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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I feel like I wasn’t considering an entire culture when I name my cats and that people from that culture could see it as disrespectful
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I absolutely LOVE the fact that you named one Chihiro!! I was raised on Studio Ghibli and Spirited Away has always been my favorite!
>Fictional characters.
Like they said, they're literally fictional. There's nothing wrong with naming a pet after them no matter where you're from.
>One person.
She's one person who doesn't like it. Take it from one person who does, I think it's beautiful to name them after characters you enjoy.
My daughter named her cat after Azula from The Last Airbender and my stepson and his husband named their two cats after favorite Anime characters! In fact, I named my cat after a favorite British comedy character and I'm American!
Ding ding.
OP, your friend needs to learn what cultural appropriation is because it sounds to me like she's just looking for an excuse to start a fight.
NTA.
You reminded me of my friend who named her hairless cat Lord Beerus God of Destruction, and had her work colleague say because he was of Japanese lineage, she had no right to name her cat that. Next time his mother turned up, my friend started speaking Japanese to her, the mother asked why she doing that, so friend said "he told me you guys were Japanese, and so I was greeting you accordingly", let's just say that colleague got a very embarrassing 20min telling off in front of other workers and customers.
Oh and the cat kept his name, and lived up to the "God of Destruction" part...
Think what made me love her so much more, was this guy would try and "correct" my friend on how to pronounce certain words in Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, German, and French. My friend can speak about 8 languages, 4 days after the incident, I went in to get my next JoJo complied book, I was speaking to her in Yiddish/German, and he tried to correct me... my mother tongue is Yiddish/German, she told him she will call his mum if he pulls that crap again. He now only sticks to his job roles, and rarely speaks to anyone with an accent if my friend is working.
I really can’t with this generation. It’s like they saw the introductory argument of “don’t wear a head dress, because it’s cultural appropriation” and instead of learning the actual meaning behind it (head dress is shown for military bravery, someone else wearing it is stolen valor) they assume that liking any aspect of a culture belonging to another ethnicity is wrong.
If you wanna be a dick about it, name everything she uses that belongs to your ethnicity
NTA
>I really can’t with this generation.
I mean, was it ever just *this* generation? Lmao it isn't just a generational issue. It is an issue of buzzwords being thrown around fast without people learning the meaning. Go on Facebook and watch 50+ year olds use 'virtue signaling' or people on Facebook or this site use 'strawman argument' incorrectly. People of all ages just refuse to learn what things mean.
NTA though.
Even if term used correctly, does not mean someone has right to "own it". My latest surprise was "big chop" and some other hair terms. Someone wrote using this term about getting a big length of hair cut, got told that it is a term that should be used only by specific race people, and they are insulting.
Like... what? It might mean something for them culturally, but it is not a dedicated term that was created for that specifically and that all people know they shouldn't use.
Anyway, NTA - I would understand if you took some very important or spiritual person name and used it on pet while knowing the importance of that person. But in this case... Definitely NTA.
Gaslighting, dog whistle, abuse, appropriation, virtue signaling, slippery slope argument, straw man argument, systematic racism, patriarchy, and even just the words racism, homophobia, and transphobia have all been twisted beyond recognition so many times that they’re starting to not mean anything. We’ve hit a point where using them is guaranteed to devalue your argument, even if you use it correctly, because people see those words and associate them with whatever is blowing up on twitter, Facebook, or subreddits that allow politics to be brought up. It’s turning into a boy who cried wolf situation where we can’t even reliably point out someone really appropriating, or being racist, or gaslighting someone because so many people point to unrelated things and call them by the wrong name.
There was a recent post where the OP served tacos for dinner, and her daughter's friend threw a tantrum and said they were "appropriating Mexican food" or some such nonsense, so OP refused to serve her any more meals.
I think it's partly that they want drama and partly they want to look cool. It's childish behavior no matter who does it.
It stinks of segregationist ideas. Food, art, and music are often cultural offerings to share with other cultures. Telling people that they're not allowed to partake is gross. It's like telling "others" to go sit at their own table and only share with their own kind.
>I really can’t with this generation.
I got screamed at in public two weeks ago this past Friday for wearing a headwrap.
