinkNintendoDuo87 that definitely counts! and agreed; there are so many narratives that could be shown incredibly well within the medium of anime and manga that simply aren't because of a lack of different perspectives 😢 there's definitely been an improvement in recent years but still... with the amount of generic forgettable isekais being pumped out that completely flop, you'd think studios would be willing to branch out and try adapting from other sources every once in a while 😅

[@fizzycat3506]

Harriyanna sent me. This video with some of the interview moments where black women spoke their opinions about how black characters get treated in anime, most of them took the words out of my mouth

[@Mercy.Beloved]

The fact that they call us nightskins is insane. Like, what? You want us to think that’s a slur? Like, okay. Bye.

[@somethingisnotrighthere3831]

“Nightskin” sound way too cool to be a slur 💀

[@andrewsanusi8462]

Nightskin? I’m actually so done with this life wtf 😂

[@Mercy.Beloved]

@@andrewsanusi8462 Literally.

[@Pub4si]

sure BYEEE

[@janinebelleestrada7096]

Lightskin and nightskin all sounds cool. It maybe a meme but a lot of cool kids use this for some reason

[@turtlemecha3049]

when you said "sister krone" i felt all 5 stages of grief simultaneously ur so real for including her.

[@Larsthefishoil]

I definitely didnt think you were over reacting or being too emotional. Your opinions are totally valid and I agree entirely. The thing that annoys me is the specific part when that guy said "I'm black, and I didnt take issue with it" it's a phrase that makes my teeth grind. When someone from an marginalized community says stuff like that, it gets real dangerous real fast because it simultaneously gives an excuse for insert blank flavor of bigot to ignore the issue, but also completely shuts down any form of conversation regarding complex issues that need to be addressed.

[@Hunk666]

So it is totally okay to overreact and whinge and whine and call to action, but saying "i didnt take issue with it" is "dangerous"...? lol. lmao even.

[@Inconstructionmaybe-x5v]

​@Hunk666 You didn't get point jeez. 😒🙄😑.

[@QueenCloveroftheice]

I just saw a post earlier today by my friend who lives in Japan who was disappointed that there’s no face character for Tiana in Disney Japan. Like characters like Aladdin are portrayed by a Japanese man, which is a whole other conversation, but the one black princess doesn’t even get to be there at all? That’s very telling

[@QueenCloveroftheice]

Also, I love that you pointed out that the devil’s advocates tend to be male anime fans because it needs to be said!

[@phoebusapollo8365]

Mr Popo is based on a Hindu god, not black caricatures

[@Artlesbi]

The anime industry is very problematic and it needs to change. I no longer feel comfortable seeing representation be so offensive which as a child already unsettled me but I couldn't pinpoint exactly why. Now however I see the sexualization of female characters AND CHILDREN / the normalization of sexual harassment ( makes me instantly want to drop the show ) and not just blackness being represented in a racist way but also latin america representation being monkeys in sombreros. the industry and possibly the country needs to rethink this.

[@Toastcat890]

As a black female I don't even bother with the fandom anymore use to enjoy it in the late 90s to mid 2000s now it's just full of sexist and racist c words I also stopped watching anime once it changed to mostly shounen with far too much fanservice of very underage looking girls just makes me super uncomfortable but I do enjoy Asian comics and indie comics.

[@PinkNintendoDuo87]

I’m not black, but videos like this have the guts to bring out more “controversial” topics in otaku culture. Speaking of racism/anti-blackness, the fact that these problems are prevalent/subliminal in the anime/manga industry really irks me. It’s even worse when toxic/delusional otakus enable this shit! As if colourism isn’t bad enough. 😒💅 (I have more to say, but couldn’t word them right. Also, please correct me if I’m wrong.)

[@princessharu2833]

So true. It’s honestly sometimes hard to address this because the anime community is so quick to shut people down instead of taking the time to listen and maybe try learning someone new

[@francisconavarrete3031]

Okay name these subliminal improvident issues in the anime manga industry come on tell me which anime is does this

[@lnuma92]

@@francisconavarrete3031 Oh God, you again. 😒

[@tatarsauce6314]

@@francisconavarrete3031 yo mama

[@davy209]

Although I do acknowledge that there’s a problem in regards of the lack of diversity in the anime industry, and the numerous, racist, and anti-blackness depictions of black characters in anime, I do not think the solution is to force diversity and proper representation onto the anime characters. No one should be pressured to write for a diverse character, they personally know nothing about. Art is not only subjective, but also personal and every artist should be allowed the freedom to express themselves and create whatever they want. Instead of forcing it, we all should be supporting new and diverse talents who are huge anime fans and want to get into the industry. We’re in the age of social media, we are able to support anyone online than we could before. If you want to see more diversity and better representation, then go out and support all of the diverse and very talented artists who really need it!

