Hey comrades,

Simple enough question. Why is there such an overlap between anime fans and those who identify as communists?

I’ve considered myself an ML for over 2 years now, however I’ve never been able to get into anime. Tbh I would’ve thought that - since it comes from Japan - that it would be heavily reactionary/anticommunist in nature anyway.

Is there something I’ve missed?

  • folaht
    2·
    3 years ago
    1. Anime popularity via the internet. Anglo-reactionaries don’t want to touch anything outside Anglo culture. And with such a large internet presence, there’s bound to be a few communists in there.
    2. Anime, Japanese cartoons, is an art and therefore it’s creators are artists. Communism is popular among artists.
    3. Anime is often watched by those outcast by society looking for escapism. These are most often people with a libertarian left to libertarian centrist mindset, whereas the US is becoming more and more authoritarian right.
    4. If a return to the status quo ante currently in the US and some European countries is less wealth inequality, then heavily reactionary can cause someone to look up to communism.
    5. Japan consists of East Asians. China consists of East Asians. They’ve had a lot of cultural exchanges in the past and with that connection made, for some (like me) the style of manhua will always be considered more of an extension to manga/anime than cartoons like Avatar, the last Airbender ever will be, so an interest for China develops.

    And I would like to add here that I don’t consider myself a communist as I like the ability to vote. I just really don’t like Anglo-US culture and it’s political landscape.