Forum - View topicNEWS: Korean Protests Call for Hetalia Anime's Cancellation
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miyosha
Posts: 1 |
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The Asian thought process and tradition never really dies. That said, think of Korea as the Asian America. Centuries ago, they fought bitterly for independence from China and warded off Japanese attacks on their land. Of course when they first came to Korea, they took influences from the Chinese, but so did America with Britain. Artillery, culture and all that. There was even a comic of Hetalia that illustrated this when America was cleaning a storage room where America was reminiscing about the past from items Britain had given him (metaphorically in real life of course). I'm not comparing these countries together, just an example. We all know (or I presume) what happened in WWII between Korea and Japan. And I will agree that most of the bickering over the Anime is because a Japanese person had done it. I am also sure they would actually be fine with the anime/manga, but they don't want to be represented as a "little brother" when for their entire time as a country they've been fighting continuously. They don't think it's fair that the creator would draw Japan as the cool-headed (at times of course) boy with some samurai stereotypes thrown in. Also China, who seems to be similar. America is VERY used to making fun of touchy things (South park, Stand up comedians, etc.) so it is understandable why this thread questions why Korea can't take the joke. But after so much fighting, the country split in two, building up the economy in a devilish rate years after the oppression of Japan (which is still considered recent if grandparents are still alive from then), and all they get is being viewed as this "little brother"? It does depress. BUT that may be their view on it. Should we care? Of course we should. We should be saying "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it to offend you. Just some things in history when looked at this way seems funny. But now we know it's still touchy and we won't do it again." Instead of: "What are you fighting about? That's the past! Why shouldn't we make fun of it? You guys aren't still sore about that, are you? You're a bunch of complainers!" I'm not talking about the Anime Company (because they took Korea out) or the creator, but the people debating here. Please don't use the "Oh, it's in the past" excuse, because the Past is not Forgotten. It can only be forgiven. Clearly, Korea is not at the point yet, but let's not rush it. That is my opinion and I've lived in both the American and Korean cultures, so I can understand both sides to it. I'm not arguing because I know the Company that is releasing the Hetalia anime stated that Korea will not show up in the series, so I'm not concerned about that. I'm just saying I'd like to see compromise and understanding that Korea isn't at that "forgiving" stage yet. Possibly not for a while unless that Dok-Do issue is settled between them and Japan. Also with the "Jews and German Camp" argument when comparing what the Japanese did to Koreans: Adolf Hitler was one man who used propaganda and fear to "brainwash" Germans into what they did (lightly explained). There was no single man who instructed the Japanese to plunder Korea. This means that in Germany's case, fingers point at Hitler in blame. With the Japanese, it's....hmm... Sorry this is so long, but I just thought I'd try. Don't argue and Que Sera Sera. |
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CCSYueh
 Posts: 2707 Location: San Diego, CA |
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That can be said of a lot of places. Is that a good thing, really?
Yeah I really understand this concept being of an age where we were taught in school Americans created everything in the world which I later learned was less than true. It's really, really stupid in the long run. Does it really matter what nationality the guy who created the telephone is as long as the damned thing works every time one goes to use it? Cars, planes, whatever. Do I really think I'm eating mexican food when I go to Taco Bell? (no. It's American food inspired by actual Mexican food.)
Maybe it's a California thing, but you can still find a LOT of old timers who hate those "dirty Japanese" for Pearl Harbor & various attacks (real & rumored) on the West Coast. The Japanese are naturally deceptive-yes means no. They were tallking peace in Washington while planning to attack Pearl Harbor. Our soldiers was tortured, experimented on, & killed in horrible ways. Just finished watching that History Channel show about dropping the bomb on Japan & how it was the less-deadly option to a land invasion where the Japanese citizens were being encouraged to fight off the invaders with pitchforks or anything they had lying around. Growing up, all I heard out of my parents was that WWII propoganda they learned from their childhoods. My parents like cartoons, but they will not watch anime. They state they don't have a problem with Japan, but always return to the "Japanese are backwards of America & can't be trusted" because it was so heavily preached to them during the war. "We beat Japan, so they moved in under us pretending to be our friends, made stuff cheaper & stole our jobs". It's one of those "lies told on one's mother's knee" sort of falsehoods that are so hard to drop. When I was growing up, it was a given if it were made in Japan, it was cheap.