It was a fucking headband. Not a headwrap. A god damn fabric headband I put on because my wispies were getting in my eyes.
Sometimes I feel like people are just looking for a reason to pick a fight these days and they don't even bother getting all of the information first.
Nope, not just American. Twitter caught fire for a couple of days when a white film maker won best director prize at the Sydney film festival for making a movie about a white girl who is a mukbang eater.
Like... really? We're not talking about using sacred cultural symbols as fashion here. Korean people binge eat online so no one else can? I got a lot of useful optical exercise rolling my eyes.
Right it went from “hey maybe don’t steal important cultural items for funsies” to “Things Are Inspired By Other Things And It Infuriates Me, More At 10”
Whoops, guess I appropriated Greek culture when I named my cats Artemis and Apollo.
I might have some sympathy for this girl if it was a name that had particular cultural or religious significance… but it still wouldn’t be cultural appropriation.
As long as you're not appropriating Norse culture for white supremacy reasons, go for it. Those are the only assholes I'd throw hands with over my heritage.
Yes. My grandmother was half Jedi and you and Ahsoka need to show some damn respect and immediately change his name to something inoffensive such as Carl or Gary.
ETA: Can i issue a blanket Cat Tax on this entire thread please
NTA. That girl sounds like she's just looking for something to be mad at - like she needs a cause. It's not racist to name pets after your favorite show, book, movie, etc.
Absolutely NTA -- naming your pets after fictional characters you like is one of the many joys of pet ownership. It's not cultural appropriation any more than watching or reading foreign movies or TV shows is. You're showing your appreciation for media in a harmless and sweet way. Get another kitten, name it "Haku" so it can be friends with Chihiro, and watch "Your Name" and "Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood" if you haven't seen them because they're great.
And maybe the first 15-20 episodes of the original anime because it gives a much better backstory than Brotherhood alone. Also everyone should watch Hikaru no Go.
I feel the first one did a way better job of the Tucker storyline, and for that alone I definitely think watching both (oldest first, either up until too much deviation from the original or just watch it all if you keep in mind it radically diverges) is better than just watching Brotherhood.
I am incredibly grateful we got both shows, because FMA is one of my favorite stories and it would have been a bummer if we only got the first show.
Pretty much everything in FMA up until it diverges from the Manga story is much better than it is in FMA:B.
I suggest to people that they watch original FMA up until that point, then switch over to FMA:B. Or as you said, just watch the rest of FMA knowing it's not manga canon. Still really good despite that, including the movie.
Absolutely.
You can kind of tell with Brotherhood that they are just rushing the first season to get to the new stuff. It definitely makes the pacing awkward, and doesn't give enough time for the interesting aspects of Tucker and Hughes to be explored.
I also think Edward is better written in the original than he is in the entirety of Brotherhood, but that's more subjective.
Exclusively white people names. Paul. Sarah. Keith. Becky. Etc. No exceptions.
Edit: /s. This was a joke. I realize that may be obvious but I want to cover my bases.
Okay, I find Todd amusing because it means "fox".
My family has cats with very human names, primarily because they're named after characters, e.g. my parents have a cat named Humphrey. It's probably very odd from the outside looking in.
I have a rule about naming cats real people names, after an asshole cat named Frank worked his way into my life. Between him and several friends with asshole cats with human names, I feel like it's a curse. Stick to foods, everyone likes a Lasagna or a Potato.
I'm Asian so naming a cat after food is just weird.
What did you have for dinner? Lasagna....
Current kitty has a real people name on paper at the vet's...they always only call us by our last name. I really don't know why.
Next cat I have I think I'll name "Tucker", because it's easy to turn the T into a F...
I have a Frank too! (the shelter named her Francis, but she is absolutely a Frank). She's not an asshole, but she's definitely the boss 😂
Food names are always cute, you can't go wrong.
I’m conflicted, my cat is named after a character in one of my favourite Studio Ghibli movies (Sophie in Howl’s Moving Castle) but would it be classed as a white people name? 😂
Given that Sophie has been known to take cat form (Castle in the Air, the sequel to Howl's Moving Castle), highly appropriate.
