An April Fool’s Day prank involving a mock “marriage” between two close VTuber friends took an unpleasant turn on Japanese social media, the prank sparked widespread outrage and condemnation for being perceived as queerbaiting, insensitive, and outright mocking LGBT relationships, portraying them as a joke.
Popular virtual YouTubers Laplus Darknesss and Kazama Iroha from the well-known Hololive agency as sixth generation stars caused a stir when, at midnight on April 1st, they each posted a tweet on their respective Twitter accounts claiming they had officially gotten married.
Initially, everything seemed fine when the tweet declared that both Laplus Darkness and Kazama Iroha, though “inexperienced,” appreciated ongoing support as they jokingly announced their marriage.
However, the situation took a turn when it attracted the attention of Japanese social justice warriors (SJWs) who took the matter seriously. The tweet was flooded with responses criticizing the duo for being “insensitive” towards same-sex relationships, as such jokes touch upon a “social issue” that LGBT advocates have long been striving to address.
People urged others to reflect on the ongoing efforts of those advocating for the legalization of same-sex marriage in the country.
It’s worth noting that same-sex marriages are still prohibited in Japan to this day.
It’s noteworthy that both talents belong to the same ‘generation’ or sub-group within Hololive, and while they share a close relationship, there has been no indication of romantic feelings between them, at least not on camera. Both personalities are part of the sixth generation of Hololive’s agency and are featured in the brand new Holo X Break video game which is available for free on Steam.
According to the individuals who criticized the tweet in their quote retweets, the concept of “queerbaiting” exemplified by the tweet is seen as evidence of how Japan still views same-sex marriage as a joke, particularly when it’s easily identified as an April Fool’s prank.
The fact that it was perceived as a ‘lie’ so readily caused significant emotional harm to those who openly identify as gay or lesbian.
This isn’t the first time people have taken offense to April Fool’s Day jokes involving gay marriage. Last April Fool’s Day, voice actresses Takano Marika and Takaki Yurika found themselves in a similar controversy after joking about being in a relationship.
However, I personally wouldn’t pay much attention to enraged LGBT individuals on social media, they tend to disregard logic and reason, often projecting their own interpretations onto fictional characters and enforcing their own narratives within fandoms.
Examples include the Bridget controversy in Guilty Gear Strive, such as how “modern fans” forcefully push the delusion that Bridget is transgender, or the belief that every female character in Genshin Impact is somehow a lesbian. These individuals assert that they understand fictional characters better than others, despite their inability to comprehend that two characters can interact without it being inherently sexual.
One cannot overlook the recent trend of activists incorporating popular fictional characters into their self-created artwork, often depicting them raising either the rainbow flag or primarily the Palestinian flag, claiming the character “supports” their cause.
We’re witnessing an era where making jokes has become increasingly difficult. Fortunately, neither Laplus nor Kazama have issued apologies to the outraged masses, as it’s impossible to satisfy such individuals.
