aespa's Karina has found herself at the center of controversy as Chinese netizens criticize her for expressing her liking towards a popular Japanese anime. 

The criticism began when Karina shared her love for "My Hero Academia" on the fan communication platform "Bubble." The anime, based on a manga, tells the story of young individuals aspiring to become professional heroes and protect the world with their superpowers.

Anime recommended by Karina she’s really an otaku😭 pic.twitter.com/SanARU8WWR

— karina’s wife (@ujiminphoria) June 15, 2023

However, the anime became embroiled in controversies in China due to a character's real name, which had a connection to a dark part of history.

Chinese Netizens React over ‘My Hero Academia’

In the manga, the character was originally named "Maruta Shiga," with "Maruta" meaning "wood logs." Unfortunately, this term was once used to refer to victims of the infamous "Unit 731," causing outrage among Chinese netizens.

Unit 731 was a biological and chemical warfare research unit of the Imperial Japanese Army, infamous for engaging in lethal human experimentation and the manufacturing of biological weapons. The victims of these experiments were dehumanized and referred to as "logs" (Maruta).

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Chinese Individuals Call Out for Karina for Supporting Controversial Work

Consequently, many Chinese individuals have called for a boycott of "My Hero Academia" due to the character's name.

They have expressed their dissatisfaction with Karina for supporting the controversial work, and some have even taken to her Instagram account to criticize her.

Karina’s fans Defended the Idol Over Controversy

In response, Karina's fans have defended her by pointing out that the character's name was changed to "Garaki Deku" in the animated version, and the author of the manga has already issued an apology, clarifying that the name was a mere coincidence.

Now on all social platforms in China, the discussion about Karina is all negative! SM chose the wrong PR strategy this time! The last remaining group of Chinese fans are now crying to help karina clarify while risking being abused by Chinese netizens... #KARINA #aespa

— luodiangd (@diangs7) June 22, 2023

Moreover, supporters of Karina have highlighted that she only started watching "My Hero Academia" in 2023, while the controversy surrounding the character's name emerged in 2020.

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They argue that it is unlikely Karina was aware of the controversy when expressing her fondness for the anime.

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KpopStarz own this article.

Written by Madison Cullen