Recently, a Twitter poll went viral among the anime community, generating much confusion and debate among Japanese netizens. The survey asked fans who their favorite colorful anime character was, and among the proposed options, to the surprise of many in Japan, was Piccolo, one of the most iconic characters in the “Dragon Ball” franchise.

For Japanese fans this discovery was quite disconcerting. as Piccolo is known to be a Namekian, a green-skinned alien race within the “Dragon Ball” universe. However, in the West, some fans seem to identify Picoro as a character of color, which has caused a wave of reactions and comments on social media.

Piccolo, who was originally introduced as a villain in “Dragon Ball,” quickly became one of the most beloved characters, especially for his evolution into a protector of Earth and his role as Gohan’s mentor. Although his skin is green and he belongs to a completely different race, the perception of Piccolo as a character of color in the West may be related to several factors.

Some fans suggest that Picoro's identification as a character of color may be linked to his role in the series as an outsider or minority within the society in which "Dragon Ball" is set.similar to how people of color have historically been treated in different cultures. This idea is reinforced by his serious demeanor and protective attitude towards others, qualities that some might interpret as attributes of a strong father figure, similar to the stereotypes associated with black characters in Western media.

In Japan, however, this notion seems absurd to many. Below are some of the comments from the Japanese community on this topic:

• «Are black people born from eggs? I didn't know».
• «That's funny, in the answers they mention that black people feel a strong “blackness” in Picoro».
• «Is it normal for black people to have green skin?».
• «The minority = blacks is what you think?».
• «This is just a preparation to protest if Piccolo isn't black in a future live-action adaptation.».
• «Black (green)».
• «Is it correct that he is a Namekian?».
• «Piccoro is not black. The Dragon Ball universe actually has black people, although incredibly few (and no, Mr. PoPo doesn't count)».
• «No, he is not. Only Americans are desperate to denigrate a certain character, just as they whitewash other fictional characters.».

These comments reflect the bewilderment of many Japanese fans upon discovering this perception in the West. To them, the idea of considering an extraterrestrial character like Picoro as part of a human ethnic minority seems completely implausible. However, this culture clash also highlights how fictional characters can be interpreted in different ways depending on the sociocultural context.

Source: Otakomu