[@shirlecemcghee]

First off, this was a well thought out discussion piece. I noticed that a lot of POC content creators are seen less. This makes me sad, and often wanting to give up on social media. There is a standard to how certain people are treated. And I appreciate whenever someone is not afraid to speak out.

[@sanzoy]

This is enlightening to me. Speaking from my own experience(having grown up in an eastern country), unconscious bias/racism stems from ignorance/lack of social context. When being called out (most of the time, self recognized) of racial insensitivity, the shame finds all sort of twisted excuses to justify itself. Having said that, I was puzzled by the different voices on the issue. Therefore, I really like that you put “social representation”, “tokenism” and “colorism” side by side and debunk that the offensive depiction of black people on screen is representative of social reality. In the end, the main ingredient of art (including anime, cosplay) is creativity and imagination rather than reinforcing and propelling the skewed racial balance, exploitation and worse, exerting gratefulness from the exploited group. Along this note, the examples of the great portrays of black characters in anime, music videos are inspiring. When put them side by side with the controversial ones, the contrast is stark. (If my comment offends anyone, it’s not my intention. It’s just another ignorance of mine that I wasn’t aware. )

[@ellapastoral]

this video was so good! ugh this video essay was so eloquent and i feel like you made your points so well and i agreed with you on everything you said.

[@rerenanabanana]

I agreed with everything except for what you said about how a black woman should of played as Sister Krone in the live action. As a black woman I already found Sister Krone to be offensive as a character and I didn't think any black woman should have be subjected to play in that racist role.

[@hajimeyoshinori4161]

She did look like a mami

[@hajimeyoshinori4161]

I’m black btw

[@KazeShikamaru]

Honsety.....that isn't a bad counter argument.

[@Mercy.Beloved]

And almost all the time POC women and underage girls along with black women are extremely sexualized in anime. It’s fucking disgusting.

[@francisconavarrete3031]

Huh name them cuz not all are lol

[@francisconavarrete3031]

Yeah though so , Carol and Tuesday, canon buster dont

[@francisconavarrete3031]

Yup 😂🤡

[@Pub4si]

Then dont watch it then LMAO u have no right to tell them how to do things

[@fellownigerianhere6378]

@@francisconavarrete3031 bro it was 4 months ago that they made this comment. They probably didnt respond because you didn't reply at the time they posted

[@alli5078]

Im glad someone finally pointed out the discrepancy of the portrayal of black people in anime, specifically black women. Its widely known that black men not only participate in the stereotyping of black women in non black spaces but are widely more respected in these spaces, in comparison. Also, ive seen many asian and non asians alike complain about white washing in movies asian movies (when 90% of anime looks like white people) but in the same breath suddenly not understand why black voice actors should be playing black anime characters, at the very least.

[@francisconavarrete3031]

Huh what anime make fun of black women

[@hajimeyoshinori4161]

@@francisconavarrete3031 why don’t you watch the video right here and listen to this legend

[@francisconavarrete3031]

@@hajimeyoshinori4161 because he is wrong that how

[@2crisp63]

@@francisconavarrete3031 Can you name 3 things bad about anime?

[@francisconavarrete3031]

@@2crisp63 no

[@sophietessier8998]

It's pretty logical to diverse your depiction to please occident. Pokemon for japan people exist its yokai's watch and relate to japan folkclore. Not a single western kid know about yokai so it flopped outside of japan , while being a huge sucess in japan. Japanese company will try to get money from the west. so they seperate in 2 way their media. Work for japanese and work for worldwide. They don't care. When depiction is done in a new way it's mostly in manga not anime and female author. (With a big art direction and identity) I lived and japan and their mentality is very thick. It's very hard to explain such topic. They just don't wanna learn. They wont aknowledge black culture yet have gyaru fashion and a big R'n'B/hip-hop market. At least the new generation is getting better and internet Made it easier for the gens z of japan to grow. But all the otaku that are enibeling japanese people because of their fetish and idolisation need to grow the fuck up. While i lived in japan i discovered so many things about their culture that doesnt sit right with me. Racial issue is a huge one. ( They re not black but colorism is huge, so indian are treated terribly deal with clichés and slurs and of course, never represented in japanese media, while being a big part of migration in japan)

[@scarcat2469]

Colorism in Asian countries is so prevalent and it suuuuucks. All I wanted as a kid was to be lighter and I’m literally so light already

[@jayneb6053]

But Indian do get represented in anime media.

