Black Characters and their Anatomy in Anime | The Aesthetic of Black Anime Characters

One can say Japans’ beauty standards are deeply rooted in colorism, arguing their elements of influence are more Americanized in the way that they look rather than them looking more Japanese, simply being put; a society based on the belief of normalization eliminates accusation and ridicule, the lighter the better. “One of the tradition is to try to be the same as people around us and not out stand too much from them. Many Japanese people believe that if they follow the custom, they can live peacefully in society.” (Fujino, Miyu. “Skin Color and Beauty in Japan.) If a character, is created in a Japanese animation, with big eyes, paler skin, and no other vaguely racial identifying characteristics, that character is usually read to be American. Wow, what a westernized view on something that they had no part in. "The Japanese see anime characters as being Japanese. It is Americans who think they are white," he writes. "Why? Because to them white is the Default Human Being." (Ashcraft, Brian. “‘Why Do Japanese Characters Look White?)

The article goes on to say “For them to thin it is a woman I have to add a dress or long hair; for Asian, I have to add slanted eyes; for Black, I add kinky hair or brown skin, etc. The other must be marked, he contests. If there are no stereotyped markings of otherness, then white is assumed.”(Ashcraft, Brian. “‘Why Do Japanese Characters Look White?) If that’s the way that the American population consumes Anime, how and what does this mean for Black identifying Japanese anime characters? Are these Black characters created because they’re Black and identify as so or are they created under those “others” that Abagond spoke of in the quoted articles?

Let’s look at some characters that are identified as Black and labeled Black, however before we do that we must look at the difference in identifying and labeling characters Black.

When it comes to identifying a character as Black, there are things that solidify that assumption; the physicality of that character, the cultural connections and their experiences as a Black character. The physicality of the character is the easiest to spot and confirm. Does the character have a variant of the darker skin tones, do they have typical Black features (this however creates another set of questions such as, are these features more American, are they more African, Haitian, Caribbean, etc., what do those features usually look like; a wide set nose, kinky hair) and the height, hair and build of the character (understand, when drawing Black characters there are certain builds that label them as Black.)

The cultural aspect is usually a little harder to find in the character. Since the usual Black character is either a fighter, spiritual/magical guru, guide or something wise it’s hard to see that the stereotypes of the Black culture doesn’t takes over. However, the character is usually on the right side of law it still doesn’t make up for the amount of characters that are portrayed as thugs, criminals, poor, unrulily, uneducated and whatever else Black stereotypical troupe you can find; granted that’s usually outside the anime, in television or film, because according to a list of Black characters in anime, they’re all justice seeking, sidekick, companionized (the act of designated a certain type of character as the complain/tag-a-long/best friend) white haired, muscular Black men and women. (The Best Black Anime Characters of All Time)

The other would be the experience as a Black character in both Japanese culture and anime. It’s hard to tell what the Black experience is in Japan as I’ve never been nor have I ever experienced it but if it’s anything like the experience in anime it’s quite interesting. The identification that the character is Black but doesn’t struggle with fitting in where they usually wouldn’t, being what you could considered the token in most situations, and usually regarded or diluted to their skill or experience should have you starching your head. Do those Black character never wonder why they’re only ones with dark skin? Does that not create a mindset about being the only person of darker skin in that position? I mean we actually wouldn’t know about that because ya’ know, their usually not the main character. *Inserts shrugging emoji*

The list of supporting characters is longer than you think. From Canary in HunterxHunter to Yoruichi Shihouin from Bleach to Killer B in Naruto Shippuden and Piccolo from Dragon Ball Z. Yes, Piccolo. If you never thought about Piccolo being a Black character I’m afraid you’re tricking yourself to think otherwise. Actually, this is exactly what I meant as labeling characters as Black. And by that, I mean the act of taking a character and categorizing their actions, personality traits and characteristic, motives and backstories to either the Black narrative (the American Black narrative) or the Black experience. *Insert eyeroll emoji* Equating the Black narrative (which is usually stereotyped with the struggle –> the overcome –> the triumph) to a character of different skin was just another way for Black kids to connect to anime. (Vice citation.) Did this equation however, have anything to do with why that character was labeled Black? Uh, yeah! It had everything to do with it.

Labeling an anime character Black consist of both what the viewer associated with being Black but also Black culture usually consisting of Rap/Hip-Hop culture, cultural artifacts, beliefs, and actions. In a Vice article titled ‘What Black Anime Fans Can Teach Us About Race in America’ they speak to a bunch of Black cosplayers and eventually about characters they identified with or assumed were Black. Tiffron Ronald Canzius responded “Piccolo [the green alien from Dragon Ball Z] is black. He is. In the main group of the Dragon Ball Z fighters, there wasn't a black one, but there was a green one. He was token. You can see him being a black man instead of a green man and you wouldn't think twice about it. He has to work extra hard just to keep up with Goku. Goku is just naturally good.” It’s not like we have a handful of characters that we are labeling Black just the ones that are like Piccolo or Katara and Soka from Nickelodeons’ 2005 Avatar the Last Airbender, or Usopp from the ongoing One Piece

