Half is Less?

The last time I discussed Manga as an art-form, it was in a piece on Infinite Rainy Day that I’m not proud of. Since then, I’ve come to respect Manga, even becoming invested in one Hayao Miyazaki wrote. I mention this as context for Half is More, which has received plenty of racist backlash for portraying its protagonists as mixed race. I’m not mixed race myself, hence I feel out of my league, but I figured it was worth discussing. Because it’s ridiculous.

What’s Half is More? Based on the Mangaka’s life, it’s about two teenagers whose father’s black and mother’s Japanese and their lives in Japan. I don’t know much else, since it premieres here next year, but there’s plenty of discussion about alienation and racism in it. That alone has promise, but there are many Manga fans who are mad. So much so that there’ve been videos on YouTube discussing it.

I wonder if Western Otakus have too much free time, such that they’d get riled up over this. I can’t say I’m an expert on Japan, despite my cousin living there, but I know racism exists there. It exists everywhere. But while I can discuss the racism in The West, since I live in Canada, Japan’s flavour’s more alien. Still, based on past anime portrayals, as well as the country’s current prime minister taking pages from The US’s president, it’s definitely a problem.

Why is having a half-black protagonist in a Manga so bad? I know racists don’t think logically, but that type of representation’s still pretty novel. And as with anything novel, it’ll attract attention. Specifically, it’ll receive pushback from those who aren’t fans of upsetting the status quo. We see that all over the world. Basically, people don’t like anything different.

But so what? Mixed race people exist everywhere, Japan included. And given how Yoiko Fujimi’s injecting personal experience, I think it’s worth hearing that racism exists there too. Especially with people of mixed backgrounds, whom Japan unflatteringly refers to as “Hāfu”. That they’re frequently singled out is already a micro-aggression.

This goes back to how Japanese people views foreigners, particularly black foreigners. The best example is in the popularity of Little Black Sambo, a Scottish book that took off in Japan. Despite being criticized for its racism, it’s had a lasting impact, even influencing characters like Mr. Popo. This idea that black people are the objects of “kawaii”, as opposed to actual people with aspirations, is upsetting considering the history of slavery. This isn’t even accounting for how the depiction of Sambo isn’t far off from racialized minstrel portrayals, complete with affectations that sound illiterate.

Half is More, which challenges longstanding biases about black people in Japan, does away with these stereotypes, even drawing its protagonists appropriately, yet still can’t win. I’d be upset, but it’s not surprising. It’s especially not surprising since Zendaya was given crap for being Spider-Man’s love interest in The MCU. Racism’s a popular sticking point with nerds. This despite Zendaya being a talented actress.

I haven’t really discussed much about the Manga, and for that I apologize. Despite being almost 4 years old, not much is known about it here. I’m hoping that changes when it premieres stateside in 2026, even receiving a Wikipedia page, but for now I have to rely on the backlash and counter-backlash. I also think it’s worth listening to black anime and Manga fans, many of whom are excited to see themselves portrayed respectfully. That doesn’t happen often, and I’m happy for them.

I’m no stranger to someone’s existence being controversial. I’m Jewish, and I frequent the internet a lot. Life has been Hell for over two years, and I’ve received enough Antisemitic backlash to last the rest of my life. I’m only 35. That alone is telling.

It also feels like I’m overstepping, since I’m not black. However, I get that this is traumatizing for many black people, having been at the forefront of racism for decades. In that sense, I feel their pain. It’s not 1:1, for obvious reasons, but nevertheless. And that’s why this faux-controversy’s so obnoxious. Don’t people have anything better to do than harass a Mangaka for tackling a real problem? Why romanticize Japan this heavily, acting like it isn’t like every other country on Earth?

Perhaps it’s an issue of the “foreign” as being picture-perfect. People don’t want their illusions of Japan shattered, which this is doing. But it needs to be shattered. Much like how Japan’s a stickler for recreational substances, even making possession of marijuana a felony, Japan also has a racism problem. And it’s worth discussing if anything’s to change. I applaud Fujimi for having the courage to make this Manga, as I doubt it was easy.

Ultimately, I think Otakus need to chill. So what if Half is More deals with racism? Racism exists! And discussing it respectfully is interesting! Isn’t that what we want from art, to have interesting stories? I’d say so, but I’m that weirdo who steps outside of his bubble occasionally. If I can do it, so can you!