A growing number of anime and manga fans in Japan are criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump for using well-known Japanese characters in political social media posts.
The controversy began in March, when fans noticed posts from Trump and the White House featuring imagery connected to major Japanese franchises, including Naruto, Pikachu, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball. In one recent post, Trump was even shown as Naruto Uzumaki, the ninja hero from the popular manga and anime series.
The reaction has now turned into an online petition, which has gathered nearly 20,000 signatures. Supporters argue that the characters should not be used for political messaging, especially when the values they represent do not align with Trump’s message. They also say the posts may violate the rights of the original creators and copyright holders.
The petition was started by Nana Suzuki, a 34-year-old anime and manga fan from Kanagawa. She said she felt especially upset by the use of Yu-Gi-Oh! imagery because its creator, Kazuki Takahashi, died while trying to help rescue someone at sea. To Suzuki, seeing his work connected to military-themed content felt disrespectful, particularly because Takahashi is no longer alive to object.
Suzuki said she wanted to give other fans a way to voice their frustration and show that many people care about protecting Japanese creators and their work.
Not everyone has reacted negatively. Some fans online have treated the posts as amusing or even as unexpected publicity for Japanese pop culture. One user joked that the attention could only help make Naruto even more famous globally, while another said they felt proud that manga had become so influential that the U.S. president recognized it.
However, at least one major rights holder has objected. Pokémon Company International said the White House did not have permission to use Pokémon-related imagery. A company spokesperson said Pokémon was not involved in the creation or sharing of the post and emphasized that its mission is to bring people together, not to support any political agenda.
The petition first gained attention after the White House’s official X account posted videos mixing footage of U.S. military strikes on Iran with clips from Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball. Around the same time, another post used the phrase “Make America Great Again” over what appeared to be an image from the Pokémon game Pokémon Pokopia.
The campaign was renewed after Trump shared the Naruto-style video on Truth Social. Fans supporting the petition say these characters are associated with themes such as friendship, courage, loyalty and perseverance, and that using them in partisan or military contexts misrepresents the spirit of the original stories.
