In recent months, China has been the scene of intense controversies related to ACG culture (anime, comics and games). In the wake of proposed bans on “clothing that harms the Chinese national spirit” and the suspension of Japanese anime music and events, many local fans have expressed concern and sparked heated debates. Recently, a new controversy emerged on Chinese social media when A fan was kicked out of an anime convention in Jinan, Shandong, for cosplaying as Nezuko Kamado from “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” and wearing a kimono.

A viral video on Weibo shows the incident where event security argued that “it is not allowed to wear a kimono”stating that it was a rule imposed by the organizers and asking for understanding from the affected cosplayer.

The video received mixed reviews. Some internet users supported the security actionwhile others harshly criticized the measure with comments such as:

• «Saying you can't wear Japanese anime clothes to an anime convention, who's going to believe it?».
• «There are characters with kimono in Genshin Impact too».
• «If they hate Japan so much, they should ban all Japanese elements from the anime event.».
• «I suggest banning all Japanese anime and elements».

The situation crossed borders, reaching the ears of many Japanese Internet users who also seemed perplexed and critical:

• «An anime convention banning Japanese manga characters, what's left then?».
• «If they hadn't organized the convention from the beginning, there wouldn't be these problems.».
• «They should just make it a Chinese anime convention».
• «What about cosplaying Western characters then?».
• «Why continue to make these conventions if personal taste cannot be expressed?».

This incident is framed in a broader historical and cultural context. half a century ago, China cracked down on “weird and extravagant clothing” associated with the West and decadence, but over time, these sartorial enemies have changed. Japan, with its distinctive cultural products and wartime history, has become the new target of such prohibitions. In the 1980s, the Japanese kimono was an accepted symbol of excellence in Japanese design in China.but with the resurgence in the 1990s of memories of Japanese war atrocities, these clothes began to generate visceral reactions.

However, cosplay, a fashion imported from Japan, found fertile ground in China. Despite this, Rising anti-Japanese sentiment has led to the cancellation of related events, such as Japanese-style summer festivals. Recent events in Jinan not only highlight the Current cultural tensions in Chinabut they also raise questions about the future of anime conventions in the country.

Source: Yahoo! News Taiwan