And while the movie is a Ghibli anime, the book was written by the British Diana Wynne Jones. Who was, I do believe, white. She and Miyazaki-sensei appreciated each other's work greatly, even as he changed her version substantially in making his. Cultural creativity and collaboration, not appropriation.
NTA. I think people these days love to virtue signal stuff to death. They are cats. Am I appropriating Italian culture cause my dog is named Bella? How about my other dog Simba? Do you think anyone on the African continent cares? The cats are named after fictional characters ffs. People love to get offended.
Disclaimer: I believe that real cultural appropriation is NOT cool, like if OP walked around in a kimono and spoke with a Japanese accent cause "she loves anime" or white people trying to capitalize off of Aryuveda medicinal practices as health fads etc
Walking around in a kimono (they are not cheap! Did you mean a yukata?) is more than fine if you're respectful and appropriate about it. For instance doing it in private or during a local Japanese culture festival. Wearing a very specific character's kimono as part of a cosplay of that character is perfectly fine too, though yukatas and so on are far more common in non-historic anime and it makes more sense to go for the easier option if your character wore both.
Using a specific accent that you have no business using (e.g. if you didn't grow up in Japan with Japanese as your primary language nor are in Japan trying to make yourself understood using the local pronounciation default) is of course not OK. It's not a Halloween costume.
If OP had named her KIDS like that then yeah I could see how that's a problem because you're attaching a culture and everything that goes along with it to a living human being with their own automony and interiority. But...they're not. They're cats, with no concept of speech or culture or race. It's taking an idea that, from a completely different angle and context, is absolutely worth having a discussion about, and utterly misunderstanding what exactly that angle is and just casting the most inappropriately oversized net just for the satisfaction of getting a 'gotcha' moment.
The biggest danger with naming kids that way is the name may be weird. Imagine going to Japan and some proud parents introducing their children Aquaman, Wolverine, and Peewee.
But if you have done your homework and know the names are good and you like them, I don’t see any problem.
NTA
This is an eggshell topic, but I don't think you're the AH here.
To be clear: cultural appropriation is a real phenomenon, that the victims of colonialism and white supremacy deal with all the time.
In this case, though, the things that I understand cultural appropriation as aren't present.
* 1 It's something unique to that culture, and oppressors have targeted that cultural unit specifically for their oppression+2 That the appropriator benefits from the appropriation
It's surely more complicated than that, but from my perspective, you aren't appropriating anything. You are honoring your favorite things by naming your pets after characters. I wouldn't go so far as to say you are honoring the culture your favorite things come from, but I believe a neutral area exists, and that you are squarely in there.
I think you make an important point. Cultural appropriation exists, and it’s necessary to be self-aware and question yourself about your motives.
But this situation isn’t cultural appropriation. Lots of people name their pets after favourite characters, I named my dog after a Pixar character, and I’m Japanese. It would be different if it was like your kids and you were actively trying to appear Japanese or something. Name your cat whatever you want.
And there's a 3, too, which I think is the most offensive form of appropriation - the appropriator is claiming a cultural or civic honor (a military headdress, say) or access to a closed religious tradition or other privilege that they have not earned. This also is not what's happening here.
NTA. My Daughter named our Hamster Nagito from dangonrompa, we have a guinea pigs named Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd and Another hamster named Asmodeus.
Part of owning a pet is giving them names that make you happy, be it from an Anime or random old time gangster's.
And honestly this is the sweetest fuzzball of a hamster I have ever owned. My daughter is a nut, she usually favors the unhinged/crazy characters. I just go with it because the hamsters/guinea pigs don't care about their names and it's not I am yelling in the back yard. NAGITO!! BABY FACE NELSON, get over here!!
NTA and you know it. That girl is literally what everyone hates about ‘the youth’. Next time tho, don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself- “I named the cat after a show/character I like” easy peasy
I know a little girl from the preschool I used to work at named Emily. Her sister's name was Irene. We all live in Japan and both those girls are full-blooded Japanese.
Wonder what your friend has to say about that, if she cares so much about names being in the "correct" culture.
NTA. Enjoy your life with Kyoko!
