in regards to hetalia (and other fandom) fanart referencing the recent disaster in Japan

[minako134.livejournal.com]

Greetings, all!

Like all of you, I've been following along on the recent disaster in the Tohoku region of Japan. I have extended family who live in Tokyo, and finally about 48 hours after the earthquake, I got news that everyone is safe, though still emotionally shaken by the disaster. Seeing all those horrifying images on the news, it is natural that all of us Japanese animation fans want to do anything we can to help those in need, if it's even something as simple as offering prayers and our encouragement.

However, I would like to bring to your attention that while words of encouragement for Japan most certainly are well-intended, it can be very easy to take this disaster too lightly. Already, many fanarts like this have been submitted at Pixiv, for example; while they did serve to make some people feel better, it is becoming more apparent that it also comes off the wrong way to others. Hetalia fanart, in particular, is easy to offend someone with, in this regard. I've seen several art submissions addressing this topic go up at Pixiv on the daily rankings page, submitted by Japanese artists expressing their concern over insensitivity toward the suffering of those victims of the quake and tsunami.

As an example of this viewpoint (the main reason I've made this post on the comm here) I've translated (as best I could) one submission's description where a Japanese artist lays their thoughts all out on the table. I urge you all to please take the time to read it, and take from it what you may.

My translation, as well as the original Japanese text

The original Pixiv submission I took it from

Thank you for your time.

Comments

[ecchipiro.livejournal.com]

Thank you for making this post. ♥

[minako134.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading!

[fearedeyepatch.livejournal.com]

Thank you for pointing that out. While I don't think most people are posting the art or what not with *bad* intentions per say, I'm not sure it's something that has been thought out either. And in cases like this, it certainly is something that should be thought out. Thank you then for drawing attention to this.

[minako134.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Their wish for things to work out and for Japan to pull through are to be appreciated, of course, but the way lots of these artists are expressing it is having the opposite of the intended effect in many cases. Like the artist says, they don't blame those people, but they wish that more thought and respect was put into it.

[nike2422.livejournal.com]

We've also been discussing this issue in hetalia_wank

Personally, I think art and fic is way too soon. The tragedy is still happening, and like the Pixiv entry says, use some restraint. Thank you for the translation btw.

[natekeehl.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting and translating this!
Someone really needed to say this.

[curlee1029.livejournal.com]

Well, I was contemplating writing up a little fanfiction, but I've been worried about doing so, considering how people are being rather offended, I figured waiting a while would be for the best.

Although there are those couple of drawings that really do send profound meanings, most of them can be quite offensive. Being a writer, I know first-hand that tragedy is often a good place to draw inspiration from, but unless it is something that has occured to you and you have first-hand knowlegde about that tregedy, it is best not to write about it. And in this case, if you were going to write/draw about this tragedy, it is best to preform such actions when time has passed,because at this point in time, there are tons of people still being massively affected by these horrific events.

With that said, I still offer my condolenses to those in Japan and those who have relatives or friends in the area. I sincerly hope things improve soon and that you and/or your family are safe.

[wakalakaosaka.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting this :]

[rinnington.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this, Ayame!

Even if people mean well, fandom should be a place where people can escape from tragedies. They shouldn't have to be reminded of it, and they especially shouldn't have to feel like the tragedy affecting them or their loved ones is being taken lightly.

[miezen.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the translation, Ayame! I completely agree; it's way too soon, and the people whose lives are currently being wrecked like this not appreciating outsiders expressing their "concern" though fanart of fictional works makes perfect sense to me.

[lokichan2004.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this. I was trolling Pixiv last night and saw some fanart related to the earthquake. I can understand how people want to express their concern, but imho it's way too soon for stuff like this.

[crazy-gemini124.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the translation. Glad to know I made the right choice and decide to not do a picture. Waaaaay to early.

[minako134.livejournal.com]

Yup, I saw your link; I'm really glad that this can aid in more discussion on this topic!

The survey results definitely agree with you on that, that's for sure. They're not saying "don't post any encouraging art", since there are still a sizeable amount of people who are cheered up by it, but people need to remember that a fast "HANG IN THERE!!!!1one" or a cutesy cheering-on character might not come even close to soothing the pain and loss that hundreds of people in Japan have experienced ever since the earthquake.

Thanks for reading!

[minako134.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! I'm glad simply that I might be able to help Japanese artists and the English-speaking anime fandom a little closer together. The artists' words here speak for themselves, though of course my own bias will show through my translation of the original.

[minako134.livejournal.com]

I can't tell you what it means to me that you decided to reconsider. Part of me wants to speak up for free speech and say "don't hold back your creativity!!", but I don't think that applies here; it's all about the dialogue between the creator and the audience. As a creator, you're deciding how you want to present your muse to an audience who is coping with a horrible tragedy.

I love what you've shared in your comment, I couldn't have put it better myself. Thank you for giving us your thoughts.

They are all safe, for which I'm grateful. I'm still waiting to hear from my student exchange alma mater, but since they're west of Tokyo, I'm optimistic that the worst they've had to deal with is power outages. Still, I hope that everyone can find some peace in such a stressful time by staying with their loved ones and finding every day, normal things to keep them occupied.