[@miicrowavez]

@@jayneb6053 I read a post a while ago about this, Indian people are sometimes represented in an 'exotic' or stereotypically smart way, in a good portion of anime/manga. Also, occasionally, there's the messed up white saviour complex with... British people. However, sometimes Indian rep in anime media is pretty good, but it's pretty hit or miss.

[@sunshinesolace3540]

Yo kai watch was my jam back when it released in Australia

[@jayneb6053]

@@miicrowavez I can see that but the comments said that they never get represented in Japanese media.

[@l.n.3372]

Perhaps a rare example in anime, but I think that Full Metal Alchemist: brotherhood did a great job at showing people of different races, cultures, and ethnicities. There are black people in Amestris who aren't treated any differently than white people in Amestris. The Ishvalan genocide is handled maturely, and the consequences of such aren't hand waved. The villain Scar is Ishvalan, and he's handled very well as an antagonist and as a character overall.

[@fizzy_gutz]

Great video! As someone who has loved anime, I do find myself feeling ostracized by the endless piles of anti blackness that go on here in these fandom spaces. Though I am glad that you, and other creators are finally starting to call out the racism that occurs. Thanks for providing all this information ❤

[@back2s0ul]

I hate when other black people, and I also noticed that it tends to be men so I'm glad you pointed that out, say something like "I personally wasn't offended, therefore it's not offensive". These people don't speak for me and can't tell me how to feel. I'm a black woman and I don't watch much anime anymore, never heard of Krone until now. I'm offended by the portrayal AND the name. I've dealt with racism in my personal life and I can't stand this kind of disrespect/ignorance.

[@ladygrey4113]

Glad I found you! You, Mo Black, and Verdis are like a trinity of folks who talk about anime I've fallen in love with

[@lust4lyfe101]

Bleach is a good example of having POC done right . I also like Dutch from Black Lagoon, Mitchiko in Mitchiko & Hatchin,plus many other POC characters in anime. I would 1 day like to see middle easterns in anime one day

[@francisconavarrete3031]

There are comen man at least look for them

[@Imxel21]

@@francisconavarrete3031no they’re not

[@francisconavarrete3031]

@@Imxel21 great prender

[@ww3196]

Fun fact about Princess Tutu: Gold Krown Town, the setting of the series is based off a real German town and throughout the series, you can see German text everywhere in the background. Which means it probably takes place in Germany!

[@Hetachan]

Looooove this video!!! I feel like race is often swept under the rug when it comes to anime People always like to put Japan on a pedestal and they claim that racism isn’t a problem over there BUT IT TOTALLY IS. Of course sometimes character designs aren’t done out of malice, but that doesn’t stop other people taking it and using it to bolster idiotic ideals and causing more harm Anyway, thank you for making this, it was super informative and also so well put together!

[@han__nya]

It's not just anti blackness, but Japan has a history of being offensive and perpetuating stereotypes. I recently watched an anime where in the very first episode, a "race" of aliens who are clearly inspired by Middle Eastern cultures, literally blow themselves up... Clearly Japan and anime in particular has a problem with representation.

[@Kriliska]

Sounds hilarious to me.

[@Inconstructionmaybe-x5v]

​@@KriliskaNo they isn't.

[@ynat2198]

Great video, THANK YOU. Black and brown characters are a joke in anime. Caricatures, exaggerated features, villains coded as dark skinned or “other”, everything you mentioned. No one wants to talk about this, and sadly I've seen other poc creators who create clickbait videos about how they think “diversity is unnecessary ” in anime. Unfortunately they know the audience they pander to, it's almost always whyte str8 fans who will die to protect the status quo. I hate most anime fans, not sorry. I'm in my 30s, in my mid 20s i specifically stopped dating otakus, weebs, any person that couldn't put more than a few sentences together that didn't have to do with japanese or korean “culture”. Anime is not the entirety of japanese culture, just as kpop is not JUST korean culture.

[@idongesitx1873]

Kpop has very little to with Korean culture besides the Korean language. It’s a regurgitation of every other culture but Korea

[@vivvy_0]

have you seen FMA?