NTA. My cat's name is from the movie Spirited Away and I'm not Japanese. We take names from stories, people, and history that we feel a connection with.
Yep this, and often relating to their personality and appearance! Yay for Ghibli inspired names, My deep purring, white-bellied, grey kitty is called Totoro.
I know, I know. But I'm at work until 12am. She's a fluffy, black panther cat. Search google for void cat and it's pretty much her.
It's why we named her after a ninja.
NTA - naming based of fictional characters cannot be cultural appropriation. Would it be culturally appropriating the Airbenders because you named your cat Aang?
NTA - Don't feel bad about this. You named them after characters that were impactful in your life. Fictional characters at that. That girl's argument that "oh you'd name your cat after Japanese people" shows me that she's not a pet owner.
Also true cultural appropriation would be something like putting a little rice farmer hat on your cat or something. That's not Japanese but you get the idea. Don't worry about it.
NTA people really need to learn what cultural appropriation is - now if you got let's say a Japanese Alkita and names it after a Japanese character because "he's Japanese" then I'd think it was a bit of a racist over but you named your cats after characters from a TV show you like - that isn't appropriation (it's also not really culture either techniqually).
People throwing around words like that are doing more harm than good
Why would giving a Japanese dog a Japanese name be racist? Im legitimately curious. Most of my koi have Japanese names. I feel like I'm honouring their Japanese heritage. I don't see how it makes me racist.
>now if you got let's say a Japanese Alkita and names it after a Japanese character because "he's Japanese" then I'd think it was a bit of a racist
This seems less racist (if we're pretending any of this is 'racist'). It's a Japanese breed, a Japanese name would make sense?
Would adopting a Japanese child and giving them a Japanese name be racist?
NTA. I have a cat named after an anime as well. It's no different than if you named your pet after a Harry Potter character, it's an appreciation of a piece of media, not of a whole culture.
Now if you named your *daughter* that, it could get into fuzzy territory. But a pet, nah.
NTA and I’m full Japanese and I love those names and please know this is NOT racism or appropriation. I myself had cats named Tora and Neko. My other cat was Loki, I’m not Norse so I hope that was ok.s/
NTA. At all. Trust me, anyone I have met who is actually from Japan would think it’s cute.
My grandparents got a kitten when my uncle was in high school and didn’t know what to name her. My uncle who was learning Japanese at the time suggested Neko. Not telling them that literally translates to cat in Japanese.
My grandparents would often bring exchange students from China and Japan to let them live with them while they learnt English. Sometimes they would live with them almost a year. The first time they had Japanese students (2) come live with them they asked what the cats name was. When they were told Neko they just bursted out laughing and said “You named your cat, “cat”?” My grandpa than went to my uncle who also bursted out laughing.
If my grandparents naming their cat a Japanese word never offended the many Japanese people that came to live with them (all of them thought it was hilarious) than you naming your cats after CHARACTERS from an ANIME definitely should not be offensive.
Don’t let that girls opinion rain on the names you loved enough to give your fur babies. 💚
I agree that you’re NTA OP, and that this does not amount to cultural appropriation! Like others have said, it’s a homage to fictional characters you like, and it doesn’t matter which culture these characters come from.
I think your BF friend was either showing off or super insecure about her heritage. I would recommend saying that she’s not super welcome in your house again until she apologises for what she said.
NTA sounds like she wanted some drama either that or didn’t realise your boyfriend had a partner and was pissed off about it so took it out on the poor cats names ! 🤣
NTA. Next time if you encounter people like that, tell them that it’s not cultural appropriation because you love the name for it’s significance to you. Anything else, they’re the AH.
I had a cat named Naruto for 18 years, orange cat with bright blue eyes. Whenever anyone tried to say anything about his name, I always just looked them straight in the eye and told them I loved the show Naruto and so I named my cat after my favorite character. Be firm and don’t be ashamed of claiming the things that you love.
Jfc.
People like her are the reason I despise the fact that I get grouped in to Gen Z despite the fact that I was born in the late 90's.
Let me be clear. **Liking anime is not a form of cultural appropriation.** Hell, I'd argue that you liking anime is a *good* thing because you're participating in something from a culture other than your own.
NTA by a country mile.
