Why Did This Japanese Politician’s Gundam Cosplay Receive So Much Backlash?

In the run for Japan’s caller precocious location elections, Taro Yamamoto, the person of the Reiwa Shinsengumi enactment released a sketch-like video successful which helium cosplayed arsenic Mobile Suit Gundam quality Quattro Bajeena. However, this determination attracted backlash from galore Japanese commenters connected societal media, and prompted the anime franchise’s accumulation workplace to merchandise an authoritative connection denying their engagement (as antecedently reported by Automaton).

It’s not antithetic for little salient governmental parties with a smaller enactment basal to travel up with eye-catching ways to pull voters (UK readers request look nary further than erstwhile LibDem person Ed Davey’s stunt campaigns). Japan’s Reiwa Shinsengumi is simply a smaller center-left party, led by actor-turned-politician Taro Yamamoto. With anime dependable histrion Maya Okamoto connected the ballot gaffe successful the June 20 precocious location election, they decided to nutrient a sketch-like video introducing her arsenic their candidate.

In the video, filmed successful beforehand of the elephantine Gundam statue astatine DiverCity Tokyo, Yamamoto cosplays arsenic Quattro Bajeena, implicit with agleam reddish outfit, a blond wig and sunglasses. Quattro Bajeena appears successful the 1985 bid Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, which was re-worked into a movie trilogy successful the aboriginal 2000s. In this portion of the Gundam franchise, Maya Okamoto voices Emma Sheen. The video is quirky, with Yamamoto quipping to Okamoto that helium is dressed normally, and introduces Okamoto’s run “to support Japanese popular culture” by lasting against Japan’s Qualified Invoicing System. Implemented successful 2023, the invoice strategy has proven particularly unpopular with animators, filmmakers and different freelance creatives, arsenic it has accrued the magnitude of taxation they person to wage by astir 10% (source: Japan Times).

Taro Yamamoto, the person of the Reiwa Shinsengumi party, cosplayed arsenic Mobile Suit Gundam quality Quattro Bajeena. Image credit: YouTube.

Posted connected Reiwa Shinsengumi’s authoritative YouTube connected July 18, the video got galore affirmative responses from supporters who appreciated some its comical code and Okamoto’s stance connected protecting Japan’s popular culture. However, the video received overmuch much backlash connected the party’s authoritative X account. Although immoderate of the negativity appeared to beryllium from accounts holding opposing governmental views, galore of the captious comments disapproved of the usage of Gundam for governmental purposes successful general. And immoderate questioned whether the enactment had got support to usage the characters successful the archetypal place.

This attraction prompted Mobile Suit Gundam’s accumulation company, Sunrise Studios, to marque an authoritative connection connected July 22. The company, which is present portion of Bandai Namco Filmworks, specified that it did not springiness support for the usage and does not endorse immoderate peculiar candidate.

Even neutral oregon approving users connected X questioned Yamamoto’s prime of quality to cosplay. Quattro Bajeena is the alter-ego that antihero Char Aznable takes connected erstwhile helium is warring the corrupt Earth Federation alongside Gundam's main characters. However, Char is simply a analyzable antagonist for astir of the Gundam arcs successful which helium appears.

Spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack — astatine his astir villianous, helium adjacent tries to driblet an asteroid connected Earth to make a atomic winter. As commenters suggested, this is possibly not the astir suitable quality for a person to subordinate themselves with. “If helium had to (cosplay arsenic a Gundam character), it would person been amended to spell with Bright oregon Amuro,” added 1 commenter.

This is not the archetypal clip that Sunrise Studios person had to contented a connection astir cosplaying politicians. As Japanese quality tract Kai-You noted, successful the 2020 elections for Tokyo governor, 1 campaigner dressed up similar Lelouch from Code Geass, adjacent appearing connected predetermination posters successful cosplay. Sunrise’s connection astatine the clip denied immoderate engagement successful oregon endorsement of the campaign.

Verity Townsend is simply a Japan-based freelance writer who antecedently served arsenic editor, contributor and translator for the crippled quality tract Automaton West. She has besides written astir Japanese civilization and movies for assorted publications.