Black characters in non-North American cartoons

[Anthonynotes]

Was curious about this: what cartoons not produced in North America (outside of the US/Canada) feature Black characters in them? As a second question (spurred by seeing a picture of what I gather is supposed to be a "black" character on "Dragonball Z"), do said Black characters get drawn stereotypically (i.e. the manner US cartoons depicted Black characters in 40s/50s cartoons)?

-B.

[Blackstar]

I just want to go on record to say that I've never been comfortable with the term "black" to describe a people (I really wish that we as a people would come up with a new title for American Americans and Caucasians besides the outdated derogatory terms of "black" and "white"), although in this case, we can't use the term "African-American" to describe characters outside of North America.

[warnerbroman]

I just want to go on record to say that I've never been comfortable with the term "black" to describe a people (I really wish that we as a people would come up with a new title for American Americans and Caucasians besides the outdated derogatory terms of "black" and "white"), although in this case, we can't use the term "African-American" to describe characters outside of North America.if that happened BET would be out of business

[MonkeyFunk]

A number of British cartoons have black characters, generally presented in much the same way as in in American cartoons (ie, not looking like golliwogs), although I can think of one where the main character is black: Mama Lou, which was also made by a black director. Interestingly, although the heroine has distinctly Afro-centric facial features, her skin is blue. Maybe it's a pun on her being a blues singer.

Oh, yeah - and check out the French movie, Kirikou and the Sorceress. Great stuff.

[Blackstar]

if that happened BET would be out of business

You say that as if it were a bad thing. No BET? I could live with that. :D

[Starbro]

Canada's Total Drama Island has a black or two in its' cast. Well, we know the character of La Shawna is obviously black, as is that black fellow (I'm blanking on his name right now) but I'm not sure about Katie; she could be black or perhaps a Latina or Pacific Islander or something. (I read in an earlier post here that Courtney was also black, though she doesn't look like it to me.)

Italy's Winx Club added a black fairy named Layla (Aisha in Italy) during its' second season, although the official Italian website describes her as being Arabic. On a similar vein, Disney's W.I.T.C.H. originated as a European comic and also boasted a black in its' central cast, Taranee Cook, though she's technically only half-black; her mother is Asian.

One infamous example was an anime called The Chocolate Panic Picture Show (1985); described as "jaw-droppingly racist" by The Anime Encyclopedia, this musical starred 3 grossly caricatured African canniblas: Manbo, Chonbo and Chinbo causing chaos in civilization while attempting to be 'tamed' by their pretty tour guide. It's worth mentioning that this production was partly inspired by the film The Gods Must Be Crazy.

[Blackstar]

There was also Nadia the circus acrobat, from the anime series The Secret of Blue Water (1990). Unique in that it was an anime series in which the heroine was a "person of color" (I didn't say African-American because the series took place in Europe).

[tb4000]

Most other countries as of late gotten pretty good at depicting us in animation, though I used to dread watching anime that had black people in it, since they always managed to make us look like Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs. :yawn: About the late 90s is when they started actually designing us normally.

[Dub C]

The first...and probably only non-North American black character that pops into my head when I ponder such things is Moonbay from Zoids Chaotic Century/Guardian Force.

Oh yeah, just remembered Cluadia Grant from Robotech, iirc she was one of the ship operators, along with Lisa.

[HEATXZ]

Canada's Total Drama Island has a black or two in its' cast. Well, we know the character of La Shawna is obviously black, as is that black fellow (I'm blanking on his name right now).It's DJ, other characters i can think of are Mr.1(One Piece),Gedatsu(One Piece),Tousen(BLEACH),Gunkan/Battleship(Bobobo-bo),Kilik(Soul Eater),Kidomaru(Naruto)

[Dudley]

Canada's Total Drama Island has a black or two in its' cast. Well, we know the character of La Shawna is obviously black, as is that black fellow (I'm blanking on his name right now) but I'm not sure about Katie; she could be black or perhaps a Latina or Pacific Islander or something. (I read in an earlier post here that Courtney was also black, though she doesn't look like it to me.)