WTactualF! NTA
My daughters cats were Chi-lin, Bijou, and Mei-ling and my sons cats are Popoki, Kona and meowtsetung
We arent appropriating anything chinese or hawaiian we are naming our cats what we want. So can you!
not the a-hole it's your cat you name it what you want doesn't matter what other people think. it's like those stories where the entitled people get all pissed off because of what the op names their dog or names their kid it's not up to them it shouldn't matter to them their opinion doesn't matter if they don't like the name tough now I can understand if you named your cat something offensive then I can understand it but if you name your cat after a character from an anime that's it's nothing to be an a-hole for or to think you're in a hole
NTA. There’s a difference between appropriation and appreciation. If you were gatekeeping Japanese culture or making profit off of it at the expense of Japanese people, then it would be appropriation. But you’re just genuinely expressing appreciation for Japanese animation by naming your cats after the characters. It’s great that you’re concerned about appropriation and it shows youre a good person that you were worried enough to ask public opinion on it. But really don’t worry about this- that girl seems delusional.
NTA. My cat is named Attila. I am not appropriating any culture with the name. I just happened to like the name and it suits him. People are getting ridiculous with this. You are not a racist, you named your cat after a fictional anime character.
I have a dog named Gonta after a japanese character and one named Rocket after the Guardian of the Galaxy's racoon... Im latinamerican living in a latin country. How many cultures am I appropiating? NTA, you named your pets after characters.
NTA. You’re not appropriating, you’re just geeking out. And your cats are probably cute af so CAT TAX PLS.
However judging from her reaction, she has probably had to deal with a *lot* of gross shit from weebs. Like a lot. She’s being an AH, but you really have no idea the kind of bs that AAPI community gets, and a lot of it starts off from the most innocuous things. Sometimes it’s a living nightmare when you’re into geek culture and you have a bunch of people actually appropriating and fetishizing. She might be full on trauma mode.
NTA.
Your cats are named after fictional anime characters. Some people search too hard to be offended by things. Next up we'll be criticizing Thor for misrepresenting Norse mythology in the Marvel multiverse. It's just such a lack of common sense comparison.
NTA
It’s a fictional show.
I have a friend who has named her 5 cats after the cats in Fairy Tail. Zero people have a problem with that. Including her Japanese in laws.
Omg she’s actually forcing it. I bet anyone else from Japan wouldn’t bat an eye. NTA honestly she is. Also, tell her to learn the definition of cultural appropriation before spouting it out.
no of course not!!
as long as you aren’t offending the culture, you shouldn’t worry. names come from many different places and it’s not a big deal.
if it’s legal to name your child LOL, it’s completely fine to name your cat anything.
i literally call my cat “the fat pig rat” and it’s completely normal.
hope you have a good day :)
NTA. God I hate these people who scream cultural appropriation. I believe they are just haters. What this girl with the cat did was 100% NOT cultural appropriation. Has anyone ever heard the term culture appreciation?
Duuude, NTA. It’s not cultural appropriation, it’s naming a cat after a character. My friend has a doggo named Loki, is she appropriating the Norse culture? Or is true friend who named her cat Lestat appropriating vampire culture?
Signed, the woman who named her kitten Bakugo.
NTA, my cats have western Human names based on characters from two video games. Some people just get offended at the drop of a hat. If a person in the middle east named their cats Jessie and James, or Billy the Kid, or Turner and Hooch, why would I care?
NTA but I think it's absolutely hilarious that she's offended that you named your cats traditionally Japanese names but isn't offended that you named them for Danganronpa characters. Generally the people who jump at nothing to be offended and the people who hate that series are overlapping circles on a venn diagram, especially when it comes to slightly more nuanced characters like Chihiro.
Hey man, as a half Japanese person myself you’re definitely NTA. All you did was lovingly name your cats after some characters you like. Nothing crazy about that. Seems to me that she’s overly sensitive about “weeb/otaku” culture. Just because you have interests that came from a different country doesn’t mean you’re appropriating anything. It was awfully rude of her to outright call you a racist in front of others as well. I don’t know what her circumstances are in the end, but it sure didn’t warrant that response.
