Answerman

Why is There an Overlap Between Moe and the Alt-Right?

Overworked 9-5 Employee asks:

“From the K-ON! profile pic meme to accounts that post images of Anya Forger with white nationalist undertones, there's an unhealthy number of alt-right internet users who spout hateful content and have an affinity for cute, slice-of-life moe anime, or just anime girls in general. Where did this overlap of cute innocent anime girls and online hate come from, why is it so prevalent, and can anime be used to push fans into the alt-right pipeline? If so, what's the best course of action to get people away from it?”

There's a saying: “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its trousers on.” There are anonymous people online using moe avatars to spread hateful content. But what came first, the anime fan or the far-right activist?

There is an overlap between anime fandom and far-right politics. This isn't unique to anime; nearly every element of pop culture is now part of the online culture war. Far-right proponents weaponize language and pop-cultural symbols like Pepe the Frog. They may see anime as a tool for recruiting young men.

This manifests in two ways: shit-posting, where moe anime art is combined with inflammatory political messaging, and manufactured outrage, or “rage-baiting.” Topics for rage-baiters include minority representation in media and brand promotion of LGBTQ+ causes. Not every racist with an anime avatar is an anime fan, and not every anime fan is a racist. We need to understand why moe characters are used, assess the threat, and find ways to protect young men from radicalization.

These online arguments become real-world issues. The banning of manga in U.S. school libraries is one example. “The corruption of youth” is a perennial political issue, alongside debates on gender and pronouns. These issues flare up alongside discussions of police brutality and DEI policies.

I've been involved in anime distribution since 2005. The 2014-2015 GamerGate harassment campaign revealed to me for the first time the existence of an online movement promoting misogyny, racism, and hate speech using anime and video game language. The “alt-right” is a far-right movement characterized by white nationalism, rejection of mainstream conservatism, an online presence, and extremist beliefs. What started as “dank memes” on 4chan was adopted by actual racists. The weaponization of irony makes it hard to distinguish sincerity from sarcasm.

Most K-ON!, Attack on Titan, and Spy×Family fans are not racist, but these anime series have been co-opted in the culture war. In 2021, “Black Anya” fan art sparked a racist debate. Online artists like SoulKingLives aim to celebrate underrepresented fans, but the issue of race in anime often attracts negative attention.

Discussions on race and representation in anime can quickly deteriorate. Some want to protect anime's “Japaneseness”(!), which is difficult to argue against. I believe that a Japanese creator's unique cultural perspective makes many of these stories so utterly compelling. In particular, their personal experiences of childhood and adolescence.

I always get riled up when I see debates erupt around an anime's provenance and authenticity. In my view, all that should matter is whether it's any good or not. Nonetheless, I have observed that the fandom includes those who want to protect anime's “authenticity” (it's “Japaneseness”) and those who believe in the “perceived perfection of Japanese homogeneity.”

Anime enjoys a type of “cultural protected status” through global audience interest, but it lacks the same protection as other cultural exports. Nonetheless, it is a medium that enjoys its fair share of “ cultural gatekeepers,” and what I find galling is how few of them are Japanese people or even industry professionals.

As defined by academic, literary critic, and political activist Edward Said, "orientalism" involves the West constructing the East as “other.” In anime fandom, this leads to the misinterpretation of Japanese culture to legitimize repugnant views. Maybe one of the “pull factors” for the alt-right to anime is Japan's imperialist past. Perhaps it's also the fact that there are anime works that are misogynistic, nationalist, and racist.

The selective appropriation of female moe characters, viewed as submissive and obedient by some elements of fandom, is an example of Orientalist attitudes. In Japan, “moe” is best described as a feeling of affection for fictional characters by the audience.

None of the Japanese academic research I came across described otaku's fascination with moe as indicative of patriarchal or misogynist attitudes toward women. I believe that this provides evidence of a clear and perhaps deliberate misinterpretation of moe culture and symbols.

“Moe girls” have been part of online meme culture since its inception. Moe culture is male wish-fulfillment, often appealing to lonely men. The changing of male gender roles has led to a generation of disenfranchised young men who may be attracted to moe, as well as ideologies that blame others for their problems.

I am not overly concerned about the threat far-right influences pose to young anime fans. However, it would be remiss of me to ignore the fact that fandom ages. As new fans enter, influenced by dominant media ideologies, this issue may increase. In this case, I am arguing that the larger culture we inhabit influences our ideology and that we may carry that with us into different online and offline spaces.

What can we do to counter the online radicalization of anime fans? Conventions and online forums should offer advice sessions and create safe spaces for discussion. I would love to be involved in an initiative like this. We need to see both online and offline spaces continue to enforce clear policies against hate speech as well.

We live in a time when hating and belittling others pays off. We must defend the positive aspects of fandom from these forces. We must approach this topic with compassion and empathy. The cost of living crisis, the loneliness epidemic, and the growing divide between young men and women contribute to this issue.

To prevent online radicalization, we must challenge racist and sexist views and listen to those who hold them. My advice to everyone reading this is to try to avoid canceling or shaming them. We owe it to ourselves to keep as many of our community inside our tent. This is where they are safest. By listening to them and asking them the right questions that challenge their way of thinking, we stand a much better chance of countering far-right radicalization. Radicalization happens in a vacuum.

Please remember. YOU MATTER. All of you. The young people in your life. Be they peers, friends, siblings, neighbors, or your children. Make sure they hear this. ALL. THE. TIME.

YOU MATTER.

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