There is anime where Black characters are the main characters like Kaz Kaan from Jaden Smith’s American-Japanese anime Neo Yokio, Huey, Riley and Robert Freeman from Aaron McGruder’s’ Boondocks or Afro Samurai from Afro Samurai where those characters gets to explore the same complex storylines while being a Black character. Anime like those bring together the labeling and identification of Black anime characters by merging together the Black experience, the Black culture and characters that look and identify as such. It’s important because characters like that can change the narrative around Black anime characters taking them out of stereotypes, troupes and secondary roles and placing them in the forefront. They also show that they are interesting, they can carry a story, and it will be supported. Even the secondary character, who are usually well-rounded characters, still to no avail, has their troupes. Take Killer B from the powerhouse anime Naruto Shippuden for example. He’s a very strong, formidable, well liked ninja who identifies as a Black character however he’s presented with white hair and speaks in nothing but rhymes or raps often referred to Enka Rap; a blend between traditional Japanese style and contemporary Western Rap music. (Gibbs, Jay. “Getting Black Anime Characters Right.”) In that same article ‘Getting Black Anime Characters Right’ Gibbs also points out “there doesn’t need to be a complete removal of all elements of Black culture, they just don’t need to be emphasized in negative was or twisted into stereotypes” in regards to speaking on Killer B’s speech pattern however I think that could be brought out into the analysis of other Black anime characters such as Afro, the characters of the Boondock where each character carries and battles with stereotyped traits and characteristic. But why does it work more in the Boondock than Shippuden? Is it because the Boondocks are created by a Black man in Western society who understands the different layers of portraying Black characters whereas the Eastern creators only know what they see and hear and experience from their own interactions with Black characters of their life?

Maybe that’s why there are so few Black characters…because they (the creators of Japanese anime) don’t really understand what it means to write a character as Black besides Rap/Hip-Hop culture and vague or lose and direct stereotypes. But before I get to far and forget I should talk about the white hair. Honestly, there’s no real explanation for it besides artistically and aesthetically it looks good. *inserts eye roll emoji* In a really basic article, ‘Why Do Black People in Anime/Manga Have White Hair’ the author Taz, brings up the fact that most identifiable Black anime characters have white hair and it’s due to their origins in manga and the fact that manga is usually black and white and to create contrast between the darker skinned character and their hair. I can’t say that I necessarily agree with his reasoning but the article itself bring to light the many, many characters that have white hair.

 Sure, I mean whatever but is there also a reason behind the hypersexualization of the Black female characters besides perversion and borderline fetishization? I mean it’s pretty clear that these characters are unrealistically drawn, even with the unique styling of the manga/anime and its artistic direction somewhere in the shonen, seinen, shoujo world you can draw properly proportioned women and also have a captivating story with them that doesn’t have a male protagonist obsess over their physicality. (I’m looking at you Tsunade!) I mean you can say that this comes from the fetishization of Asian women in American society and obsessing over “exotic and different flavors of women.” But is that the same case for Black anime women? The fetishization of Black women is obviously a something that is alive and wells just as much as it is for Asian women but does that give us a different view on the way we see these characters? Are these problems in anime that women characters and viewers are facing or is it different because these characters are of different races?

All in all, the Black body in anime is there and deserves to be used better. Also, I think the ideal of American-Japanese anime should be a more widely accepted genre as those are the ones that usually hold Black characters in roles they deserve or looked at when constructing a Black anime character. Not saying it'll fix the troupes and stereotypes that characters can be given but at least it'll give some sort of temple to understanding and writing a character that is Black. 







Works Cited

Ashcraft, Brian. “‘Why Do Japanese Characters Look White?".” Kotaku, Kotaku.com, 1 Sept. 2010, kotaku.com/5627268/why-do-japanese-characters-look-white.

Ashcraft, Brian. “‘Why Do Japanese Characters Look White?".” Kotaku, Kotaku.com, 1 Sept. 2010, kotaku.com/5627268/why-do-japanese-characters-look-white.

“The Best Black Anime Characters of All Time.” Ranker, www.ranker.com/list/best-black-anime-characters/ranker-anime.

D’Anastasio, Cecilia. “What Black Anime Fans Can Teach Us About Race in America.” Vice, 5 Aug. 2015, www.vice.com/en_us/article/avykp8/what-black-anime-fans-can-teach-us-about-race-in-america-805.

Fujino, Miyu. “Skin Color and Beauty in Japan.” Skin Color and Beauty in Japan, 8 Dec. 2013, japansociology.com/2013/12/08/skin-color-and-beauty-in-japan/.

Gibbs, Jay. “Getting Black Anime Characters Right.” ComicsVerse, 21 Nov. 2017, comicsverse.com/black-anime-characters-right/.

Taz. “Why Do Black People In Anime/Manga Have White Hair?” Short Pause, 5 Oct. 1970, www.shortpause.com/blog/why-do-blacks-in-animemanga-have-white-hair.