[@hajimeyoshinori4161]

@@vivvy_0 I have

[@davy209]

Although I do acknowledge that there’s a problem in regards of the lack of diversity in the anime industry, and the numerous, racist, and anti-blackness depictions of black characters in anime, I do not think the solution is to force diversity and proper representation onto the anime characters. No one should be pressured to write for a diverse character, they personally know nothing about. Art is not only subjective, but also personal and every artist should be allowed the freedom to express themselves and create whatever they want. Instead of forcing it, we all should be supporting new and diverse talents who are huge anime fans and want to get into the industry. We’re in the age of social media, we are able to support anyone online than we could before. If you want to see more diversity and better representation, then go out and support all of the diverse and incredibly talented groups of people!

[@BradLad56]

Well diversity isn't necessary in anime. That's not to say it can't be added if the creator wants to add non-Japanese characters but even if anime had only 100% Japanese characters and no foreign characters, there would be nothing wrong with that because it's a Japanese creation.

[@anacastrodavila2689]

Love it. You are speaking the truth. I am not a black person but I am a bisexual latin woman and when I bring up my issues with anime regarding sexism, and homophobia ( which have improve a lot in the last years') the fandom try to silence me, why I can't talk about how harmful Is the Mexican stereotype in School Rumble and how shoujo is always been excluded just because is directed towards women and girls? And I know a lot about Japan culturally and historically so I always try to express my opinion with nuance. Also I respect anime as art so I can apply feminism, queer readings to the text as I do with literature and movies. I respect anime enough to see the issues in it.

[@totallyzturiz]

ppl who sit up and try to speak for the whole black community with the im black and it didn’t bother me good for u bestie but speaking for the whole community to defend your fav anime is sick and wild

[@godabandonedmesoibecameaba8984]

30:59 i am half balkaner/turkmen and the only representation i saw before was either "their anchestors are war criminals and we killed them because of this" or "some random guy being mentioned in cowboylike movies with children level speaking abilities" . this video is not about us but it still feels like we are understood by you

[@simonealexis3062]

Many other people from different countries can relate to this like with iskeai and how they do desert locations everybody there will be pale asf it like we use your culture food and other stuff but we won't dare actually in grade y'all into the story have y'all be important other then villains

[@mystique9130]

This is just mind blowing of how depressing the world is when it comes to serious issues like this.

[@Gr33dyJay]

Can I just say that this video is VERY well articulated and educational! You did an amazing job at exploring this topic and really highlighting aspects of the racism within this medium! you definitely get a sub from me and please keep up the amazing work my brother!

[@ConradKira]

Thank you Brother for making such an informed and important video. This is an issue I have struggled with through out my realtionship with anime. I felt seen. Big up your guest speakers too!

[@jackaleope]

the dejapanification of modern anime is something i seriously lament.

[@blueleap]

Enlightening, thank you.

[@visionaerie]

Instead of trying to squeeze the richness of Black culture into the narrow window of Japanese oriented anime..... AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ANIME... Artists of color need to develop a distinct visual language in conics and animation.... That does not need to be compared with anime in order to be appreciated. The spider verse movies is a start in that direction.... But it's got to go farther and deeper. Just calling it afropunk is not enough.

[@-Desire]

I love love _love_ this video! Informative, good vibes and entertaining. I really hate how as a black girl, I am told to be grateful for what we are given while those same people get up on arms if there happens to be a "John Smith" who is blonde and has attire entirely consisting of American flags (which they should be!) but keep the same energy _please_ . Thank you for the video, I'm gonna have to tune in now!

[@KimberlyPinkney]

I love how thorough this video is!!!! You know, I think that is why I liked the Little Rascals, they showed black kids, like Buckwheat and Stymie as friends with the white kids and were part of the gang. When I was little I never thought about how rare a sight that was and I was pretty thirsty when it came to seeing black kids on tv in cartoons and commercials. Julia the nurse and Uhura and in Star Trek blew minds for not being stereotypical maids. So the black Anime characters who aren't stereotypes are truly awesome to me!

