| Creator Kazuki Takahashi apologized for political artwork starring Yu-Gi-Oh! characters that he posted on his Instagram account on Monday. The image showed the Dark Magicians stating "The current administration is betraying its own country!" and "I really wonder if Japan's future will be OK!" The post then quoted the character Atem, "All duelists! Now is the time to vote for justice!" Takahashi posted an image of a sunset on the same account on Tuesday with the text, "I was being a nuisance. I have a various of opinions, but I want to deeply apologize to fans for using the characters to express political statements." Takahashi did not take down yesterday's artwork, however.  Japan's citizens will elect 124 of the 245 seats of its House of Councillors on July 21. The House of Councillors is the upper house of Japan's National Diet. The House is currently dominated by Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's Liberal Democratic Party. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2019-07-16/yu-gi-oh-creator-kazuki-takahashi-apologizes-for-political-statements/.149055 |
| He was right to apologize, it is unfair to Yu Gi Oh fans for him to use beloved characters for his own agenda. He has the right to use the characters since he made them, but it is a disservice to longtime loyal fans to make their favorite characters start babbling about real life agendas. |
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| welp needs more context on why he said those political statements art has been use for politics through out history afaik >Takahashi did not take down yesterday's artwork, however. lol so fake apology then |
deg said: welp needs more context on why he said those political statements art has been use for politics through out history afaik >Takahashi did not take down yesterday's artwork, however. lol so fake apology then Sorry for not being sorry. |
deg said: @Gorochu but really whats the context of those political statements since you usually post japanese news The context is "It's time to dd duel!" Ok, just kidding. Isn't it in the OP? "The current administration is betraying its own country!" and "I really wonder if Japan's future will be OK!" The post then quoted the character Atem, "All duelists! Now is the time to vote for justice!" I'm not familiar with the political situation in Japan so can someone tell me anything wrong with current administration? |
Papa_ScorchJul 17, 2019 5:48 AM
| He has every right to post this image but that's not to say fans shouldn't be upset about it. This is one of the most straightforward political statements done through a franchise that I've ever seen. Zero subtlety. |
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Gorochu said: I'm not familiar with the political situation in Japan so can someone tell me anything wrong with current administration? ye the answer to this question is the context im looking for |
| Telling people to go vote is not a very controversial opinion IMO... |
| this is not what the characters in the image are saying. the male magician says 独裁政権=未来は暗黒次元！ (dictatorship = the future is a dark dimension! the female magician says ほんと。。。日本で住みづらくなっちゃった。 (yeah...it became harder to live in Japan) basically, they are calling the Abe administration a dictatorship and urging residents to vote. update: the mangaka himself posted 本当に今の売国政権で日本の未来は大丈夫かと思うわ！ truthfully, with the current betraying political party, i wonder if Japan's future will be ok. |
DreamingBeatsJul 17, 2019 12:28 PM
| You can buy lossless digital music from your favorite Japanese artists on https://ototoy.jp/. The songs are all DRM-free and you can re-download your purchased albums as you wish. Show your support to your favorite artist if you can! ps. if you are looking for Japanese albums, you have to search it in Japanese (not romaji). Just copy and paste the name. For those who want to learn Japanese through anime Resources for learning the language |
| Idk, personally I think as the creator of those characters he has every right to use them however he wants. It would be differently if he decided to draw all six main characters as his political mouth pieces. Personally just leaving it as "go to vote" would have been more than enough, but if he wants to upset some of his fans that like LDP or those who don't like politics go ahead. On another hand YGO is still about card games and selling them to kids and older "kids". Using that series characters in relation to election is pretty weird combination. Gorochu said: deg said: @Gorochu but really whats the context of those political statements since you usually post japanese news The context is "It's time to dd duel!" Ok, just kidding. Isn't it in the OP? "The current administration is betraying its own country!" and "I really wonder if Japan's future will be OK!" The post then quoted the character Atem, "All duelists! Now is the time to vote for justice!" I'm not familiar with the political situation in Japan so can someone tell me anything wrong with current administration? Depends what Kazuki Takahashi's political ideologies are. Quick check on news shows LDP has again mentioned something about altering Article 9 (to get some votes). Then there is of course foreign policies and relations like with South Korea trade dispute. I'd believe whether you lean left or right you'd still find something to complain about the administration. I don't know if there's anything really juicy happening now. If I'd need to guess it's prob related to that article 9 thing. I think Abe has before mentioned it and causing upset with it even among some mangakas, due to how it is seen as an important stand on anti-war. |