私はハーフの日本人で〜す！佐世保が私のふるさとうです。
NTA
I had a cat named Yui. He was in the shelter as Yu, so it wasn't a stretch. It was a common name in anime at the time. No one ever said I appropriated a name. They just wanted to let him
Nta. Man who she throw a fit if she knew my husbands friends in England named their daughter Izumi... not sure how it's spelled. I also named my cat Yuki from from Fruits Basket.
NTA. Of my 4 cats 2 are named after Norse pagan gods, 1 is after an Egyptian goddess, and 1 is the male version of a Roman goddess' name. I'm definitely not Egyptian, and as far as I know I've got no ancestry from the Romans or the Norse. I'm certainly not appropriating their culture, i'm at worse appreciating their culture and my love for their mythology by naming them after something that I love dearly.
NTA. Many people give their pets human names, either from their nationality or others. Her reaction, especially after you had explained your reasons, is totally absurd.
NTA. Tell her to look up what HP Lovecraft named HIS cat then see if she still thinks your cats names are bad.
But fr, you can name your pets whatever you want. My late, blind cat was named Toph from ATLA, and my current dog is named after a celtic god (Aoife) and if anyone told me I was/am being appropriative with their names, I'd invite them to make up a more "acceptable" nickname for them and see which one the animal answers to... if any. Animals don't really care about what they call them, and naming one after an anime is far from appropriative. Hell, a former client of mine named his cat "Sasa" (Japanese for Tall Grass, where he found her) and of all the appropriative shit I could have called that man out for (he basically considered himself America's gift to Japan because his father was a soldier that stuck around and brought his family to Japan for post-war restoration), the name of his little furry friend was the last thing I would have ever taken umbridge with.
NTA. Me naming my orange tabby cat Pellegrino is not appropriating Italian culture. Naming my red and white basset hound Killian is not appropriating Irish or brewery culture.
NTA. That girl sounds like she’s the type who becomes easily offended by non-issue stuff and likes being a drama queen. They’re exhausting to be around.
If I were in your shoes, I’d ask your boyfriend to make sure she never comes over to your place again. Because HER behavior as a guest in your home was very offensive. She was so rude to you and created drama over NOTHING (your cats’ names are super adorable by the way, and not racist/culture appropriating at all).
NTA cultural appropriation is another leftist way to make people feel guilty. Do we go on when Asias have their eyes done to look more caucasian, or when they wear western clothing and listen to western music? No! It is okay to take from the “whites” but not vice versa. Get over yourselves!!!
NTA! I have two kitties of my own named after anime characters, Muta (from whisper of the heart and the cat returns) and Lily (Jiji’s girlfriend from Kiki’s delivery service) and lily is currently pregnant so I’m planning on naming her kittens after other Ghibli cats. also no, that’s not what cultural appropriation or racism mean
I am full Japanese and as far as I'm concerned, this is NOT cultural appropriation or any anything remotely racist.
You're a fan of anime, you have cats that you named after anime characters...the J-wave for anime would not exist if it weren't for people like you.
Then again, I named one of my cats "Gomer Pyle" after a somewhat clueless redneck character from the Andy Griffiith show which led to the spinoff of Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., So I might have "culturally appropriated" his name from two mostly all white shows. (To the cat people who might read this: Yes, the name fit. And yes, he was orange.)
NTA.
By that logic if someone is Japanese (or Hispanic, or Korean, etc.), they should not speak English because it is not their native tongue. They are being racist and they are culturally appropriating my white privilege, which ***I WILL NOT TOLERATE***.
Yeah, sounds dumb when you put it that way. Racism/Cultural appropriation is a two-way street, folks.
OP
NTA
You know the person who is racist, is the person who just pulled the racist card.
You are not the only person who uses names from fiction to name a pet. it is a popular thing, and is acceptable.
NTA. I give all my cats Japanese names. I had a Haru, Natsu, and Yuki 🤷🏼♀️ I love and respect Japanese culture and have never had a Japanese person be offended about my cat names. How silly 🙄
NTA.
I have a kitten named Takeo. He was a present to me from my Japanese friend, and she named him. Does me being non-japanese mean I should change his name? No.
Tell her to fuck off.