[@NaritaZaraki]

Okay a) YES TO ALL OF THIS, b) Colleen sent me and I am so grateful! and c) I would caveat that point about the presentation of anime characters being inviting for white supremacist ideas and attitudes to the point that most people complaining about Black cosplayers don't seem to recognize the hypocrisy of singling out black cosplayers, ... with the reality that a lot of anime will often use the names, geography and religious/cultural/historical iconography to blatantly declare a character Japanese. In fact, I would argue that unless the setting, plot, and/or the names of the characters (FMA, AOT, Monster, etc.) is making a point to say otherwise, the anime is generally assuming that you understand these characters to be Japanese. Not white. There is an old interview (that I can't find for the life of me right now! 🤬)of an anime director making my previous point from a pragmatic industry practice angle, not a racial one, that is really illuminating. From an industry perspective, the wide array of eye/hair colors is not just a stylistic choice, it's also a visual shortcut, a way of making your character stand out and be memorable while not having to commit to super detailed designs of features, textures, expressions, etc. that would require more time/money to reproduce regularly in a truly hellish industry. But again, unless indicated otherwise, they are still meant to be understood as Japanese (think Sailor Moon's Usagi Tsukino). The skin tone is, to my understanding, a combination of defaulting to the stereotypical average tone + Japan's own brand of ethnic colorism (which has its own complex socioeconomic and political roots). There are plenty of Japanese people who are a much darker tone than the pale white we see in most of Japanese mainstream media and who are severely underrepresented. So, to circle back, I think it's more that these particular fans are seeing Japan's colorism on display but then, while ignoring all textual context, leap to misinterpret the work itself as inviting/depicting them. The idea that most of anime characters are white because of their design is a 180 flip of the reality that most characters are meant to be understood as Japanese unless indicated otherwise. Holy shit sorry this got so ramble-y! 😅I didn't mean to just drop this word salad on you. Now excuse me while I go through the rest of your work.

[@KimberlyPinkney]

Great video. Thank you so much for including black women's voices in this. Few people hear us or even want to hear from us. I did love the black character Canary in Hunter x Hunter. She wasn't overly sexualized, a white girl with dark skin, she wasn't a minstrel nor a crazy buffonish, loud exaggeration of a black character. I love characters like that! Conversely, I also wasn't deeply offended by Crone. I still winced when she came onto the scene and I totally understand why others would as well! However, if she were a different color she would be no less scary and intimidating, and you had to be a bit mad in those situations and I am related to some women like her who are big and freaking scary in how they invade your personal space etc. But they went there and should have stood in their sh*t and displayed her as black in live action. They showed their ass with that choice. Good video!!!!

[@Kobukseon]

To be fair, what black woman, let alone one living in Japan, would WANT to play the role of Sister Krone when the Racism is so blantant?

[@elintia]

well, i live in a country where people are mostly white, i was in a convention last summer and the ONLY black cosplayer I saw was cosplaying her. Maybe she genuinely liked the character? i don't know. maybe, since there's not much representation in anime but you REALLY want to cosplay/have fun, you feel like you don't have much of a choice so you pick whichever black character the anime industry throws at you - sadly, it's not that easy to "just cosplay an asian character and don't care about what they say" :/

[@Inconstructionmaybe-x5v]

No.

[@Monochrome_11]

My thing/argument to say is "if there is colourism in anime why wouldn't there racism in it?"

[@Milovely]

I wanna mention here soul eater (mira nygus and kilik rung) also fire force with Ogun. Both is from the same artist. Those are bombadass black characters, however I wanna mention that most anime characters don't even represent Japanese people at this point too 😂 those hair and eye colors no one can achieve that without lenses and more. However the only character I could ever relate myself to is misaki from maid sama, she is like the only one who looks kinda like me. ( I'm from middle Europe :) ) otherwise I really hope we see more diversity in characters in the future as Japan seems to open up more!

[@Milovely]

I also forgot to mention Avdol from JoJo Part 3, he is also bomb!

[@Sdir]

Thank you for the video!! Its done so well!

[@3LawzDef1ant_03]

9:25 also Princess Tutu's Gold Crown town was inspired by a real town in germany and there is one instance of a character speaking german

[@artisthonyajta]

I’ve been watching your channel ever since you made that video discussing Yaoi and this so far is my fave video of yours! Everytime us black people speak on the racism in anime (Sailor Pluto’s skin lightening… the way they handle dark skin characters in Super Gals, Mr. Popo, etc) and keep being gaslit for speaking about it. We keep being told to be blessed we are even in Anime despite us being literal caricatures.

[@TheIndepententCraftyGamer]

Wish this video would get more views as much as I enjoy anime after watching a videos like this I’m starting to see a lot of major issues in anime and other mediums in general. It’s really disheartening that anime is so problematic in so many ways cause it really is a great story telling device when used correctly.

