Controversial collaboration between Japanese animation ‘Detective Conan’ and manga ‘My Hero Academia’ [글로벌타임스 캡처. 재판매 및 DB금지]
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kwon Sook-hee = It has been reported that the sale of cosplay and goods related to the famous Japanese animation ‘Detective Conan’ has been banned at Comic Con (comic content fair) held throughout China.
As tensions between China and Japan continue, boycotts due to collaboration with the Japanese cartoon ‘My Hero Academia’, which raised the ‘Maruta’ controversy, appear to be spreading.
According to the Global Times, on February 9th, various Comic Con organizers in China have recently begun to introduce bans on ‘Detective Conan’ and ‘My Hero Academia’.
‘Detective Conan’ recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and in 2020, it faced criticism from Chinese netizens for its collaboration with ‘My Hero Academia’, which featured a villainous doctor named ‘Shiga Maruta’ (志賀丸太) who conducted human experiments.
“Maruta,” meaning ‘log,’ was the term used by Unit 731, a research and development unit for infectious diseases of the former Japanese military stationed in China, to refer to biological experiment subjects. There was also speculation that ‘Shiga’ was a reference to Kiyoshi Shiga, a Japanese bacteriologist.
Organizers of ‘iJoy Comic Con’ in Beijing, the Chinese capital, told the Global Times they decided to completely ban cosplay, exhibition, and the sale of goods related to the two works.
The organizers advised Comic Con participants to comply with the regulations, respect history, and protect the dignity of the nation.
The Global Times reported a visitor observed no ‘Detective Conan’-related cosplay at the event.
The organizers of the ‘SSCA Animation & Game Expo’ in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, northeastern China, announced a similar ban through the social media platform Weibo.
The organizers asked attendees to refrain from wearing cosplay related to Detective Conan or other controversial animations.
They also noted that ‘My Hero Academia’ contains content related to historical trauma and national emotions.
The organizers of the ‘ACC Animation Expo’ in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, announced on Weibo that they were aware of concerns surrounding ‘Detective Conan’, ‘My Hero Academia’, and ‘Chairman Maid Sama’, citing content that contradicted historical facts.
‘Chairman, Maid-sama’ faced a boycott due to suspicions the author had posted content interpreted as supporting Taiwan’s independence.
ACC Animation Expo emphasized that all exhibition content would be strictly reviewed, and participation could be canceled for violations.
This restriction, limited to some Japanese animations, is expected to grow alongside Chinese government countermeasures following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting potential intervention in Taiwan.
Chinese diplomatic authorities continue to advise against travel to Japan, a policy enacted in November of last year, and have canceled official exchange events between the two countries.
With Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party winning a landslide victory in the House of Representatives election, the Chinese government is expected to increase its opposition to the spread of militarism in Japanese cultural content, anticipating a further rightward shift in Japan.
Last month, a notice about an event at Yasukuni Shrine was posted on the website of ‘Pokemon’, but was deleted after backlash from Chinese netizens.
The official WeChat account of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Newspaper Dissemination Center stated that recent events demonstrate Japanese militarism hasn’t disappeared from culture and sports.
The account argued that Japan’s right-wing forces are exploiting fading historical memories to instill distorted history into younger generations through sports, idols, animation, and games.
The account emphasized the need for vigilance against the infiltration of Japanese militarism.
▶ Report via KakaoTalk okjebo
