Fans of Japanese pop culture face dilemma

By Seo Byeong-ik

To many observers, it may seem like an unbelievable sight: thousands of youngsters with pink and green hair, wearing costumes from their favorite “anime” series, gathered at the Seoul Trade Exhibition & Convention (SETEC) center in southeastern Seoul. Seoul Comic World, the biggest “anime” and “manga” festival in Korea, recently took place at the convention center. The monthly event draws about 10,000 attendees every year.

“Anime” can be described as hand-drawn or computer-animated TV shows and movies; the term “manga” refers to Japanese comics. Many manga books are eventually adapted into anime series.

While “hallyu” (Korean wave) superstars are popular in Japan, it seems that Japanese popular culture does not enjoy the same following in Korea. However, there are many Japanese pop culture fans in this country. Avid “anime” and “manga” fans are known within the subculture as “otakus.”

In 2013, Korea purchased the greatest number of Japanese anime licenses, followed by Taiwan. Although there are no official statistics, the estimated number of otakus here is at least about 200,000, according to multiple sources.

Unlike fans in other countries, Korean anime fans have to fight the widespread preconception that anime is only for children. In their strong support for anime, Korean and Japanese fans are united.

Koreans’ antipathy toward Japan is well known. Considering recent political disputes over history and territory, one might expect Koreans to dislike everything about their island neighbor.

Of course, popular culture is not immune to politics. A mere 20 years ago, the Korean government placed heavy restrictions on imports of Japanese cultural products, making it difficult for Koreans to get their hands on anime and manga.

These restrictions were lifted in the early 2000s. However, many Koreans still harbor ill feelings over the resulting influx of anime and manga. Also, Korean otakus have to deal with negative reactions from their fellow countrymen, stemming from anti-Japanese sentiment.

One obstacle that prevents anime from gaining a stronger foothold in Korea is the rocky relationship between the two Asian countries. In recent months, relations have worsened as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Cabinet have added more fuel to an already destructive fire. Japan’s refusal to apologize for its wartime atrocities, as well as the Dokdo dispute, have kept both nations on edge.

This hostility has spilled onto the Internet. I remember one Japanese Internet user posting a mocking message about the Sewol ferry disaster, which killed more than 300 people. Some animation studios even began producing films that showed contempt for Korea.

Aniplus, a Korean television channel, was forced to stop airing its anime “Super Sonico,” which was accused of inflaming Korean fans with apparent references to the Yasukuni shrine ― a site where Japanese leaders have paid homage to war criminals ― as well as to former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who expressed regret for his country’s past atrocities against Korea and other Asian countries. Online commentators speculated that a character in the series represented Murayama and was an attempt to satirize the former Prime Minister as weak or too conciliatory.

Other examples, though less inflammatory, might also provoke debate.

For example, one online game called “Kantai (Fleet) Collection” features naval warships personified as cute girls, but their design is based on real vessels that the Japanese Navy used during World War II. Forced Korean labor under Japanese colonial rule may have helped build the warships.

The game now has more than 2 million registered players ― some of whom are, interestingly, Koreans. In such circumstances, Korean otakus have to set clear boundaries between appreciation of Japanese culture and respect for their own national identity.

Most seem to have adopted a “selective acceptance” doctrine. These anime watchers do not watch any series containing what they consider Japanese nationalism. This approach may work to some extent, but it is unable to resolve all the problems.

First, there is no clear line between “good” and “bad” anime. Everyone has different standards of what constitutes an “acceptable dose” of nationalism. Some fans may find one aspect of an anime offensive, while others do not see it that way.

More importantly, a country’s cultural content is usually tied in with its history. If you enjoy a novel but disregard a prequel written by the same author, the story may not make much sense.

Moreover, it is incredibly difficult to completely ignore any right-wing influence or nationalistic anime in your otaku collection. If you cherry-pick anime to avoid the slightest hint of nationalism or anything else that may offend you, it will be hard to be a true anime fan. Questionable images, more often than not, probably play a part in some of your favorite series.

Knowing all this, many Korean anime fans are confused as to which anime and manga to enjoy. To tell the truth, I do not have a definite answer. All I know is that we anime fans have a hot potato on our hands, one that we can neither hold nor drop.

The writer is majoring in English literature and international economics and law at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. His email address is usk2seo@naver.com.