[@theshire9173]

I’m not black, but it’s incredibly obvious that anime is really racist in its depictions of black people. I burst out laughing almost every time a black character appears because they seem to think black people look like aliens over there. What’s with the huge lips?

[@rubyaddison5446]

Literally as a black person this frustrates me too 😂😂 and makes me wish individuals that are good at drawing black characters created their own animated series.

[@francisconavarrete3031]

What there more good black rep then bad in anime

[@francisconavarrete3031]

@@rubyaddison5446 lol what u mean there alot and u need millions and whole team to an anime lol

[@rubyaddison5446]

@@francisconavarrete3031 I know 😂 but I was just saying how the talented artists that can draw black characters well could get there art adapted into a series if they wanted to.

[@BradLad56]

Because some black people have big lips. It's fact.

[@hedgie_doll2314]

I first watched the promised Neverland when i was 15. I really liked Sister krone because I always tended to gravitate towards the "crazy" characters, my favorite mha character was toga I was a weird kid. Now that I am older and have had the chance to learn about the history I feel very embarrassed and bad that I had no idea about this stereotype. This brings up the point, why was I never taught about this in school? I live in Canada so it's not exactly the same but we still do have some history with this stuff that we need to be learning about.

[@kenshix7902]

Ngl, I find Killer Bee offensive. I also remember Canaria from HxH looking like a minstrel character in the manga and the 1999 anime.

[@maymay5600]

Nigga huh???? Killer B is the fucking goat in shippuden We not watching the same series at all because yes bee does do alot of rapping but ge fucking intelligent at half the times Mans clapped team taka when they tried to jump him and failed

[@auroraborealass]

Fantastic video, this needs to be discussed more in the anime fandom and not pushed to the side because it makes white people uncomfortable. The amount of vitriol that black creators and cosplayers get online just by participating in fandom is disgusting to say the least. And for white people to gaslight or brush it off when black people point this out… it contributes to white supremacy, which was mentioned in the video is in every facet of society. Amazing video, very grateful that Colleen shared this. 💕

[@cesartolentino2817]

The character of Mika in the anime Lycoris Recoil, who's both black and LGBTQ+, is one of the best characters that made the show a success!

[@francisconavarrete3031]

No it's good because it's girls with gun

[@Pub4si]

is that some sort of holy combination LMAO

[@valla2dd902]

Some people need to understand that just because they personally don’t see anything wrong with Sister Krone(for example), doesn’t mean that they should shut down other people(especially women of color expressing their discomfort) about the implications of her character design and how those aspects are portrayed. Especially when it’s about serious topics like racism and racist stereotypes.

[@johncoreyturner9914]

I loved this video! Thank you so much for making it!

[@WerewolfCat890]

i needed this!!!

[@EddyA-sw5ox]

Thank you for this video. I sincerely appreciate how in depth and elaborate your criticisms were regarding this subject. It's completely unfair that you and the black community have had to suffer as a result. As a Mexican American, I can agree that racism is everywhere and needs to be addressed.

[@RedBulliiAnonymouse]

Honestly, i always watched anime, and i realized that not many people of my skin color are in anime, it does bother me a little bit, but i try not to make a fuss about it because it might make me sound racist or something if i say it the wrong way.

[@FlashBangBANGz]

Whoever doesn't like this dude, fight me.

[@hinnyu7748]

Lol, I can't relate because I don't know what it feels to be represented by my nationality in any foreign animated media XD it is like our people don't even exist even though were literally everywhere HAHAHAHAH

[@Thathumanoverthere1701]

This was on point. Subscribed

[@148nw]

This was so well done thank you for this 🙏🏾

[@semi_enigma]

Awesome video! I love it! You made many great points

[@lukero818]

This is a really great video. I can’t believe you don’t have more subscribers!

[@GuardianOfMoon]

Learning of the Black Manosphere by F.D Signifier (youtuber), you said exactly the same: Black Women's voices are being drowned out, especially when discussing depictions OF them. Thank you for giving them voices in your video.

