Shame, as anime takes centre stage in French riots

Anime has become a cultural phenomenon.

We have injected the medium into the foundation of our daily lives. Is that a good thing? Maybe. Niche hobbies are appealing because you can control them. The isolation allows you to determine what they mean and how people interact with them.

Think back to your favourite band/artiste that no one but you and your friends had ever heard of. It felt like they existed in a separate dimension, untainted by the toxicity running rampant in the world.

Then they gained mainstream attention, and it finally happened. The politicians, celebrities, and social media influencers you hate started playing their music in public. Now, you don’t know what to think or how to feel. Do you remember when Alexa Moreno performed her routine to a Demon Slayer track during the Tokyo Olympics?

American shot putter Payton Otterdahl made headlines after doing Franky’s pose (One Piece) during the same Olympics. Then there’s Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth, who developed a habit of celebrating his goals by wearing Obito Uchiha’s orange mask (Naruto) and striking the character’s signature pose.

We have discussed Israel Adesanya in a previous article. You have probably seen pictures of the Nigerian-born MMA fighter in a Rock Lee (Naruto) stance, and I bet most of you were overwhelmed with pride.

The world has embraced the thing you love. Isn’t that what everyone wants? Well, maybe. Have you heard about the demonstrations in France? They began on September 17 when teachers from a school in Créteil (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry High School) went on strike, exasperated by staff shortages.

Over the next several weeks, other groups joined these demonstrations as their list of grievances expanded (rising fuel prices, high cost of living, dissatisfaction with the political environment in France, etc.)

On a side note, one significant complaint raised early on was the crowded French classrooms, many of which house an average of 30 students. I read that statistic and laughed.

Most Ugandan parents would pay an arm and a leg to get their children into a school with classrooms averaging 30 students. I remember sitting in a class of 80 in P.3. We could barely hear the teacher from the back.

This just goes to show the vast chasm dividing First World and Third World countries. Anyway, back to the discussion at hand. How is anime even remotely involved with the situation in France?

Well, some of the protestors (Gen Z) have adopted anime symbols, most notably the Jolly Roger from One Piece. The protagonists who fly the flag in One Piece are fighting against an oppressive government that has perpetrated horrific crimes against its citizens.

French protestors believe that the Jolly Roger perfectly encapsulates their struggle. Browse the French protests online and you will see a surprising amount of anime cosplay (Dragon Ball, Naruto, JJK). But why is that a problem?

Well, those French demonstrations have become full-blown riots. The activism that dominated the early stages of these demonstrations is gone. Many protesters have come out to condemn what they see as pointless vandalism that has destroyed the livelihood of innocent French citizens.

Therein lies the challenge. Some Japanese have criticized the use of anime symbols like the Jolly Roger in the French riots. One headline said, ‘Don’t Turn The One Piece Flag Into A Symbol Of Terrorism.’

They feel like foreign actors are twisting the message of these fictional properties and using them to promote actions that don’t match the philosophies of their creators. Japanese people will argue that Luffy from One Piece would never stand for the terrorism and vandalism unfolding in France.

But says who? Who gets to decide what Luffy does, or doesn’t, stand for? This is what happens when mainstream audiences embrace art. The medium becomes theirs to interpret as they see fit. Releasing your art to the world means giving up control over how people will use or perceive it.

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