A backlash that has been building in Japan since March over President Donald Trump\u2019s use of popular anime and manga imagery on social media intensified this week after Trump shared a new video depicting himself as the character Naruto Uzumaki.
The online petition urging the White House to \u201Crespect Japanese manga\u201D was first launched in March, when fans began noticing the president incorporating iconic Japanese animation characters \u2014 including Pikachu, Naruto and Yu-Gi-Oh! \u2014 in his posts, according to BBC News. The petition was revived after Trump posted a video on Truth Social on Saturday showing himself as Naruto, the protagonist of the long-running anime and manga series about a young ninja.
Signatories argue that Trump\u2019s use of the imagery in political and military contexts conflicts with what the works represent.
\u201CFor many years, these works have inspired audiences around the world by conveying values such as courage, friendship, and perseverance,\u201D the petition reads. \u201CBecause of this, many fans feel concerned when images from these works appear to be used in political or military contexts that may differ from the intentions of the original creators or rights holders.\u201D
The White House X account had earlier posted videos that blended footage of U.S. military strikes on Iran with clips from Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball. A day before those posts, the account had published an image with the phrase \u201CMake America Great Again\u201D over a screengrab from the Pok\u00e9mon Pokopia video game.
Pok\u00e9mon Company International confirmed it had not authorized the use of its imagery.
\u201CWe were not involved in its creation or distribution,\u201D said Pok\u00e9mon spokeswoman Sravanthi Dev. \u201COur mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda.\u201D
The BBC reported that it has contacted other rights holders and the White House for comment.
Not all fans have objected. A small group described the posts as entertaining and beneficial to the anime industry. One X user called them \u201Chilarious\u201D and suggested they would increase Naruto\u2019s international recognition, likening it to the best free publicity in the world. Another user wrote: \u201CRather than criticising the clip, I\u2019m proud that Japanese manga has taken the world by storm to the point where the President of America knows Naruto.\u201D
The episode is the latest in a series of instances in which Trump and his administration have used pop culture imagery \u2014 sometimes without authorization \u2014 in official communications, drawing scrutiny over both intellectual property rights and the politicization of cultural icons.