We're supposed to referring to shows that didn't originate in North America.


There was also Nadia the circus acrobat, from the anime series The Secret of Blue Water (1990). Unique in that it was an anime series in which the heroine was a "person of color" (I didn't say African-American because the series took place in Europe).

Oddly enough, in Jungle Emperor Leo, there's an circus acrobat that's black.

Cyborg 008 from Cyborg 009 is African. Blood+ has two, and I saw one in Full Metal Alchemist.

[warnerbroman]

You say that as if it were a bad thing. No BET? I could live with that. :DI hear that

[HEATXZ]

We're supposed to referring to shows that didn't originate in North America.

Total Drama Island was made in Canada

[MonkeyFunk]

Total Drama Island was made in Canada

...which is in North America.

[Hordesman]

Total Drama Island was made in Canada

North America= United States and Canada

My sense is that Euro entertainment doesn't get as hung up on race, either in terms of regular use of token ethnicities or regular casting of white leads as a matter of hedging their bets.

Now what do I mean about 'hedging bets'? Well, Hollywood still considers "urban" (industry code for black) movies a hard sell in Asian markets. That's probably how we got the interracial buddy cop movie. It's gotten better, but you still have lots of antiquated black images circulating in Asia, from 'black man toothpaste' to Song of the South to the pickaninnies. The latter is why blackface characters do exist in the likes of Shaman King, Pokemon, DBZ and YGO, but their numbers appear to be shrinking.

And then there's this recent uproar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82J-TDASyY0

[MonkeyFunk]

It's gotten better, but you still have lots of antiquated black images circulating in Asia, from 'black man toothpaste' to Song of the South to the pickaninnies. The latter is why blackface characters do exist in the likes of Shaman King, Pokemon, DBZ and YGO, but their numbers appear to be shrinking.

Careful, anime fans can get really defensive of those blackface characters. Here's a recent post from the anime board:


Never heard of that story but it sounds ridiculous how these nobodies claim that Pokemon have creatures that are either racist or basing off themselves. Why not make up their own tv show to make them feel better or better yet, cry to someone who cares because the real Pokemon fans don't wanna hear their little pity parties. And Japan don't really need that backlash from the U.S. to force them to change the design or skin color of certain Pokemon.

[TomatoSpud]

Chris had a black best friend in Sonic X...although the show takes place in America anyway.

Other than that, I can't think of many examples...

[Prof. Mecavio]

Oh, yeah - and check out the French movie, Kirikou and the Sorceress. Great stuff.

Seconded, it's a great movie, I need to see it again.

I haven't seen the movie in question (just a few bits and pieces on youtube) but one of the main characters in "Azur & Asmar", made by the same guy who made "Kirikou" is black.

A bit of a stretch perhaps, but there's also the dutch/japanese cartoon "Alfred J Kwak". The hero's girlfriend was a black duck who came from a country that was clearly meant to be South Africa during the apartheid-era.

[Infusions]

It's odd how characters that are pictured as a stereotype black person (IE: Rapper, loves chicken, always taking in slang) are hated by anti-stereotype people, but if they are black and act/speak properly, then others will say they're white and insult them.

Of course, most of these examples that come to mind are old sitcoms (Cosby Show, Fresh Prince), but, haha, you know.

Just to add to the topic.

The only show I can think of from the topic of my head that's not made in America is Corneil and Bernie and Pokemon.

C&B doesn't have any black characters that I remember (Or if they did, they were very minor) and Pokemon had Brock.

[tb4000]

It's odd how characters that are pictured as a stereotype black person (IE: Rapper, loves chicken, always taking in slang) are hated by anti-stereotype people, but if they are black and act/speak properly, then others will say they're white and insult them.

Of course, most of these examples that come to mind are old sitcoms (Cosby Show, Fresh Prince), but, haha, you know.

Just to add to the topic.

The only show I can think of from the topic of my head that's not made in America is Corneil and Bernie and Pokemon.

C&B doesn't have any black characters that I remember (Or if they did, they were very minor) and Pokemon had Brock.

