K-pop idols are put on a pedestal that is sometimes beyond human comprehension. Everything is evaluated under a microscope, from their appearance to their demeanor, from their elocution to the way they carry themselves.
Sometimes, talent and craft take a back seat while the idol is judged based on superficial factors. There were times when a good singer was dismissed because they lack in visuals. But here’s an iconic response from the queen herself; have a bite of self-confidence–
The point is that K-pop idols have been criticized for outlandish reasons—
Tzuyu from Twice was subjected to harsh criticism for carrying her country’s flag when she was just 16.
Tablo from Epik High was debarred by the whole country when a rumor spread that he lied about his degree. Man is a certified genius, though; how can anybody question that?
While some K-pop idols had to face vile comments because of dating or getting married.
And yet again, a K-pop idol is bombarded on her social media for a quite peculiar reason.
Aespa’s Karina Controversy Explained
Aespa’s leader, Karina, is a well-rounded K-pop idol known for her soft and cordial nature. When a fan asked for her anime recommendations, she took almost an hour to compile a list for her fans. Netizens were impressed by her impeccable taste and flare for recognizing underrated anime.
However, one anime in this list sparked an uproar on the other side of the world. Chinese netizens condemned Karina for recommending My Hero Academia.
Why Is My Hero Academia Controversial?
The anime follows the life of Midoriya Izuku, who has no superpowers in a world full of superhumans. This is his journey to becoming a real hero, regardless of the privilege.
While the storyline is inspiring, the creators received a massive backlash from China for the name of one of the main villains.
In the original manga, there is a mad scientist who also experiments on humans. His name in the series was Shiga Maruta. Fans quickly correlated this reference to one of the darkest moments in history.
Imperial Japan hides some of the most brutal secrets under the graves of millions of innocent victims. One such secret was recently exposed on Hashima Island, which buried the deaths of thousands of kidnapped Korean and Chinese people.
But the worst documented brutality by the Japanese military during World War II was the human experimentation of Unit 731. Several Chinese and Korean citizens were subjected to inhumane tests and experiments in their conscious state. They were called “Maruta,” which translates to logs, implying that these test subjects have been reduced to just objects.
China opposed the anime for having a character named Maruta, hurting the sentiments of the generational survivors of this gruesome crime against humanity. The anime was eventually banned throughout China. The publisher of the manga issued an apology and changed the scientist’s name to Garaki Kyudai.
My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi expressed that he “had no such intentions” to associate a character mocking the cruel history.
Karina Reflects On Recommending a Controversial Anime
Aespa’s fandom MY quickly came to Karina’s defense, stating that the anime did not include the offensive name; it was only mentioned in the manga.
Yet, Karina respected C-netz’s opinions and issued a statement on the whole situation on her Bubble account.
“I found out that there was an issue with the anime I recommended. I think because the character’s name is different so I didn’t know that there was issues with it before. I did not recommend it with any intentions, so I hope there’s no misunderstandings. In the future, I’ll become a more careful Karina such that I can share more good information with MYs.”
Even though it was just a handful of critiquing netizens, some comments were quite extreme and disrespectful to the idol.
In an honest opinion, the situation does seem blown out of proportion. Karina clearly appreciated the storyline and hence recommended the anime. She was not aware of what that particular character was construed as.
Understandably, Chinese netizens have the right to be upset over the reference to a horrific chapter of their history. But the fact remains that the anime does not contain that name. And dragging Karina for this issue is a far stretch.
Meanwhile, Karina is already trending for yet another debate for her Waterbomb Festival performance.
It seems like an idol life is not ideal after all!
What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you think Karina should be held responsible for hurting sentiments? What bizarre K-pop scandals have you heard of?
Let us know in the comments section below.