[@jessw.6250]

I did find it very strange when I got in college my friends one day started trying to name “black” characters in anime. I’m not obsessed w/anime but, I knew *there were NOT any.* I never thought they had any bc of those characters never represented Brown ppl. I was left standing there looking at my friends confused. Bc, they did name some of the characters you showed. In my head, that day, I thought so are they excited of these characters- 😒 will I see them cosplay them… when I never did 🫤 I still love anime it’s just sad how other nationalities seem to not like anything about Brown ppl. 💔Hate is a horrible action

[@layla-8369]

Oh hey bestie! I understand talking about topics such as this must be hard, so thank you for another insightful (but still fun to watch) video 😊 it's sad that fandom spaces are not at all safe spaces -but then of course they have the same same racist, sexist, ableist etc dynamics as the rest of the world. In regards to what one of yout interviewees mentioned about the physical features of anime characters being more modelled after white people and therefore making them feel as if they're more entitled to them a sort of counter example came to mind: Slam dunk (manga concretely). The author made some of the characters have physical traits more often associated with black people, including certain haircuts, visibly darker skins within the manga and in the color illustrations, big lips and rather wide noses, etc (most notably, Akagi, one of the main characters, whose sister btw has none of those characteristics). He is a strong, tough but highly intelligent person and a basketball player who is both remarkably talented and very hard working... And also happens to /constantly/ be called a gorilla. Since it's a basketball manga from the 90s, and basketball is most notably connected with black american culture, it seems to portray it all as being very cool yet cannot escape its own racist perceptions.

[@coolstorybro2658]

What people aren’t understanding in this comment section which is pissing me off, which is making me believe that a majority of them aren’t black, we don’t want to FORCE people to put black people in anime’s, BUUUTTT when they do, we would like it to be respectful and non-stereotypical. I don’t like fried chicken. I also don’t have big lips or a big curvy body like a lot of people would assume that a black woman would look like. And on top of that, I’m also light skin. I’m not as dark as my mom, there are different types of black ppl. Just like there’s different different types of Asian people just like there’s different types of white people. The whole stereotype that Black people are aggressive, have big lips and are ugly and like to eat or do specific stuff is unbelievably outdated. AND I’m so sick of being betrayed to a wide audience of people who may not even have met a black person in their life (cause a majority of anime is made in Japan and majority of the population in Japan is Japanese Asian people) to think horrible stereotypes of Black people. Edit: I’d rather anime not portray Black people at all. I don’t give a fuck whether there’s Black people or not in there as long as I’m not portrayed as these disgusting stereotypes. I seriously could care less pretty much every single anime and manga that I have watched and loved had white characters or Japanese characters as the main characters. But at the same time, those characters weren’t having racist stereotypes towards them so the whole story you aren’t thinking about that. And about the whole big lip thing where they like to make black characters, have those pink red lips why don’t they do that for the other anime characters because don’t white and Japanese people have pink or red lips in real life also ?!?? Japanese and white have pink lips don’t they not??!? Why is it only black characters have lips drawn on them like. It’s ridiculous and it’s literally just excuses.

[@AlarSenpu]

Great video. The anime industry, while birth to a lot of creativity, has a lot of issues such as anti-blackness as you mentioned. I was never really aware of the specifics of how anti-blackness took place in the anime industry and to be honest I didnt even know what a minstrel show was before this video. While I am not black Ill attempt to make sure that people are aware of this issue, not just in the anime industry, but in general. Thank you.

[@hannahep5148]

I (white girl) was really annoyed by the character design and execution of sister krone because it could have said a lot about feminine ideals and specifically the mammy side of black mothering and nannying. the mother character says a-lot about asian maternal ideals and white maternity. there was so much her character touched on: how mothers have to pretend to have no internal life or goals outside of their kids and the subversion of that which is society uses it to serve itself canabalisticly generating tame obedient workers. and a mammy character with a human side, an internal life, and self awareness, would have been great. how she is always "lesser than" because of her body and has to play dumb because her skin makes her a target of suspicion to the monsters would have been really really interesting. they could have even addressed that she was most likely genetically modified to be that big and strong like the other humans used for meat which show up later in the manga.

[@generalsci3831]

Thank you for making this video.

[@onigiri115]

Dragon ball new chapters have black characters and they're now stylized in a beautiful way now , it's seems as if the artist learned from his past mistakes ( maybe educated himself about the topic too ) and decided to not draw like that again , hope other artists do this too in the future

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Toyotaro!?

[@peacheesex]

9:07 Raise a hand if you knew Soul Eater took place in Nevada USA ✋

[@GbergStacks]

wonderful explanation, i'm glad you made this because it is very much needed.