I would think most Americans would be fine with being portrayed as the younger sibling to England & a cousin-type relation to several European nations. In a family SOMEONE has to be the eldest & I don't think it's too much to expect a cartoon drawn by a Japanese person would favor their national rep having a larger role, although it's be nice if they are portrayed with at least some of their flaws. Culturally China should be the eldest of the Asian group, but, as I said, who's drawing it?
Yes. As I said, I really don't see too many Americans arguing the idea of America as a younger sibling to Britain. We came from them. Most historians & archeologists seem to link Japan & Korea to China so if they are brothers, Korea would be younger than China (or China's child as Japan would also be seen in that sort of family relationship. If someone made something like Hetalia on Western Civilization, the parents would likely be Rome or Greece with different mothers maybe for different areas) What do you want them to be? Born from a rock? No siblings? If one keeps an eye on the various speculations of the origin of mankind, we allegedly all came from Africa or we all came from China (Africa still holds the most votes)
Why should we be sorry Korea has a sore spot they can't get over? As I pointed out, we still have survivors of WWII who hate the Japanese & will hate them to the day they(WWII survivors) all die. The rest of us get over it. They're our allies now. We're buddies. Whatever.
But you are. I'm totally embarrassed by all that anti-Japanese propoganda I grew up with. I don't mind seeing the Looney Tunes stuff because it is art, but it is embarrassingly naive. I'm embarrassed we put American citizens in camps because we were so afraid they might be still be loyal to a country they left. It was very, very, very stupid of America. It's be like putting all the Muslims in America in guarded camps during the Iraq war.
But as we've seen in the Middle East, some people seem unable to ever forgive. Hate is such a negative emotion. I don't need to wait for someone who wronged me to say they're sorry before I can get on with my life. That'd be a huge waste. What if they never admit guilt? I could never get over it? Why do I have to spend the rest of my life whining how horrible things are, gee, my life would have been so much better had that never happened to me! But stuff happens. One either gets over it or one wastes time one can spend doing other things crying about the past. If only my husband had gone to the doctor, maybe he wouldn't have died 8 yrs ago. What good does that sort of thinking do me? He'd dead. I've moved on. I have an IRA with the concept when we all retire,we pay less taxes, but now when I retire I'll be single, not married, so I'll probably be taxed higher on it. Oh well. That's life in the jungle, isn't it?
But what if they're never at that stage? Japan did nasty stuff to us. We weren't doing anythign to them when they attacked us. We're over it. We saw the Falklands thing in 1982. British people have to hate people from Argentina for the next 40 yrs because Argentina tried to claim they owned the islands?
No, but it is very much in keeping with the British expanding their empire. It's how people thought. It's actually STILL how people think in a lot of ways. If Country A invades Country B, they're probably going to treat Country B as a possession. |
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ConanSan
Posts: 1818 |
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Just saw the webcasts.
Christ, this is what everyone was in a tiz about? I would imagine it would of been Italiy who would of had thier panties in a fliping twist over this show... But seriously, Lol Korea, proving the justice of idiotcy and disproving the theory of Natural Selection once again. Darwin would not be pleased. |
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Unit 03.5-ish
Posts: 1540 Location: This space for rent |
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The relevance of this topic has worn out its welcome, please, let's let it die a natural death, and let's just forgot international political hoopla.
We're here to talk about Japanese cartoons and children's trading card games, dammit, not ethical drama. |
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Kona
 Posts: 1 |
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I've been seeing for the first page people blaming entire cultures for something the GOVERNMENT decided to do. So you can't blame the people for it. Just wanted to put that out there.
On the main subject I think it's alright for them to have their own opinions, whether or not those opinions end up meaning anything. |
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Flik
 Posts: 26 Location: Monroe, MI |
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Did you just six month necro for that? Great first post.
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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Pot, kettle, black. Locked. - abunai |
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