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| by the way, what the female magician said in the drawing ("it became harder to live in japan") may be a reference to the declining purchase power of yen due to inflation and wages not rising enough to compensate. people in Japan are buying less as a result. TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s household spending rose less than expected in April while real wages declined, adding to worries about consumption as global trade frictions weigh on broader economic activity. Spending grew 1.3% from a year earlier, government data showed on Friday, up for a fifth straight month but below a median market forecast for a 2.6% increase. Separate data showed inflation-adjusted real wages fell 1.1% in April from a year earlier, a sign consumer spending power was weakening. The softer-than-expected household spending and wage declines bode ill for an economy already hurt by a slump in exports to China, and will add to concerns about the expected impact to consumption from the government’s planned sales tax increase due later this year. “The trend is that the wages recovery is tame and consumer spending is weak,” said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. “Risks from global trade conflicts have risen. So if they adversely impact the economy further that could dampen corporate sentiment and then private consumption.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-economy-spending-idUSKCN1T731Y NHK noted that some retailers, such as those selling onigiri, had to drastically lower the prices due to the current state of the economy. |
| You can buy lossless digital music from your favorite Japanese artists on https://ototoy.jp/. The songs are all DRM-free and you can re-download your purchased albums as you wish. Show your support to your favorite artist if you can! ps. if you are looking for Japanese albums, you have to search it in Japanese (not romaji). Just copy and paste the name. For those who want to learn Japanese through anime Resources for learning the language |
| He shouldn't have apologized except for how cheesy that was. |
DreamingBeats said: by the way, what the female magician said in the drawing ("it became harder to live in japan") may be a reference to the declining purchase power of yen due to inflation and wages not rising enough to compensate. people in Japan are buying less as a result. TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s household spending rose less than expected in April while real wages declined, adding to worries about consumption as global trade frictions weigh on broader economic activity. Spending grew 1.3% from a year earlier, government data showed on Friday, up for a fifth straight month but below a median market forecast for a 2.6% increase. Separate data showed inflation-adjusted real wages fell 1.1% in April from a year earlier, a sign consumer spending power was weakening. The softer-than-expected household spending and wage declines bode ill for an economy already hurt by a slump in exports to China, and will add to concerns about the expected impact to consumption from the government’s planned sales tax increase due later this year. “The trend is that the wages recovery is tame and consumer spending is weak,” said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute. “Risks from global trade conflicts have risen. So if they adversely impact the economy further that could dampen corporate sentiment and then private consumption.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-economy-spending-idUSKCN1T731Y NHK noted that some retailers, such as those selling onigiri, had to drastically lower the prices due to the current state of the economy. Recently there's also news that Japan plan to increase retirement age to 70. |
| I remember reading in the news that Abe is using idols, models and anime characters to campaign for his party on social media so he can attract younger voters, so I don't see why only this creator would be troublesome. |
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| inb4 "all entertainment is political" But yeah it's stupid of his part, it's so easy to divide the fan base when you inject your politics into your shit. |
| Imagine if american cartoon start saying you need to vote so you can kick out Trump. |
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| in the other hand, people who didn't create those characters may use them as politics memes. just like us here. we can take any anime chara we like and give them any messages as we like. although we're not the ones who created them. that's a benefit for being a fan. |
 You Can Not Build The World With Beauty! You Need Brain And Muscle! Oh, Seriously? Then You Can Not Destroy The World With Beauty! Instead, You Need Brain And Muscle To Do So! Only People With The Most Superior Brains And Muscles Can Be The Best At Destroying This World! But Who Has More Superior Brain And Muscle Anyway? Me Or Her? |
| I don't see a problem with this people are overreacting. |
  Never explain, Never retract, Never apologize Just get the thing done And let them howl |
| So, he's advocating upending the current liberal party? Interesting. Sounds like he's a little bit shy about the whole thing ... |
| I CELEBRATE myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. |
| Wait yugioh is still relevant this days. |
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| If he wanted to win me over, he should have made the current administration a bunch of tentacles all over Dark Magician Girl. Oh wait, that would make me like the current administration. |
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