×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Interest
Fate/Grand Order Game's New Event Set in 1945 Stirs Controversy

posted on by Jennifer Sherman

The official website for the Fate/Grand Order smartphone game announced the "Gudaguda Teito Seihai Kitan" (Gudaguda Imperial Capital Holy Grail Strange Story) in-game event on Wednesday. While some fans are excited, others believe the content on the event is inappropriate and inconsiderate due to its story set in 1945, the year that marked the end of World War II.

The event scenario set in 1945 deals with the previously revealed Teito Seihai Kitan scenario, which is a parallel Grail War set during the Third Holy Grail War. The event will launch on June 13 and offer the limited-edition Servant Sakamoto Ryōma. The game's official English website has not announced the event.

The Teito Seihai Kitan story is set at the end of the Pacific War in Tokyo, and the Imperial Japanese Army aims for victory in the Grail War. The new weapon, "81st Holy Grail Bomb," was designed using the Holy Grail for Japan to defend itself in the war. Third-Reich Germany is involved in the battle and creates a military team composed of Heroic Spirits. Seven Servants enter the historical conflict to determine the outcome of the war.

The campaign also features the Servant Oda Nobunaga, seen in the above advertisement.

Many online commenters are upset about the new event because they believe its 1945 setting may glorify Japan's role in World War II while failing to acknowledge the negative aspects of Japan's actions in the war and the full historical context. In addition, some people feel the announcement on June 6 is insensitive to Korea. Memorial Day in South Korea, which is also held on June 6, honors Korean people who died during military service in the Korean War and other conflicts. Japan's actions during its occupation of Korea, which ended with the close of World War II, continue to be a source of tension between the nations.

Net users are responding to the controversy with social media posts in Japanese, Korean, and English. The controversy has led to the creation of the hashtag "#FGODirectorsShouldApologize." Below are some English Twitter posts that use the hashtag.

As seen above, many commenters are seeking an apology from the game's staff. However, some commenters are also responding by emphasizing that the game is a work of fiction and that Japan itself had heavy losses during World War II.

Source: Fate/Grand Order's website via Yaraon!


discuss this in the forum (74 posts) |
bookmark/share with: short url

Interest homepage / archives