Are Big Anime Lips Racist?: The History of Blackface in Anime
Is Mr. Popo racist? Is Mr. Popo based on a Hindu god? Is Chocolove racist? Is the donut lip design racist? If you have been watching anime or reading manga for a while, there is a pretty high chance that you have come across a character like these two, who's designs seem like they might be just a little bit offensive. They both have the infamous donut lips and while their design's may not be intentionally racist, the fact of the matter is they were both inspired by blackface. No, Dragon Ball Z's Mr. Popo isn't supposed to be a black man, but Shaman King's Chocolove is and their outdated designs share an origin that can be traced all the way back to 19th century stereotypes for black people. This is the history of that design, how it made it's way to Japan and eventually into manga and anime.
#manga #anime #dragonball
Some of the sources I used for the video:
https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/h...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archiv...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archiv...
https://content.time.com/time/subscri...
Chapters:
00:00- Intro
01:47- The Origin of Blackface
03:02- The Western Obsession with Blackface
05:46- Japan's Introduction to Blackface
09:21- Blackface in a Beloved Children's Book
10:05- Dakkochan & Kawaii Culture Revive Old Stereotypes
11:54- Sanrio Faces Backlash for Offensive Characters
13:23- The Association to Stop Racism Against Black People
14:24- Blackface in Manga and Anime
15:41- Akira Toriyama & Stereotypes
18:17- The Donut Lip Design in Anime Now