So, on December 1st, 2024, Shueisha launched a brand new manga collection titled Drama Queen Written by Kuraku Ichikawa.
“After saving Earth, aliens have taken up residence with the people in Japan. Nomamoto, a manufacturing facility employee with an abusive alien boss, sooner or later meets Kitami, who tells her his family was killed by aliens. They shortly forge a friendship over their dislike of the aliens… however then Kitami does the unthinkable…”
The manga simply aired, there is just one chapter, with one other dropping this Sunday, and fairly frankly, I’m fairly pumped about it. The artwork is fairly beautiful with the aliens reminding me of the simplistic method that Oyasumi Punpun featured, paired with character artwork and backgrounds that gave me Tatsuki Fujimoto vibes, and a relatively crass premise general with two characters bonding over their dislike of the peaceable alien invaders and their very own mistreatment in society… in addition to another plans they’ve received, to say the least.
I’m genuinely intrigued by the story and I can’t wait to see the place it’s going. It might flip into an thrilling thriller or extra of a romantic slice of life story with some darkish themes. Who is aware of? I imply, Ichikawa did beforehand solely publish a one-shot a few one-sided yuri-themed love with an workplace employee getting rebuked by her crush whose boyfriend is a comic, in order that workplace employee turns into a comic themselves.
The Drama
Now, because the launch of the primary chapter, increasingly more folks have been talking up about its contents, criticizing it for supposedly being racist.
Some folks declare that the aliens within the story are supposedly immigrants or foreigners usually – … since they’re seen invading the nation, mingling with society, taking away or getting management of the roles, being handled higher than the native inhabitants, not realizing the language, and behaving rudely.
There are actually parallels one might draw, particularly with expats, vacationers and a few Western immigrants behaving rudely and disturbing public order in Japan in more moderen years, with many various controversies surrounding content material creators (streamers, YouTubers, and many others.) particularly.
BUT it’s a bit far-fetched, particularly since just one chapter is out. Like, we don’t know in any respect whether or not the writer who wrote a one-sided yuri romance manga is a racist however individuals are leaping the gun right here about this complete factor.
There are even some folks on-line who reward the manga for “saying it how it’s”, claiming that it undoubtedly is about these darn immigrants and praising the braveness it takes for criticising these pesky foreigners. lol.
After which there are folks claiming that it’s all an anti-colonial metaphor and stuff alongside these strains.
On YouTube, movies are being made by “anti-woke” individuals who select the worst of the worst takes that folks put on the market, particularly on Twitter, to then act as if “the fashionable viewers” or “the woke folks” are “outraged” by this manga. It’s a bizarre factor to do, actually. One such video confirmed a screenshot of an account whose proprietor (allegedly) is a minor. At the least, it says so of their bio. I’m unsure easy methods to really feel about folks pointing fingers at minors however I assume the anit-woke crowd does like getting clicks, so honest.
I’m certain there’s lefties, too, on YT who’ve opinions on the matter however the level nonetheless stands:
Individuals are leaping the gun a bit of an excessive amount of right here. The manga is fairly good already and I’m wanting ahead to seeing extra chapters. It’d be a disgrace if it received axed over supposedly being anti-immigrant, particularly if that’s not the case.
My largest problem with of us’ opinions isn’t actually that they’re leaping the gun right here however relatively that they’re ignoring the likelihood that the aliens don’t stand for something however are actually simply aliens, and the primary theme of the manga might very a lot simply be about justice and the 2 anti-heroes who do unhealthy issues by the tip of the primary chapter and appear desirous to proceed to do these issues. It might very a lot be an exciting story about two criminals.
To any extent further, there will likely be spoilers, however in case you wanna learn the manga, go test it out over right here. New chapter’s dropping this Sunday! I’m excited.
With all that mentioned, we will see a sample right here. Individuals are studying lots into the manga however because it stands, it actually is nearly aliens (who usually are portrayed as evil) peacefully invading society and being accepted by humanity, particularly since they share their data and know-how with humanity. Some folks come to hurt due to them, particularly Kitami (who misplaced his household by the hands of the aliens) and Nomamoto (who will get abused and exploited by the aliens), however for what it’s value, society is accepting of the aliens… or are they.
There’s a notion within the very first chapter that the asteroid that was purported to destroy Earth might have been a hoax with the aliens staging the entire thing to invade society themselves.
There may be additionally the likelihood that we’re coping with an unreliable narrator within the type of Nomamoto who may declare that they’re getting abused however in actuality, they’re simply making issues up and convincing us, the readers, that they’re the victims.
For what it’s value, no person however the two of them appear to know what’s occurring, both as a result of their very own greed or because of the social stress to simply accept the aliens. Maybe they could even be brainwashed altogether by the aliens. I imply, we don’t know. That is hypothesis. There haven’t been any clues pointing in direction of that simply but exterior of that one girl who’s in a relationship with an alien and apologizes for the alien relatively than faulting them for elbowing Nomamoto. Maybe, the alien despatched mind indicators over. It undoubtedly appeared weird in a method.
Equally, there’s this occasion of the primary character witnessing how her boss will get burned alive after lighting a cigarette as a result of the cooling spray the alien boss used is very flammable. After witnessing this atrocity, she will get fired and advised to die. This wouldn’t usually be acceptable however maybe it’s the affect of the aliens that’s creating this.
The Brainwashing Concept would even be attention-grabbing because it additional accentuates the “Us versus The World” narrative that’s foreshadowed on the finish of the manga with Kitami and Nomamoto changing into companions in crime after Kitami kills an alien and after Nomamoto cooks and eats them.
I’m simply very enthusiastic about this. I hope it lasts a very long time and doesn’t get axed by Shueisha anytime quickly. The artwork is fairly, the aliens are cute, and I like the weird premise and would learn it even when there wasn’t some kind of conspiracy or no matter at hand right here behind the scenes and if the story was actually nearly two serial killers. I doubt it extremely, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a chance. I imply, Loss of life Be aware was a few manic serial killer and that one’s thought of profitable, so why not Drama Queen as nicely?
As for the outrage on-line: It’s only a vocal minority of individuals complaining about some supposed depiction of bigotry within the manga. Allow them to discuss. No matter. Equally, there are some racists on-line who appear to have a good time the manga a bit an excessive amount of for the exact same causes. That’s bizarre however they’re additionally only a minority.
Should you see it pop up in a video, likelihood is individuals are blowing it out of proportion. Once more, sensationalism within the type of ragebaiting is very in style today.
What do you assume?
This submit was initially written by And duck from Indiecator.
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