Thousands of Japanese demand that Donald Trump stop using anime and manga on his social networks
The petition regained intensity due to the recent use of anime and manga motifs by the American president
Nearly 20,000 people have signed an online petition in Japan to protest US President Donald Trump and the White House's use of manga and anime characters on social media.
In the most recent example, a video posted Saturday on the Republican mogul's Truth Social platform shows Trump as the ninja Naruto Uzumaki from the popular series "Naruto," sparking an angry reaction from fans.
Another post by the White House in March appeared to mix footage of U.S. military strikes against Iran with clips from well-known movies and shows, including the manga and anime series “Yu-Gi-Oh!”
This petition had been launched in March in Japan, but was reopened on Tuesday after the new “Naruto” video.
Images out of context
It is presented as an “urgent” effort to convey the concerns of fans of these Asian animation genres to rights holders, its organizers said.
“For many years, these works have inspired audiences around the world by transmitting values such as courage, friendship and perseverance,” the petition description states.
“Therefore, many fans are concerned when images of these works appear to be used in political or military contexts that may differ from the intentions of the original creators or rights holders,” he adds.