Nearly 20,000 people in Japan have signed a petition after US President Donald Trump used popular anime and manga characters in social-media posts. The controversy intensified when Trump posted a video on Truth Social portraying himself as Naruto Uzumaki, and earlier White House X posts paired footage of US strikes with clips from Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball. Pokémon Company International has said the imagery was used without permission. Supporters of the petition say the political use misrepresents the characters' themes and could infringe creators' rights.
Japan Backlash Grows Over Trump’s Use Of Anime And Manga Characters
Trump most recently posted a video in which he depicts himself as Naruto [Donald Trump/Truth Social]
A growing backlash in Japan has targeted US President Donald Trump after he used well-known anime and manga characters in social-media posts and videos. Fans first noticed the imagery in March, and the controversy intensified when Trump posted a video on Truth Social depicting himself as Naruto Uzumaki.
Timeline And Examples
Nearly 20,000 people have signed an online petition arguing that the president's use of characters such as Naruto, Pikachu and figures from Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball conflicts with the values those characters represent, and may infringe the rights of their creators.
Earlier posts on the official White House X account juxtaposed footage of US military strikes on Iran with clips from Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball. Another post overlaid the slogan "Make America Great Again" on what appears to be a screenshot from the Pokémon Pokopia video game. The petition gained fresh momentum after the Truth Social video portraying Mr. Trump as Naruto was shared publicly.
Rights Holders And Reactions
Pokémon Company International said the White House did not have permission to use its imagery. "We were not involved in its creation or distribution," Pokémon spokeswoman Sravanthi Dev said, adding that the company's mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda. The BBC has contacted other rights holders and the White House for comment.
"Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, died after attempting to rescue someone in the ocean," said Nana Suzuki, a 34-year-old anime and manga enthusiast from Kanagawa who launched the petition. "It saddened me that his noble spirit and the message of his work were used in a military context, and that he is not alive to object himself."
While many supporters say the imagery misrepresents characters that convey themes of courage, friendship and perseverance, a smaller group of fans dismissed the criticism — some calling the attention "free publicity" that raises international recognition for Japanese manga and anime.
Why The Controversy Matters
The episode raises legal and cultural questions about copyright, moral rights and the political use of popular cultural icons. Petitioners argue that repurposing beloved characters for political messaging undermines creators' intentions and could violate intellectual property rights, while others see the posts as harmless or beneficial exposure.
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