I need to rant about this. I might take it down later. With the whole Kei Urana/Gachiakuta Jabber situation, I honestly don’t think she’s racist. I think people on the internet tend to jump to the furthest ends of a black-and-white scale instead of being willing to sit in the grey area. That being said, I do think there is ignorance she has surrounding certain topics, whether that comes from growing up in a more homogeneous country or simply not being taught about certain issues idk.
There’s a level of care that has to go into creating characters from racial or ethnic backgrounds different from your own, especially when you’re heavily drawing inspiration from those communities' aesthetics as well. I don’t think she intentionally does things to be racist, but people from the communities being referenced are still allowed to have concerns about how things are portrayed and what gets endorsed by the creator. A creator’s endorsement can make people feel like certain behavior or interpretations are acceptable, even if that wasn’t the intention.
To hit all my points, I’m just going to rapid-fire them:
I don’t think the apology was very good — not in a “it wasn’t good enough no matter what” kind of way, but because the phrasing felt more focused on the emotional response of the audience than directly addressing the main concern people had.
The main concern seemed to get the shortest acknowledgment, while a much larger portion focused on something that wasn’t the central issue for most people. I understand the defensiveness behind that, but it still felt misplaced.
People — especially Black fans — reevaluating past moments or interactions through a different lens after this situation is normal. Even if harmful intent was never there, people naturally become more guarded once trust is shaken. Those who no longer want to engage with the media aren’t automatically being dramatic.
Kei Urana’s response to criticism feels very human, but still worthy of critique. It comes across as protective and defensive, which is understandable emotionally, but if you treat every criticism like an attack, you can end up pushing away people who are genuinely trying to explain concerns in good faith.
In the end, do I think she’s a horrible person? No. Do I think ignorance around certain topics unintentionally offended people, and that the response has made the situation worse? Yes. Are there people taking things too far on both sides? It’s the internet, so obviously yes. Are there also fans who idolize her to the point where they think she can do no wrong and end up coddling her? Also yes.
One way this whole situation has felt to me is like pointing out a concern to a parental figure, only for them to respond in a way that doesn’t fully acknowledge the issue, and then having everyone around them comfort them while acting like you’re unreasonable for still feeling hurt or dissatisfied.
I also honestly think creators should keep a healthier distance from fandom spaces. Fandoms are naturally places where fans interpret media in their own ways, create headcanons, discuss criticism, and build their own perspectives. Constant creator involvement can make things messier, especially when creators start directly validating or shutting down interpretations in emotional situations like this.
And to the people — both Black, non-Black, and pretending to be Black — saying “I don’t see the problem,” okay, but some people do, and their feelings are still valid. Not everyone is going to react the same way.
And to the people saying, “It’s not that deep,” when is it deep enough? Does something only matter when it’s blatantly hateful and impossible to ignore? Or is it “never that deep” because acknowledging uncomfortable flaws in media you enjoy is unsettling, and it feels easier to dismiss than to engage with critique?
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