As a lifelong fan of manga and someone who has witnessed the transformative power these stories have had on countless young readers, I find myself deeply disheartened by the recent wave of book bans that has swept through American schools. The latest victim, “Unico: Awakening,” is yet another title in a growing list of series that have been unfairly targeted for their content and pulled from school libraries.
In a spate of recent book bans sweeping across the U.S., the manga series “Unico: Awakening” has been added to the list, alongside “Assassination Classroom” and “Sasaki and Miyano”. According to Anime News Network, The Richmond Reviewer newspaper reported on November 21st that all copies of “Unico: Awakening” were removed from the Richmond County School District in North Carolina following a complaint lodged by the parent of a first-grader at one of their schools. This series is an adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s original work, co-created by Samuel Sattin and Gurihiru.
Initiator of the complaint, Nikki Fletcher, expressed her astonishment over the inappropriate content showcased in the series, which included scenes of gun violence and animal cruelty. In response, Cameron Whitley, Communications Director for the district, announced that all copies of the book have been temporarily withdrawn to allow the school board to conduct a detailed examination of the manga’s material. The series is rated suitable for children in grades 3-7, or ages 8-12.
Unico Awakening Is Far From the First Manga to Get Hit With School-wide Bans
Although intended for younger readers, the manga titled Unico Awakening, published by Scholastic, has been grouped with other recently prohibited comics in the US. The narrative revolves around a spirited unicorn named Unico who inadvertently angers the goddess Venus due to his capacity to spread positivity and hope. Envious, Venus vows to annihilate him, instructing her servant, the West Wind, to abandon Unico on the Hill of Forgetfulness. However, the West Wind feels compassion for Unico and, to safeguard him, transports him across eras, always forgetting past locations. Throughout his journey, Unico strives to uncover his true identity and origins while evading gods and monsters who seek to harm him. He is accompanied by a diverse group of characters, some of whom, like Chloe the watchcat or the enigmatic Sphinx, are courageous and benevolent, while others, such as Venus and her powerful servant the Night Wind, are intent on causing destruction.
The manga titled “Assassination Classroom” has faced multiple prohibitions in U.S. educational institutions. Most recently, it was banned by the Elmbrook School District in Wisconsin, excluding the book from their digital library. Previously, the series was also removed from libraries in Horry County Schools in South Carolina and Gifford Middle School in eastern Florida.
Besides the well-known shonen manga, the widely acclaimed boys’ love series titled Sasaki and Miyano, was prohibited by the Brevard Public School Board in Florida following a parental complaint that such representation of sexual orientation should neither be advocated nor subtly introduced in fictional works.
It’s questionable to ban books from school libraries under any conditions, and given the current surge of manga bans in America, there’s an air of uncertainty about the future of this genre in educational institutions.
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2024-11-25 23:40