Controversy within a series always attracts negative attention, but it also makes the public curious about the story. This is what happened with Drama Queen, Shonen Jump+'s new manga. The manga debuted in December 2024 and attracted a lot of attention, although the reason was a bit special.
The controversy surrounding Drama Queen has made it the top new serialized series of 2024. The information comes from the official website of Manga Plus.
At the end of each year, Manga Plus, the official global source of Shonen Jump manga, releases a top ranking based on the number of views each year. The rankings for new manga are compiled based on views in the first seven days after the first chapter is released. Note that this ranking is only for series translated into English.
Manga Plus added 57 series translated into English in 2024, and Drama Queen is the most popular series by far. This manga has also been trending on the Manga Plus app since its release. The first chapter has over 1.5 thousand comments, most of which complain about the story's theme.
What is the controversy surrounding Drama Queen?
The comic series Drama Queen is facing accusations of racism because of its anti-immigrant theme. The story is set in Japan, nine years after aliens saved Earth from destruction and moved there. Their population is currently 17 million people and live proudly among humans as “saviors”.
But Nomamoto, a factory worker, fed up with his alien factory owner, sees the race for what they are. They often act arrogantly and she believes they look down on humans.
She meets a man named Kitami, whose family was murdered by aliens. The two quickly get along because they have one thing in common – they hate aliens. However, their lives turn upside down when Kitami accidentally murders an alien and Nomamoto becomes an accomplice to help him out of a difficult situation. The story takes a dark turn right from the first chapter when we see the unbelievable actions of Nomamoto and Kitami. Nomamoto said that the smell of burning aliens smells very similar to squid, a popular seafood delicacy.
Some readers interpreted the alien imagery as a metaphor for immigrants or foreigners, leading to discussions about the underlying racism and xenophobia in the story. Some readers even think that the manga is being misunderstood. They argued that the aliens were not intended to represent immigrants but merely served as a plot device.
Additionally, a scene in the first chapter caused controversy when readers claimed that it was aimed at LGBT couples. Nomamoto says she hates aliens and women calling their boyfriends “mate,” which is not accepted by readers.
While the manga did not make an official statement regarding this controversy, it did change Nomamoto's statement to “I hate women who use nicknames for their boyfriends”.
The manga launched on December 1 and currently has four chapters. The controversy doesn't seem to subside as the anti-immigration theme is said to be more evident with each new chapter.
Even though it is facing many mixed opinions, Drama Queen has only just released the first few chapters. Let's wait and see if this manga can develop into a deep story or will it stop as a shocker? Whatever the outcome, Drama Queen will be a test of the diversity and ability of the Japanese manga industry to approach sensitive topics. It will take more time to know whether this work can overcome the controversy or not.
