Unpacking the Relationship Between Anime and Its Black Fans
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Anime is where fantastical worlds exist, heroes grow and become successful in the face of adversity, and those meant for greatness unlock amazing powers. These epic journeys and escapism have connected with many American fans since the genre’s arrival to the US in the 1960s. This is especially true for Black anime fans.
Our existence consists of witnessing and experiencing constant discrimination from multiple sources while still trying to persevere. Anime offers solace from the real world for many Black nerds or “Blerds” like myself. And there’s a symbiotic relationship between Black fans/cultures and anime, with both imprinting on each other in interesting ways.
Image: Netflix
“There is a serendipitous nature about this project, how an African-American man goes to Japan to live and work amongst the very best in Japanese anime to create an anime about an African who goes to Japan to live amongst the Japanese elite and become a warrior,” Thomas wrote. “Yasuke is a fascinating, mysterious figure in Japanese history that’s drawn a growing interest in today’s media over the decades. I first learned of Yasuke’s role in Japanese history over a decade or so. The children’s book, Kuro-suke by Kurusu Yoshio, featured images that piqued my curiosity. To eventually learn that he wasn’t just a fictional character, but a real person, was exciting material for an adventure story.”