The Japanese are outraged.

TPO - The appearance of US President Donald Trump dressed as the character Naruto on social media is sparking controversy in Japan. Many fans and content creators in the country argue that Japanese popular culture icons are being misused for political purposes.

Last weekend, Mr. Trump posted a video on the social media platform Truth Social featuring an AI dressed and moving in the distinctive style of Naruto, the main character in the popular manga and anime of the same name.

The video garnered millions of views but faced fierce backlash from the anime fan community in Japan. On forums and social media, many opinions suggested that the images of famous characters were used illegally, and that the video incorporated political messages unrelated to the original spirit of the work.

This incident is seen as the "last straw" after a series of controversial actions by the White House recently. The official White House account has repeatedly used images from popular anime and manga brands such as Dragon Ball, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh! to illustrate political content, even related to military activities.

This is an image of Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social.

In Japan, where anime is considered one of the nation's most important cultural symbols, the move has been met with resistance from many. Nana Suzuki, a Tokyo resident, launched an online petition campaign urging the Japanese government to take measures to protect anime works from being used for political or military purposes.

You may also like

The World Cup craze has spread to the jewelry industry.Leading jewelry brands are trying to capitalize on the hype surrounding the world's biggest football tournament to promote their products.

Khanh Hoa aims to have at least 10 OCOP products achieve 5-star national certification by 2030.VTV.vn - Khanh Hoa aims to have at least 100 new OCOP products each year, develop rural tourism associated with local identity and a green economy.

Home healthcare teams: Initial effectiveness of a new healthcare model.(HTV) - After more than two months of piloting in Dat Do commune, Ho Chi Minh City, the "Continuous Health Care Team Linked to Residential Areas" model has initially proven effective, bringing medical services to homes, enabling early detection of diseases, and improving the quality of community health care.

"I am outraged that artworks are being exploited to serve political controversies and military conflicts," she wrote in her appeal. The campaign has now garnered tens of thousands of signatures of support.

In addition to the outrage from the fan community, copyright holders have also spoken out. The Pokémon Company previously stated that the White House used its intellectual property without permission. The copyright holder of Yu-Gi-Oh! declared that the creative team of the series had no connection to the message posted from the official US government account.

Under public pressure, Japanese officials have repeatedly emphasized the importance of respecting intellectual property rights. At a parliamentary hearing in April, a representative from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that even government agencies should not use copyrighted works without the owner's permission.

Japanese Minister of Economic Security Kimi Onoda continued to warn that the inappropriate use of anime imagery could harm the image of the works and affect the rights of the authors.

Many experts believe that Japan's strong reaction stems not solely from copyright issues. For many years, anime and manga have been considered by Tokyo as an important part of the nation's "soft power," contributing to promoting Japan's image to the world. Therefore, associating these cultural symbols with controversial political messages easily generates negative public reactions.

You may also like

After taking his girlfriend out for king crab, the man refused to pay the 16 million VND bill.After a meal featuring king crab and Alaskan prawns, the group of female customers left, leaving only a young man named T. behind with a bill of 16 million VND. The restaurant owner stated that this man showed signs of mental instability.

Japan: Earthquake off the northeastern coast measures 7.2 magnitude.The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) stated that the earthquake off the coast of northeastern Japan on the morning of June 25th had a magnitude of 7.2, with its epicenter at a depth of 44km, instead of the initially reported magnitude of 6.9 and depth of approximately 50km.

Venezuela urgently searches for victims after double earthquake.VHO - The double earthquake in Venezuela on the evening of June 24th killed at least 32 people and injured around 700, causing serious damage in many areas.

While some argue that the fact the US President is familiar with Naruto is proof of the global influence of Japanese culture, the majority of fans believe that anime works should be respected and used in accordance with the values ​​the authors have created.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nguoi-nhat-phan-no-post1852195.tpo