Brock wasn't black.

[Infusions]

Brock wasn't black.

He looked black.

Or tan.

Or something.

[Rud]

Of the top of my head (sort of, i keep thinking of more):

Bob, one of the main characters in Tenjou Tenge is black.

Hunter X Hunter has Abengane (the nen romover from Greed Island, aka, the only guy who survived Gensuru's countdown ability). One of the guys in Tetsugera's squad/group in Greed Island is also Black.

Dutch, the leader of Black Lagoon, in the Black Lagoon anime/manga, is also African American.

Tousen from Bleach

Panther from Eyeshield 21 is African American.

Mr.5 from One Piece

[MonkeyFunk]

This started out interesting, but now it's in danger of turning into a list thread. Maybe we should move away from listing various cartoons that happen to have black people in them, and get back to discussing the different ways they're portrayed

[Jeff Harris]

He looked black.

Or tan.

Or something.Reading this made me think of Don LaFontaine doing a voice over describing The Rock on an episode of Family Guy for some reason.

Never understood the whole "acting/talking White" comment made about Black characters not adhering to baffoonish, ignorant, stereotypical roles/positions. Also not fond of ignorant people talking about BET by interjecting items like "well, shouldn't there be a WET?" or something similarly disperaging. Not a fan of the channel myself, but I digress.

I don't have a problem with jinn characters like Mr. Popo or Jynx either because they're not supposed to represent Black characters. However, I do have a problem with those characters that have Black characters with stereotypical pickaninny/Sambo/Mammy/Golliwog facial features. A LOT of characters like Cyborg 008, Panther, and others had them in their original comic incarnations, and a lot of cartoons have them as well, especially the bulbous pink/peach-colored lips. Fortunately, the image is disappearing, though controversy recently reared its head with Mexican comics.

I would mention them, but Mexico is in North America. I know, it's shocking, isn't it?

[Hordesman]

Brock wasn't black.

I second that. 1, Japanese name in Japan means a Japanese character. He's not an Edou or Piita or Hari . 2. According to a fansite called Brock-O-Rama: "Before the half year when broadcasting began in America, they showed the Americans concerned and their families the image of "Pocket Monsters". The Americans said "Takeshi[Brock] is disagreeable" and "He always shuts his eyes. This face is not popular".Then they changed Takeshi for Kenji [Tracey] who has "bright, clear eyes". " That suggests an attempt for a more "Western looking" third wheel.

As for Jynx and Popo, they remind me of the Ming the Merciless tradition. Aside from being an alien, Ming was completely a 'Yellow Peril' character. Something doesn't have to be human to echo or wallow in stereotypes.

[Anthonynotes]

Most of the examples seem to be of Asian cartoons, i.e. anime (where from what the above implies, is still problematic re: stereotyped Black people, but less so now than in the past); how has European animation treated/depicted Black characters in comparison?

Re: North America: for the purpose of this thread, I'm defining it as the US and Canada (two countries with similar cultures/etc.), so not counting (where I normally would) Mexico...

Re: BET: Despite being African-American, not a big BET viewer either...

-B.

[MonkeyFunk]

Most of the examples seem to be of Asian cartoons, i.e. anime (where from what the above implies, is still problematic re: stereotyped Black people, but less so now than in the past); how has European animation treated/depicted Black characters in comparison?

Or how about African animation? That'd be an interesting area to look at. To bad I've never watched any...

Well anyway, on recent European animation, the only hugely caricatured black character I can think of off the top of my head is the black pirate from the Asterix movies:

http://www.asterix-obelix.nl/images/albums/c-pirates.jpg

The character was introduced into the comics in the 60s, where this kind of thing wasn't too remarkable in Europe, but he was still being used in the movies as late as 1995, when I would have thought it would have fallen out of favour. I don't know if he was in the most recent movie, which came out a couple of years ago.

(interestingly, the Asterix pirates are actually parodies of the cast of another comic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Redbeard_vs_asterix.jpg), and the black pirate's counterpart isn't caricatured at all)