LOL @ evry post monstar maalik put up - but i have to agree w/ his las post because i thought it was fact yoruichi was african-american/asian or w/e. evry black character i've seen has had the stereotypical stuff, big lips, wide nose, hair that defy's gravity ect ect, but not all black people have those features... ... lyke me. (bsides hair, nothing my iron can't fix)
so when i saw yoruichi i was lyke "kayy" and now youre telling me she's moroccan. i think thats too specific, i mean theirs only so many ethnicities you can portray in a manga/anime
no offense to the moroccans.
and their is no way in hell a caucasian/asian person can reach that skin tone with out ending up in the ER with third degree burns
yoruichi has a Serious perm.

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That's an argument of semantics. The term Arabic refers to the language, first off, so in that regards you can say Egypt is an "Arabic Speaking" country. However, they are not ethnically Arabian, nor are Moroccans, nor are Tunisians, nor are Algerians, nor are Malians, nor are any African nations. Just because some conquering Sultan decided that it was the word of god to proliferate his language and customs does not make the people he conquered any less of what they are.

That said, Yourichi looks South East Asian, specifically Cambodian, if you must get picky. Surprisingly, not all Asiatic people are powdery white or a slight saffron hue. Hell, she could be an Islander for all we know. She is definitely not African, though. She doesn't have any characteristic barring her dark skin, which itself is not the same tint as an African. Compare her skin to Tousen. Tousen has a markedly richer, deeper hue to his coloring than Yourichi, who has a warmer tone.

Anyway, Bob Nakamura- Tenjho Tenge.

EDIT: Also, White South Africans are a stark minority. 80% of the population is Black.

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Presidential candidate; John Ohama from Air Gear.

It could be just confusion.
But here are some characters with dark skin or african american in looks that have not been mentioned before(correct me if I'm wrong please):
Kaolla Su-Love Hina
Urd-Ah My Goddess
Swamp-The Coyote Ragtime Show
Ed- Cowboy Bebop
Aion- Chrono Crusade
Rally Vincent- Gunsmith Cats (Britsh and Arabic Blood I think)

The Baki series has its fair share too.

In Cowboy Bebop, Jet isn't black; his English voice actor is. Hakim from the second episode may or may not be black; we're shown a mugshot of him in which he looks like a white guy, and it's made clear that he regularly changes his appearance.

In the Mushroom Samba episode most of the characters are black. There's also Miles or Milo, the assistant engineer/mechanic to the old guy who built Spike's ship, and the African assassin from the episode about Jet's past (who is, by the way, the best character ever). In fact, I think in the Cowboy Bebop universe the planets are actually characterized in part by their demographics; Mars is primarily Asian, iirc, and whatever planet Mushroom Samba takes place on (Venus?) is populated mostly by people of Arab and African descent.

As for Yoruichi, although there are a number of things she could be, I'm inclined to think she is black, given the fact that Ulquiorra refers to her as a black woman. Even Toussen's African features aren't all that pronounced (to me it's the cornrows that are the dead giveaway, not his lips) when compared with the black Espada or the black guy from the first Bleach movie. Not all blacks have the stereotypical broad noses or thick lips, even in Africa. To me, that's enough to say that she could be black, at least. Personally, I think the artists just like to play around with ethnic features a bit.

There's also the point where one must wonder just how Japanese Ichigo and Orihime look. I always assumed since the first time I saw her that Ichigo's mother was white, since that's the only way to explain him having naturally bright orange hair. Who knows what's going on with Orihime? She's an orphan, iirc.

On a lighter note, does anyone remember General Black from Dragonball?

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First thing that comes to my mind is Bleach with Yoruichi and Tousen. And also Naruto . Oh and Eyeshield 21 Panther from the Nasa Aliens. OH and those three gangsta guys who in Gantz. Dunno which one is most prominent o_O

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Yoruichi isn't black~ o_o And Ichigo & co. all look look white. Almost all manga characters look white in fact. None of them look Asian, they only have asian names.

Also about the black comment, that could've easily been a mistranslation or simply referred to the color of her skin which is really black. Well, not black black, but you get what I'm saying. And in black/white, she usually looks even more darker than when colored.

Anyways, why am I getting so into it. *leaves*

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Dutch from Black Lagoon is one of the coolest Afro-American I think

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I like how the OP asks for "African AMERICANS" in a Japanese manga, and no one caught it.

about the Yourichi conversation- hmmmm, i remember having a conversation in some forum about whether or not naruto manga was prejudice.. but with the introduction of the 8 tails must proved these people wrong..

however i am quite disapproved with this hysteria about about racism that some african american (not african) seem to have..

if there is the lack of blacks in a manga, then they consider it prejudice example the conversation i had about naruto series..

or if there is blacks in a manga, then people care whether or not it represent the African American like blacks prejudice against blacks (it just a color come on).. Example: Yourichi from bleach conversation

and then there another type of hysteria such as whether or not the portraying African American (not African- for they had more common senses and care not about this) is (quote) assume(quote) to be negative stereo type or whether or not it portray incorrectly for example : the yourichi convesation and the infamous Carole Boston Weatherford (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carole_Boston_Weatherford) who change the pokemon jynx from black to purple and said mr. Popo from dragonball is offensive...

As an asian firstly, and also as an asian living in america, i am greatly offended by this weatherford writer (whom i believe that she believed the japaneses are racist against her kind, which on its own are prejudice view)... I admired many great Africans, and African Americans, and have blacks as one of my close friends. But this hysteria is just ridiculous..

Sorry, if i offended anybody.. I didn't meant to (except this for carole boston weatherford) ... and for going off topic .. if anyone do not agree with my view please share your opinions with me here or at my email address (thinh1@sbcglobal.net)

sorry, for the tone of this post seem to generalize the African American.. (i should have said a certain few people who hold this view) and sorry about my bad english..

PS.. I love the Boondocks cartoon (though i don't know if it consider anime)

Last edited by movingstone at 3:36 pm, Aug 4 2008

You're pretty fucking stupid for an Asian. Also, I love how you had to mention the fact that "you have black friends".


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big fvckin deal. the issue with the lack of black ppl is dumb cuz they in japan. for example.i live on earth, if i should write a book, it'd probably not include martians. i never met a martian, and never crossed my mind to include a martian.

now, the issue of stereotyping. most likely the only time they ever seen a black man was on american tv, MTV anybody?

there's nothing racist about it, its just plain ignorance. now....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Ti-gkJiXc

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"Hip-hop was set out in the dark. They used to do it out in the park"

You're also an idiot.
"How To Tell People They Sound Racist." Yeah, I so needed a video for that because it's SO hard to say "You sound racist"[/sarcasm].


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rofl ... another stereo type...
anyway.. why would i not state the truth that i have black friends, indian friends, chinese friends, greece friends, muslim friends, buddhist friends, etc......... though i usually do not classified as such... but letting people know my background does help support my points... which is i think it dumb that people care about blacks in manga/anime.. to the point of accusing other racist...

though i still dunno why do people care that anime and manga doesn't have as much blacks... why do we care insecure??

and you are not being reasonable calling me stupid...



exactly, my point.. then why the hell do people care about blacks in anime and manga.. though i am offended that these people think the author of manga and anime are racist base on the lack of black characters...

and you're the smart one in assuming that i meant you? i simply wanted to post a video before this whole thread becomes a discussion about racism. "prominent african american character in manga/anime". i already put in my 2 cents my part is done. now justify your reason for being in this thread.

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"Hip-hop was set out in the dark. They used to do it out in the park"