Who (or what) is Mr. Popo?

[Dogasu]

Did you watch the Game Theory video on Jynx, specifically the part where there's a consistent focus on Jynx dancing? There's your evidence.

No, that's just their take. Saying your fan theory with a confident voice doesn't suddenly make it 100% fact.

Jynx could be based on Yama-uba, or Yuki-Onna, or Zwarte Piet, or ganguro, or an opera singer. It could be based on any combination of those. Or, it could be based on something none of us have heard about before. We don't know for sure.

Same with Mr. Popo.

Look I get it, you said it wasn't based on Yamauba years ago

I didn't, actually.

I gotta disagree with you there though.

And yet you don't explain why. It's all just "Westerners need to do research" and "Westerners need to educate themselves" and "Westerners need to develop thicker skin." You've said that over and over; I get it already.

Meanwhile, Japanese people get a free pass to be as casually racist as they want, apparently.

[GS7X7]

I'm not defending Popo here since Popo is based on sambo- I can totally understand why that bothers some people- but I am defending Jynx. Any similarities between Jynx and sambo art I believer are coincidental, I'm pretty much with Game Theory on Jynx that's why I'm defending Jynx. If something -looks- offensive based on coincidence (like the Buddhist swastika) then I'll totally defend it, there's nothing casually racist or anything racist about that in my view.

Look, I've been a big fan of you and your work for years and I really do respect you and all the stuff you've done over the years. Since we're both going back and forth and neither of us is likely to convince the other about Jynx, I'm just going to agree to disagree with you on this one issue and wish you well.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Really the main problem that I see with Popo's look is his lips (yes, it is racist -- and some people have explained it in this thread better than I could. Also I'm not American, so there's that). So Viz was right to make his lips less prominent. I don't see what turning him blue accomplishes, though. Either it's oversensitivity or it was just easier for them to make him blue than to make his lips smaller every time the character appeared.



EDIT: But I can totally see why they would be oversensitive or extra careful in this case.

[GS7X7]

Just curious PD, but how do you feel about Viz censoring "Hell's Blast" and getting rid of crucifixes in their comics?

I know that Popo is offensive to a lot of people but aren't crucifixes used in violent scenes offensive to Christians as well so shouldn't they also be censored for that reason?

One female character in OP with a revealing outfit had her outfit censored in case it might offend the feminist crowd so, was that a good idea either?

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Just curious PD, but how do you feel about Viz censoring "Hell's Blast" and getting rid of crucifixes in their comics?

In other words, everything should be censored or nothing should be censored. Well, I disagree. I think we can totally pick and choose what we censor and what we leave uncensored. It's not hypocrisy.

[SonEric84]

My personal thoughts on this (and I know many will disagree) is that it's fiction. It's fantasy. It doesn't "need" to be censored because someone in society might get "offended". It seems to me that we've come to a point where someone getting offended is absolutely one of the worst things that can happen to a person in this day and age and it just seems extremely silly. It's a drawing on paper or animation on a t.v. screen. It can't hurt you unless you let it. If someone doesn't like something, then just ignore it - it doesn't mean that other people shouldn't have the right to see things in their unedited format. Even if Mr. Popo was/is "racist" (which I will never buy simply because he's not a human being, no one's skin tone is THAT dark, nor do they have pointy ears, and the universe he comes from has all sorts of weird creatures and skin colors), it's a product of the time and shouldn't be erased just because the world has sensitivity issues. There's nothing inherently wrong about being sensitive to others feelings, but honestly, it shouldn't stifle someone's creative freedom either, because no matter what, someone in the world will be offended by something you say, do, or create.

[Dogasu]

The thing is, these "drawings on paper" stir up real emotions in real people. If you're not personally offended, then fine, but it's important to remember that there are people who are legitimately offended by this sort of thing who also aren't just being crybabies or thin skinned or whatever else people want to call them.

[SonEric84]

The thing is, these "drawings on paper" stir up real emotions in real people. If you're not personally offended, then fine, but it's important to remember that there are people who are legitimately offended by this sort of thing who also aren't just being crybabies or thin skinned or whatever else people want to call them.

Which I did acknowledge, but why is it that those people have a say in what other people who aren't bothered are allowed to view? It's entirely possible to not consume media which offends you. I just don't think "I'm offended" should be enough to change or censor a product for everyone else on earth who may not feel the same way. But like I said, such is my own view. If others want to live in a world where we're dictated by what some find offensive, I guess that's their prerogative.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Which I did acknowledge, but why is it that those people have a say in what other people who aren't bothered are allowed to view? It's entirely possible to not consume media which offends you. I just don't think "I'm offended" should be enough to change or censor a product for everyone else on earth who may not feel the same way. But like I said, such is my own view. If others want to live in a world where we're dictated by what some find offensive, I guess that's their prerogative.

I agree completely with this, but only in some cases. With Viz Popo for instance, what exactly do you lose? Are you really that personally affected by it? Is it really a case of excessive political correctness? You only have to endure a very minor change to the drawings, while people would be offended by a racist representation get to read the comic without being so. It's win-win. Or at the very least, you don't lose.

[GS7X7]

PD. what about with Viz censoring crucifixes? Aren't those unnaturally inflammatory one of the world's major religions and its followers? Are we really losing all that much?

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

PD. what about with Viz censoring crucifixes? Aren't those unnaturally inflammatory one of the world's major religions and its followers?

What is? The mere appearance of crucifixes in the comic? I disagree.

[GS7X7]

One last thing to add.... I think part of the reason 4Star made Popo into an "eldritch abomination" was because of the sambo design.

Everyone's always uncomfortable about Popo so turning him into a completely deranged psychopath allowed people to embrace the character and forget about his design roots. If Popo had had a more normal design I don't think they would have felt as strong a need to give him such an overexaggerated personality. (then again, they kinda give everyone crazy personalities in DBZ Abridged)

[Puto]

Eh, I assume they did that because Popo's character is just terribly bland in the original, not because of his design (though some of the jokes probably wouldn't have worked without the pitch-black face).

[SJR]

It always makes me laugh how much white people fret over the idea of offending anybody.