とりあえずTuesday | The Misrepresentation of Naomi Osaka

Whats up friends,

Today is a repost of a topic that didnt get enough eyes on it the first time around. It also was located on a segregated portion of the website, floating between spaces just before I considered making a blog. Hopefully by migrating this post to the blog space, it gets the attention it deserves. Even if the topic is slightly dated, there is always time to talk about diversity and inclusion within the media. Enjoy!

As a POC and an artist, I was very disappointed in the handling of Ms. Osaka’s image in the advertisement released by Nissin earlier this year. As you can clearly see in the reference board below, the end product of Osaka’s character was below satisfactory.

Therefore, I decided to create a turnaround sheet for Ms. Osaka that not only truly represented her as a character in the world established by Nissin and Takeshi Konomi (Prince of Tennis), but others with biracial identities that want to see themselves represented in society at large.

I think my small contribution to the resolution of this debacle is proof of the reassurance I can give Japanese studios as they walk a fine line toward more diverse and inclusive content when presenting to not only Japanese audiences, but the global one. As Japan’s presence in global media expands, brands such as Nissin will have to be more considerate of the type of content they attach their names to whether or not it is intended for domestic consumption.​

What is your position on the representation of minorities in the media? Have you ever considered their portrayal within art and design? Leave your comments below and dont forget to like and share this post~

Until next time,
Peace