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  "description": "Last year at Tekko, I was lucky to check out this panel for Black fandom. \"Black Otaku: Relationship Between Two Cultures.\" Here are some of the notes I took during its presentation.\n\n\nPast\n\n * Yasuke: a legend, but real\n * Portuguese sailors traveled w/ Africans to Japan, for trade\n * African people remained in Japan in the Edo period (when Japan was isolated)\n * solidarity in the social struggle\n\n\nPresent\n\n * culture, exposure shifting from Entertainment Only to Real Life\n * more opportunities",
  "path": "/tt-my-notblack-otaku-relationship-between-two-cultures/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-05T15:00:44.000Z",
  "site": "https://raintreeruckus.com",
  "tags": [
    "Last year at Tekko",
    "_Sonic the Hedgehog is Black_",
    "_Piccolo Is Black_",
    "BlerdCon"
  ],
  "textContent": "Last year at Tekko, I was lucky to check out this panel for Black fandom. \"Black Otaku: Relationship Between Two Cultures.\" Here are some of the notes I took during its presentation.\n\n## Past\n\n  * Yasuke: a legend, but real\n  * Portuguese sailors traveled w/ Africans to Japan, for trade\n  * African people remained in Japan in the Edo period (when Japan was isolated)\n  * solidarity in the social struggle\n\n\n\n## Present\n\n  * culture, exposure shifting from Entertainment Only to Real Life\n  * more opportunities for collaboration\n  * leaning toward appreciation than appropriation\n\n\n\n## Future\n\n  * more travel, experience, exposure due to the shift (re: exposure)\n  * more manga, anime FUBU\n  * Our Hopes for the Future\n    * variety of representation (Black people are not a monolith)\n    * creative collabs\n    * Black Hair varieties\n\n\n\n## The Positives\n\n  * Geeking out\n  * sharing excitement\n  * bonding over stuff\n  * our own flair and jokes\n  * Support and Solidarity\n    * for us\n    * intercultural\n  * Black Joy\n\n\n\n### Being an Otaku\n\n  * otaku friends/peers (nice to not be \"othered\")\n  * creating (fanfic)\n  * expressive, self-expression\n\n\n\n## The Negatives\n\n  * Racism\n  * Gatekeeping\n  * Double-standards: genderswap is okay but not \"blackwashing\"\n  * Prevalent misconceptions:\n    * Japanese people don't like Black people (again, not a monolith)\n    * geek/nerd stuff is \"white people stuff\" (see: oreo)\n  * Information Censorship\n    * social media and news censors make us harder to see each other's cultures\n    * authentic lived experiences are important to witness\n    * censorship limits humanizing, world building\n    * real person = real backstory\n\n\n\n## Representation\n\n  * Fanart\n  * Black Art\n  * Black OCs and MCs\n  * Headcanons / \"Black-coded\"\n    * _Sonic the Hedgehog is Black_ _idc who voices him these days_\n    *  _Piccolo Is Black_\n\n\n\n### Bad Representation: \"that fucking face\"\n\n  * Our USA History influences our interactions\n  * USA History + representational art style/design = _Yo, Is This Racist!?_\n  * Unfortunate Implications\n  * stereotypes and tropes (ie Magical Negro)\n  * prime example: Mr. Popo from Dragonball\n\n\n\n### Good Representation\n\n  * small details (ex. palms a different color from hand)\n  * good character design\n  * good storytelling\n  * some character examples\n    * Claudia LaSalle, obvious afro-textured hair\n    * Afro Samurai\n    * Avdol (JJBA)\n    * Canary (HxH)\n\n\n\n## Cosplay\n\n  * \"the real will appreciate\"\n  * characters you ID with\n  * make it your own\n  * make it yourself\n  * find inspiration\n  * craft\n  * take lessons\n  * mash ups– combine fandoms, ideas, aesthetics\n  * doesn't need to be fancy, can be as casual as you need\n  * just do it! we <3 effort\n\n\n\n## Recommendations\n\n  * Michiko to Hatchin (Afro Latina)\n  * BlerdCon!\n  * Afro Samurai is a given\n  * as well as Yasuke\n\n",
  "title": "TT. My Notes from Black Otaku: Relationship Between Two Cultures",
  "updatedAt": "2026-02-05T15:00:44.000Z"
}