do social justice warriors like anime

by Abbigail Champlin 10 min read
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Well, again, no. Anime has always been a vehicle for social justice, and there have always been fans who seemed too oblivious to realize the messages anime contain. But the anti-SJW crowd does have one point I should acknowledge now before continuing: anime is becoming more LGBTQA friendly.

Full Answer

Is anime infected with a social justice bug?

They claim that, in recent years, anime has become “infected” with a social justice bug. That, recently, anime has pushed for a more diverse body of characters to appeal to Western SJWs. Like ComicsGate and GamerGate and the Sad Puppies before them, a subset of anime fans are arguing that SJWs are ruining their favorite medium.

Is Anime Anti-SJW?

Well, again, no. Anime has always been a vehicle for social justice, and there have always been fans who seemed too oblivious to realize the messages anime contain. But the anti-SJW crowd does have one point I should acknowledge now before continuing: anime is becoming more LGBTQA friendly.

Are SJWs ruining anime?

That, recently, anime has pushed for a more diverse body of characters to appeal to Western SJWs. Like ComicsGate and GamerGate and the Sad Puppies before them, a subset of anime fans are arguing that SJWs are ruining their favorite medium.

Are SJW’s fighting in Japan?

To Westerners, this may sound like a small victory in light of greater oppression, but it’s a victory all the same. So SJWs are out there in Japan, fighting the good fight for those disenfranchised by decades of oppressive laws.

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Is Japan more homophobic than America?

One of the big points of argument is that Japan is far more homophobic than America is. This is presented as a blanket statement, often, as in all of Japan is all homophobic. Fans who say this often treat Japanese people as a monolith.

Is same sex marriage legal in Japan?

And, yes, for the most part, same-sex marriage has yet to be legalized in Japan. The LGBTQA Community in Japan has been gaining steam in recent years. Very recently, a very large protest took place after a Japanese politician wrote a very anti-LGBTQA article.

Is LGBTQA represented in anime?

On one hand, many LGBTQA fans, especially trans fans, greeted this news with excitement and joy. Representation in anime, especially fair representation, is hard to come by. Many fans are willing to take what they can get. However, a subset of fans were less than enthusiastic.

Is Sailor Moon gay?

Let’s start with the gay bit, since that’s the more obvious point of contention these anti-SJWs have with recent anime. Sailor Moon is undoubtedly one of the most popular anime of all time.

Is Lily a girl in Zombieland?

But by this point, you’ve probably heard that Lily is, in fact, a trans girl. The initial response to this, as you can imagine, was mixed.

Is anime a social justice bug?

They claim that, in recent years, anime has become “infected” with a social justice bug. That, recently, anime has pushed for a more diverse body of characters to appeal to Western SJWs. Like ComicsGate and GamerGate and the Sad Puppies before them, a subset of anime fans are arguing that SJWs are ruining their favorite medium.

What is localisation in anime?

“Localisation” is the process of translation, dubbing and editing non-English language material for English-speaking consumers.

Is censorship a moral necessity?

According to social activist doctri ne, exposure to violence, rape, racism and homophobia perpetuates harmful attitudes; therefore censorship is a moral necessity. Consumers, however, want accurate translations of material they cannot understand in the original; they resent changes made in heavy-handed localisations.

Is manga a form of anime?

Manga is produced in book form or published online, while anime is released via television, in cinemas and online. Anime and manga run the gamut of tones and genres, from preschool cartoons to sophisticated stories with extensive world-building aimed at adolescents and adults.

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Japan and Homophobia

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One of the big points of argument is that Japan is far more homophobic than America is. This is presented as a blanket statement, often, as in all of Japan is all homophobic. Fans who say this often treat Japanese people as a monolith. The basis for this is that the Japanese government has pushed a considerable amoun…
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Social Justice in Anime

  • But alright. So maybe that’s all well and good, but Japanese anime has never been this social justice-y before. We never saw gays and trans people in anime like this before, so surely this is some SJW agenda! Out to ruin the wholesome Nippon cartoons fans so desperately crave! Well, again, no. Anime has always been a vehicle for social justice, and there have always been fans w…
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Social Justice Has Always Been in Anime

  • No, Yuri on Icedidn’t make anime gay. No, SJWs didn’t make anime gay. Anime has ALWAYS been gay. And anime has ALWAYS been driven by social justice messages. Let’s start with the gay bit, since that’s the more obvious point of contention these anti-SJWs have with recent anime. Sailor Moon is undoubtedly one of the most popular anime of all time. Th...
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So What?

  • The only conclusion I can take away from all this isn’t that anime is being infected or corrupted by SJWs. Rather, we have a different sort of virus in the fandom. We have ignorance. Fans who don’t understand anime history, who appreciate the medium from a superficial standpoint. These are fans who are either too oblivious or too foolish to see anime for all its bounty, and instead are lo…
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