How Black Creatives Are Influencing The Anime Fandom

One of the most delightful aspects of fandom is how it brings so many diverse people together to celebrate one thing. In this atmosphere of diversity, it is inevitable that cultural cross-pollination would influence not only the in-jokes of the fandom but also wrap around and influence the art itself. I wanted to find out how Black creatives have been influenced and how they are now influencing anime culture.

Black representation in anime – both the product and in the industry – has been pretty lackluster in the past, mostly due to a number of reasons such as the language barrier and strict immigration and work laws. This has not stopped traditionally Black culture from seeping into the art form, though. Hip-hop infused shows like Samurai Champloo used Nujabes' now famous lo-fi hip-hop as its soundtrack and director Shinichiro Watanabe's latest show Carole and Tuesday cast a teenage Black girl as the singing co-lead.

D'Art Shtajio, the first Black-owned anime studio in Japan, was founded in 2016 and is run by brothers Darnell and Arthel Isom. The studio's motto is “to revolutionize the Japanese anime industry by western elements of art and storytelling." Some of these elements have been about the Black experience or a celebration of Black culture such as the latest The Weeknd music video "Snowchild" directed by Arthel Isom.

The Weeknd isn't the only Black celebrity to infuse anime into their art. Hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion wore Todoroki (My Hero Academia) cosplay for her Paper magazine shoot. She has also snuck in a few anime references into her lyrics and has even appeared in a special Crunchyroll interview talking about her love for the medium.

Of course, celebrities aren't the only Black creatives influencing the anime subculture. The best place to witness this is at the annual Washington D.C. convention Blerdcon. Blerdcon was founded in 2015 by con chair Hilton G. George as a platform to showcase Black anime nerds (Blerds), LGBTQIA+, Latinx and intersectional communities in anime, gaming, and all other nerd-related media. Blerdcon has grown substantially since it first began and has consistently been a safe haven and platform for many Black creatives and fans in the anime sphere.

Blerdcon founders Hilton G. George and Hassan Parrish

“Our presence and contributions are being noticed, and the industry, all industries are starting to recognize us as a target demographic, as consumers of anime” George told me. “Blerdcon is known for its exquisite Black cosplay showcase. Blerds put on some of the most innovative and spectacular cosplay designs and interpretations you'll find anywhere. And cosplay is fandom in its purest form. The cosplay community is the least gatekept, most welcoming sector of the nerd community. Participation and attendance at conventions is almost totally due to the expansion of cosplay and cosplayers who are taking on the crafting and display of their favorite anime and video games [characters].”

Fashion stylist and professional cosplayer Sachi, most well-known as Chibithot, attended the 2019 BlerdCon where she gave a panel titled, "How to Develop Your Style While Out of Cosplay." Her cosplay has been been featured in the Amazon Prime docu-series The New Nerd which discusses Black people working in various industries that are not considered “Black.” She has also previously worked with Funimation and has been featured on various nerd culture related websites.

"Just within the last three years we have seen such a HUGE influx of new Black cosplayers popping out and shining! I think since the community is growing so fast, we are all feeding off of each other and helping to share and amplify everyone," Sachi said. "Getting our content shared is usually an uphill battle. Many of the bigger cosplay share pages and cosplayers do not share Black and brown people especially if they are darker or don't have the body society deems as "perfect."

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Of course, the elephant in the room when it comes to discussions about Black creators is always racism. It's a sad aspect that still affects many fans and creators. Numerous cosplayers, especially the ones with large followings, are constantly bombarded with overtly racist comments and subtle dog whistles.

The lack of representation of Black guests at the big anime conventions does not help curb this negative aspect of the fandom either. Conventions such as BlerdCon and meeting more prominent Black anime creatives like Chibithot and LeSean Thomas help inspire more Black fans to actively take part in the community and to feed back into it by becoming creators themselves. This is a thought that Sachi shares as well.

“I definitely believe seeing more of us influences more people to start and join. When I started out I had my inspirations that I looked up to but there were never that many to choose from because we weren't getting shared as much. I think as social media grows larger and becomes more integrated in our content, we are able to connect with each other easily outside of conventions,” she said.

The anime fandom has also been instrumental in helping break down stereotypical notions of what it means to be Black. Not all Black men are into hip-hop and not all Black women who are ambitious are “angry.” The idea of creating content that displays just how diverse Black women's experiences are can be seen in the manga-influenced comic soon to be adapted into an animated series, Adorned By Chi created by Nigerian-born Jacque Aye.

Adorned by Chi creator Jacque Aye

Adorned by Chi tells the tale of Adaeze, a painfully shy Nigerian college student who discovers she has Goddess-like powers and must, reluctantly, lead a team of young warriors to defeat an apocalyptic monster that threatens to destroy humanity.

Adorned by Chi is inspired by the Japanese magical girl genre and series like Revolutionary Girl Utena, Madoka Magica, and, of course, Sailor Moon. The story also takes elements from Igbo culture & lore, including goddesses like Ala, Uhamiri and more.

“My work is 100% inspired by my experiences as a Black woman, and specifically a sensitive Black woman with anxiety. It's inspired my characters, my products and everything I do.” said creator Aye. “There is definitely space for the Black experience in anime culture. Our culture is already represented in many ways (hip-hop references, etc) and it's time we got a voice when it comes to crafting our own stories in the medium."

"My business started as a way to showcase Black women being soft, feminine, and quirky. I later added more elements of my interests and personality but the core message of Black female representation stayed the same."

As reported by Shadow and Act, the executive vice president of Madison Wells Media Universe had this to say about Aye's work after optioning Adorned by Chi:

“Her ability to weave a story and characters that resonate with both women and men in the shifting anime genre is impressive. As one of the top e-commerce entrepreneurs in creative, she understands how stories need multiple touchpoints with today's audiences and how young women, especially those of color--need to see themselves reflected in the genre in empowering ways.”

As the availability and consumption of anime continues to expand, so will more cultures have access to it and add their own unique flavours . The Black experience is just one of those that will add to this beautiful medium that we all enjoy. The success of creators like King Vader, RDC World and influencers like King Krystal and Black Girls Anime is only the beginning. The best way to close this article would be with the words of Blerdcon con chair Hilton G. George on what his dreams are for the future of the fandom.

“I want the music, the art, the cosplay to permeate all the spaces, draw people in, grow the fandom and build the next generation of Black anime nerds!”

About The Author

Dennis 'Kidd' Banda is an architect, writer and COO of Nerd Otaku. He has been an anime fan for about 15 years and can often be found watching long form video essays or watching VTubers online. Follow him on Twitter @Kiddtic