[@awsumcreations7604]

I think japan gets their views on black people and how to draw black people mostly almost 100% from the U.S. A lot of Japanese animators and mangakas watch a lot of early Disney movies some of with portrayed black people in blackface type of caricatures. Also, how a black person dresses and acts is also based on the stereotypes from the U.S. as well. So I mostly blame the U.S. for this situation but that doesn't mean Japan shouldn't have changed the way they portray black people, because japan gets information internationally and they know about western people fans of manga and anime so I don't know what to say about that.

[@jessw.6250]

Hi I’m new here! I do love anime but saw this video on your channel. It is an extremely heavy topic yet, I’m enjoying watching this thanks for educating. ❤

[@m.i7211]

I think the few anime that I’ve seen so far that has had good or decent black representation is cowboy bebop, Carole and Tuesday, and licorice recoil.

[@haliiteee7048]

Love this!😊

[@SeabassFishbrains]

As someone who has read the Promised Neverland manga I'd also like to point out that the only black kid is literally named "Jemima". I don't think that the mangaka is intentionally racist, Krone is given way more backstory in the manga's flashback chapters that fully explains why she was the way she was, she ends up seeming just as if not more sympathetic than Isabella, and he also referenced the Black Lives Matter protests in the last few chapters of the manga, but I do think that he 100% could have done so much better. I think that his exposure to black representation was extremely limited and he didn't consult any actual black people about his naming, characterization and character design. I also don't think him not knowing better is a valid excuse here, I think he could have known better with a little more research or, you know, consulting an actual black person. I definitely have complex feelings about this manga because I mostly enjoyed the work and its overall messaging (in particular how our world just over 20 years in the future was portrayed) but I felt deeply uncomfortable about how race was handled and I can't get over that even if some black people say it's okay. I'm trans and I hate the way that the trans character in Steins Gate was handled, yet I've seen other trans people calling that great representation, so there's no easy answer here.

[@jessw.6250]

Wonderful editing wonderful video! 👏👏👏

[@ToxiCancun]

0.02% in Japan or any population is a very very VERY small number..... WTF WOULDN'T THEY TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CAST HER?? This a great video. I wish wish I seen this earlier. Well researched. Your work truly showed your worth watching. Thank you for doing this.

[@amesino.i]

Amazing video, so many more example than I would have thought on my own.

[@batgirl052009ify]

kudos to you for this video. there's a section of anime fans that's like talking to a brick wall. 🙄 you can enjoy a media and acknowledge its problems

[@rosephoenix954]

First of all want to apologize for previously comments before. Sometimes be in denied but no different inside. I'm woman and black to put. Sometimes I realize how it hard to enjoy something. Its excellent video. I do agree the anime community do lack black voices especially anitube which all which are white or men. Sometimes I think sad not much black representation anime community. But still there shows like Carole and Tuesday or Michiko & Hatchin which are my favorite and nice see myself in them. You earn sub from me. Keep up the good work.

[@KittyFeaux]

Thank you for making this video. I wish people would stop acting like anyone who calls out racism as ' Drama ' when the only reason they think this is because it's not a problem FOR THEM.

[@Kriliska]

While I fully agree that there's plenty of ignorance and racism in the anime, I also find some of the arguments here weird and baseless. Simon is a foreigner who speaks poor Japanese? Well these people exist very much so! It's normal and not a cliche at all! And with sister Krone, I see absolutely no issue. Stereotypes in animated shows were never really an issue to me, my own group included. As long as they're not the norm but are only used in some shows, I just have fun with it.

[@Mavisdundundunnnmanston]

Sister krone made me so uncomfortable. She was redeemed in the manga, a bit. They made her art worse in the anime. Also in the manga, there is a panel depicting a blm protest in what I see as a positive light. I loved the manga. The anime was aweful.

[@siginotmylastname3969]

fuck you made a good video opening 😭 honestly this topic imo is enough that people may as well go ham. We all(who aren't ignoring the obvious) know the industry is racist as fuck for a multitude of reasons and influences.

[@zainmudassir2964]

Good vid. Hope the situation for black creaters and fans improves

[@taytay4743]

You know I love Simon, you know, despite his design. But on the topic of foreigners in Japan, idk I personally just think its funny that white people are kind of given a “silly foreigner” stereotype. More so in the sense that white people are getting stereotyped instead. Not that it excludes poc, but I personally just think it’s a nice change from white Americans always giving us some sort of stereotype.