So, on December 1st, 2024, Shueisha launched a brand new manga sequence titled Drama Queen written by Kuraku Ichikawa.
“After saving Earth, aliens have taken up residence with the people in Japan. Nomamoto, a manufacturing facility employee with an abusive alien boss, someday meets Kitami, who tells her his circle of relatives was killed by aliens. They rapidly forge a friendship over their dislike of the aliens… however then Kitami does the unthinkable…”
The manga simply aired, there is just one chapter, with one other dropping this Sunday, and fairly frankly, I’m fairly pumped about it. The artwork is fairly beautiful with the aliens reminding me of the simplistic approach that Oyasumi Punpun featured, paired with character artwork and backgrounds that gave me Tatsuki Fujimoto vibes, and a slightly crass premise general with two characters bonding over their dislike of the peaceable alien invaders and their very own mistreatment in society… in addition to another plans they’ve acquired, to say the least.
I’m genuinely intrigued by the story and I can’t wait to see the place it’s going. It might flip into an thrilling thriller or extra of a romantic slice of life story with some darkish themes. Who is aware of? I imply, Ichikawa did beforehand solely publish a one-shot a couple of one-sided yuri-themed love with an workplace employee getting rebuked by her crush whose boyfriend is a comic, in order that workplace employee turns into a comic themselves.
The Drama
Now, for the reason that launch of the primary chapter, increasingly more individuals have been talking up about its contents, criticizing it for supposedly being racist.
Some individuals declare that the aliens within the story are supposedly immigrants or foreigners normally – You understand… since they’re seen invading the nation, mingling with society, taking away or getting management of the roles, being handled higher than the native inhabitants, not realizing the language, and behaving rudely.
There are actually parallels one might draw, particularly with expats, vacationers and a few Western immigrants behaving rudely and disturbing public order in Japan in more moderen years, with many alternative controversies surrounding content material creators (streamers, YouTubers, and so on.) specifically.
BUT it’s a bit far-fetched, particularly since just one chapter is out. Like, we don’t know in any respect whether or not the writer who wrote a one-sided yuri romance manga is a racist however persons are leaping the gun right here about this entire factor.
There are even some individuals on-line who reward the manga for “saying it how it’s”, claiming that it positively is about these darn immigrants and praising the braveness it takes for criticising these pesky foreigners. lol.
After which there are individuals claiming that it’s all an anti-colonial metaphor and stuff alongside these traces.
On YouTube, movies are being made by “anti-woke” individuals who pick the worst of the worst takes that individuals put on the market, particularly on Twitter, to then act as if “the fashionable viewers” or “the woke individuals” are “outraged” by this manga. It’s a bizarre factor to do, actually. One such video confirmed a screenshot of an account whose proprietor (allegedly) is a minor. At the very least, it says so of their bio. I’m undecided the way to really feel about individuals pointing fingers at minors however I assume the anit-woke crowd does like getting clicks, so honest.
I’m certain there’s lefties, too, on YT who’ve opinions on the matter however the level nonetheless stands:
Persons are leaping the gun somewhat an excessive amount of right here. The manga is fairly good already and I’m trying ahead to seeing extra chapters. It’d be a disgrace if it acquired axed over supposedly being anti-immigrant, particularly if that’s not the case.
My greatest concern with of us’ opinions isn’t actually that they’re leaping the gun right here however slightly that they’re ignoring the likelihood that the aliens don’t stand for something however are actually simply aliens, and the principle theme of the manga might very a lot simply be about justice and the 2 anti-heroes who do unhealthy issues by the tip of the primary chapter and appear desirous to proceed to do these issues. It might very a lot be an exciting story about two criminals.
Any longer, there will probably be spoilers, however if you happen to wanna learn the manga, go test it out over right here. New chapter’s dropping this Sunday! I’m excited.
With all that mentioned, we are able to see a sample right here. Persons are studying rather a lot into the manga however because it stands, it actually is nearly aliens (who usually are portrayed as evil) peacefully invading society and being accepted by humanity, particularly since they share their data and know-how with humanity. Some individuals come to hurt due to them, specifically Kitami (who misplaced his household by the hands of the aliens) and Nomamoto (who will get abused and exploited by the aliens), however for what it’s value, society is accepting of the aliens… or are they.
There’s a notion within the very first chapter that the asteroid that was purported to destroy Earth might have been a hoax with the aliens staging the entire thing to invade society themselves.
There’s additionally the likelihood that we’re coping with an unreliable narrator within the type of Nomamoto who may declare that they’re getting abused however in actuality, they’re simply making issues up and convincing us, the readers, that they’re the victims.
For what it’s value, no person however the two of them appear to grasp what’s occurring, both attributable to their very own greed or because of the social strain to just accept the aliens. Maybe they could even be brainwashed altogether by the aliens. I imply, we don’t know. That is hypothesis. There haven’t been any clues pointing in direction of that simply but exterior of that one lady who’s in a relationship with an alien and apologizes for the alien slightly than faulting them for elbowing Nomamoto. Maybe, the alien despatched mind indicators over. It positively appeared weird in a approach.
Equally, there’s this occasion of the principle character witnessing how her boss will get burned alive after lighting a cigarette as a result of the cooling spray the alien boss used is extremely flammable. After witnessing this atrocity, she will get fired and instructed to die. This wouldn’t usually be acceptable however maybe it’s the affect of the aliens that’s creating this.
The Brainwashing Concept would even be attention-grabbing because it additional accentuates the “Us versus The World” narrative that’s foreshadowed on the finish of the manga with Kitami and Nomamoto turning into companions in crime after Kitami kills an alien and after Nomamoto cooks and eats them.
I’m simply very enthusiastic about this. I hope it lasts a very long time and doesn’t get axed by Shueisha anytime quickly. The artwork is fairly, the aliens are cute, and I really like the weird premise and would learn it even when there wasn’t some kind of conspiracy or no matter at hand right here behind the scenes and if the story was actually nearly two serial killers. I doubt it extremely, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a risk. I imply, Demise Word was a couple of manic serial killer and that one’s thought of profitable, so why not Drama Queen as nicely?
As for the outrage on-line: It’s only a vocal minority of individuals complaining about some supposed depiction of bigotry within the manga. Allow them to speak. No matter. Equally, there are some racists on-line who appear to rejoice the manga a bit an excessive amount of for the exact same causes. That’s bizarre however they’re additionally only a minority.
Should you see it pop up in a video, likelihood is persons are blowing it out of proportion. Once more, sensationalism within the type of ragebaiting is extremely widespread nowadays.
What do you suppose?
This put up was initially written by Dan Dicere from Indiecator.
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