The Japanese Communist Party and the controversy over anime and manga

The progressive influence, once predominant in the West, begins to make its presence felt in the East. Recently, a new controversy emerged in Japan, calling into question the representation of women in various animes, mangas and their respective publications. According to information released, the Japanese Communist Party is preparing to take the issue to global bodies, accusing the works of promoting female sexual objectification.

Acclaimed characters like Nami (One Piece), Tsunade (Naruto), Asuna (Sword Art Online) and Akeno (High School Dxd), along with entire genres like ecchi and harem, face uncertainty about their future if the proposal goes ahead. . This scenario sparks debate about the limits between free artistic expression, censorship and female empowerment.

The origin of this controversial initiative was revealed by blogger Misato Nakayama, from Togetter, who came across a survey carried out by Shimbun Akahata, a newspaper linked to the communist party. The focus of the research was to investigate public perception about the availability of manga and magazines with adult content at points of sale, triggering a broad debate.

The response from the fan community was one of surprise and concern, not only due to the existence of the research, but also due to the works in question, such as the manga anthologies Weekly Young Jump, Young Animal and Weekly Shonen Champion. The Japanese Communist Party defends its stance by criticizing the sensual representation of women in these media, both in advertising and in the stories themselves.

In the preliminary phase of the research, the party noted that “adult magazines in convenience stores, which we thought had been banned after our previous campaigns, have resurfaced in new locations. Now, we are expanding our search nationwide. We will investigate the presence of magazines that treat women as sexual objects… We will also forward our report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.”

This debate comes at a turbulent time for pop culture, particularly in the world of electronic games. The controversy surrounding the main character of the South Korean game Stellar Blade, notorious for having a protagonist with accentuated shapes and tight clothing, as well as Microsoft's new policies on female representation in Xbox games, has fueled widespread discussions on social networks. social.