[minako134.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, and thank you!

[minako134.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your cheering me on~ ;u;

This, this, and this. It is heartening, at the least, that I have seen some really great submissions on Pixiv that were like "I know this is a really difficult time for everyone, but I wanted to draw something for everyone, so here's some K-ON! yuri..." and the piece had nothing to do with the disaster, it was just Mio and Ritsu playing kissy-face. They knew that nothing they did could possibly make up for someone's loss or suffering, but they were completely honest in their wish to help contribute to normalcy for those coming to Pixiv for a respite from the chaos.

[minako134.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, even though it's still a pretty rough translation! ;~; The artists' words speak for themselves, while there are some people who appreciate peoples' thoughts, there's even more people who wish fanartists would stop and reconsider the most appropriate way to express their concern.

[minako134.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, thanks for reading! I hope no one feels like they're being forced to take back their concerns for the people of Japan; it's all a matter of how they do it, that's the key.

[minako134.livejournal.com]

You're welcome, and thank you for reading. I can't tell you what it means to me that I helped you be a little more sure of your decision, that tells me that it might help other people, too. Like I've said in above comments, posting art for the benefit of victims seeking respite from all the chaos and uncertainty is perfectly fine, just so long as it's not an attempt to make things better, because nothing could possibly make up for the loss of lives and homes that has happened. If it's an attempt at letting people look at cute art that is unrelated to the disaster, then that's a much bigger help, is what I think! Right now, all those people are just searching for some kind of normalcy, if they're looking at art websites.

[misty-rain.livejournal.com]

Right now, all those people are just searching for some kind of normalcy, if they're looking at art websites.

Thank you for writing this; I was very, very lost as to what was to be done, since so many actions taken seemed to be wrong (and people only replying what "idiots" people were for drawing anything about this topic in the first place), I didn't hear too much on what was right.

But I can understand that, 100%. I've never been through anything to THIS degree, and wouldn't pretend to, but I at least recognize the idea of just wanting the familiar in my life when life seems absolutely hectic and uncertain.

Really, I think more should be said on what we should do/say to help, as opposed to people only scolding others about their misguided attempts at helping.

So again, thank you for writing that part I quoted, and for the translation. ♥♥♥

Re: Copy pasted from what I've said earlier.

[teruhiko.livejournal.com]

nice opinion genius, who asked you

Re: Copy pasted from what I've said earlier.

[gandmvsm.livejournal.com]

Remember that time I promised to play devil's advocate?

Those people you mentioned are likely the same group of people who are making the completely and utterly disrespectful fanworks regardless of the topic, be it Korea, the Philippines, the Poland plane crash, this earthquake/tsunami, you name it. Obviously I don't have a source as I can't read Japanese, but I'm willing to bet there are similar Pixiv submissions and the like saying the same thing about those disasters.

Re: Copy pasted from what I've said earlier.

[reaperangelique.livejournal.com]

Uh, you are aware there's a difference between a cartoon portraying things that happened a while ago in a silly light, and making an extremely recent and horrific disaster, which is still ongoing, all about said cartoon? You really don't think someone who's possibly lost loved ones should be offended by some idiot going 'oh noes poor Japan!' and meaning a fictional character, not the country, often accompanied by bad fanart?

Re: Copy pasted from what I've said earlier.

[chulchinmae.livejournal.com]

This is also not to offend, so, please don't take it in such way. (:

There is a time and a place for everything. You don't make edgy artwork or fiction (especially something visual) for an event that has just taken place while thousands of people are being affected by it still. It's showing insensitivity and a lack of urgency to the situation at hand to make light of it. I mean, seriously, if the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear earthquake in Japan on the news is Hetalia you need to get your priorities straightened out. Right now, people should be donating to charities, consoling their friends who lost relatives, and at least showing humility to all those who have been affected.

Also, it's not so much that they are offended because Himaruya likes to tease and play with certain events, both offensive and inoffensive in nature of other countries and their own, but rather the way in which the art is handled. Drawing Japan surrounded by paper cranes with an ounce of effort is one thing.

Drawing Japan humorously drowning in a whirlpool or a wave in crappy MSPaint trollart is incredibly offensive. If anyone thinks a tsunami and earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9, that has moved the entire country of Japan 8 feet and modified part of the Earth's tilt equates to the image of a drowning Japan in the ocean made with as much of effort as a fart needs a serious reality check. Anyone whose gone through that would feel like the world around them is coming to an end.

Never once has Himaruya taken Hetalia so far as to make light of a specific event that killed hundreds of people, even if much of the series is taken during the World Wars, most, if not all the comics, point at the stereotypes of how those people were perceived culturally rather than those who were shot or blown up to death.

Just something to consider. This is also coming from someone who is part Korean and may disagree with some aspects of Korea, but the WWs were ages ago, and while the acts Japan did to Koreans, especially Korean women, are unforgiveable, it is in the past, and Himaruya doesn't make light of it anyway, he pokes fun at actual Korean stereotypes. So, really, what point are you to make?

Art and fanfiction is important for expression, it helps the soul heal when you are still starving and stripped of a home. Art right now should be offering solace to those families hurt and devastated in Japan, not making it something insignificant.