KADOKAWA, the massive Japanese publishing tyrant, has decided to cancel the release of Abigail Shrier’s “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters” following a negative response from trans activists.
The title of the Japanese version was translated as “That girl became transgender too: The tragedy of the sex-change boom being contagious through social media.” It was scheduled for release on Jan. 24.
Originally published in 2020 and featured in The Economist’s books of the year for 2020, the book has faced criticism for relying on anecdotes and supporting the concept of “rapid-onset gender dysphoria,” which is not recognized as a medical diagnosis, and pushing the notion that social media is influencing younger women into becoming transgender.
Naturally, the mentally stable crowd well adjusted adults couldn’t handle such obvious defamatory, how dare this book incite the belief that trends pushed via social media, influencers and modern television are trying to convert your children, that’s some conspirator nonsense!
Transgender rights advocates had planned a protest in front of KADOKAWA’s Tokyo headquarters.
The now removed tweet stated the following:
“Why is Kadokawa translating and selling a book that the bookseller association in the United States has acknowledged as being so transphobic that selling it in itself was a mistake!? We urgently need to put a stop to this project!”
Community Notice:
If the mentioned bookseller association refers to the American Booksellers Association (ABA), there is a factual inaccuracy, as the ABA apologized for recommending the particular book to individual bookstores. Additionally, there are movements by civic groups in various places, urging major retailers like Target and public libraries to cease selling or stocking the book. It’s important to note that opinions on this matter vary within the United States.
Furthermore, the mentioned book is available on Amazon in the United States, and Amazon states that selling the book itself does not violate the company’s policies.
However, the protest was called off when KADOKAWA, Japan’s leading producers of anime and manga content, announced their decision to cancel the book’s publication, nevertheless some consumers found the initial decision to publish the book puzzling, especially considering its apparent criticism of anime for being “tied into this whole trans culture,” as expressed in the book.
Shrier inaccurately describes anime as “computer-animated images of anthropomorphized creatures,” a characterization that, while present in some anime, is far from being a defining feature of the medium.
In a free society, individuals should have the freedom to publish books presenting both sides of any social issue. The challenge arises when a company is constrained by its stakeholders or malicious mobs of social justice advocates, fearing potential disruption or backlash from activist groups.
While it is within their rights, it’s akin to being politically forced to comply rather than a voluntary decision.
We cannot forget that KADOKAWA is one of the biggest supports of ESG, effectively enforcing politically correct policies across their entire corporate enterprise, down to their management and hiring processes which favor marginalized and more diverse groups over those who are genuinely qualified for the positions, this also stems down to the content produced which will inevitably feature more character diversity and inacting censorship of problematic content.
KADOKAWA have made several attempts to censor manga which forced a hollow apology from the hand of its president. Japan’s greatest strength and weakness are rooted in its collectivist culture, where prioritizing harmony and conformity prevails over discomfort and disagreement. Success in the market often signifies effective practices.
Supporters of the book’s release, including the author, condemned KADOKAWA’s choice as an act of censorship. Despite their decision not to publish the book, it hasn’t been officially banned in Japan. It’s probable that Irreversible Damage will find a new home with a less mainstream publisher in the near future.