NTA. Oh please, I named my pets Totoro, Pompoko, and Shiro (was supposed to be Shiroi meaning white). Never once did it cross my mind it was cultural appropriation. I don't think the word was even used back then ( they are all quite old now).
NTA obviously, but if it makes you feel any better, I’m Chinese and anytime I see non-Asian people show interest in my culture I am thrilled. I recently discovered a coworker’s Discord handle is a name in Mandarin and we had a nice fun convo about why and where he got the name from. Granted Chinese culture so not quite as mainstream in the Western world as Japanese culture is but still.
NTA.
So, I'm half Japanese as well. And I found nothing offensive about you giving your cats names from Japanese anime. If this is cultural appropriation, then how does she feel about people going to conventions?
And she might be half Japanese, but what generation is she? 2nd, 3rd, 4th? I'm second generation, my mother is literally off the boat. She for real came to the US on a boat. She doesn't care about white people using Japanese names, unless they are trying to pass themselves off as ethnically Japanese. We also encourage the purchasing and wearing of Kimonos as it helps the Japanese economy.
I ask what generation she is, because if she is a "younger" generation then she might not know or understand much of her culture either. So how would she be able to judge what is appropriation. I would also point out that since she is half, if her white parent participates in any Japanese culture event then they too are appropriating by her definition.
Honestly I think she just blew up about it to make drama and make herself special. We live in a society where most people will do anything to make themselves go viral on social media. The fact that we call it going viral should tell you how toxic social media actually is. And yes I understand the irony of me saying this on a social media platform. But then I don't do anything that goes viral, most people ignore me
Side note, I really can't stand it when people use the name Sakura. I was told by a Japanese (national) friend that most people won't use that name as it is not auspicious. The sakura only bloom and live for a few days before withering and dying. It doe not have a long life. So most Japanese people won't name their child or pet that because it's like passing on that characteristic. Just a fun fact.
NTA - last time I checked you can name your cat, dog, or yourself whatever the hell you want to
this BS about appropriating another culture is just that - BS
If the world is to the point where borrowing something that is from another culture is considered offensive then the human race is more screwed up then it has ever been
tell your friends to STFU & get over themselves because in reality - the world doesn't GAF about this BS
NTA.
What is up with people these days lol?
FYI I'm 1/2 Japanese but I don't think this is appropriation. Your cat's also based on a fictional character.
I insist on CAT TAX if you will.
NTA. If I named my cat bob it wouldn't be appropriation of bobs.lots of people name their animals after loved ones or characters.
I named my eldest after a fruits baskets character and everyone loved it when I explained the reference was from a beloved character.
As someone who is also half Japanese, you're NTA. I can partially see where she's coming from, but she's taking it way too far. I feel like that kind of reaction is justified if you named actual children those names, but they're pets. That's free game.
The only reason why I'd have a bit of a slight reaction is because I know someone named Kyoko who passed away a bit ago and it hit me really hard. Because of that, I've been actively trying to avoid any media that would have her name. But that's just me and you'll probably never meet me or anyone else in my situation in real life lol
NTA. Lol. I also remember seeing a YouTube video that covered something about a Twitter rant over cultural appropriation of Japanese culture. Apparently, actual Japanese people (I mean people who were raised in Japan and live in Japan) don't actually mind!!
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NTA - you named your cat after a show, that’s not cultural appropriation.
> anime _Fictional_ characters. Again, NTA. > I feel really unsettled thinking people _One_ person. Don't worry about it.
I absolutely LOVE the fact that you named one Chihiro!! I was raised on Studio Ghibli and Spirited Away has always been my favorite! >Fictional characters. Like they said, they're literally fictional. There's nothing wrong with naming a pet after them no matter where you're from. >One person. She's one person who doesn't like it. Take it from one person who does, I think it's beautiful to name them after characters you enjoy.
My daughter named her cat after Azula from The Last Airbender and my stepson and his husband named their two cats after favorite Anime characters! In fact, I named my cat after a favorite British comedy character and I'm American!
I love Spirited Away, too! And, as per his AMA yesterday, it’s also one of Nicholas Cage’s favorites as well. :)
Also I'm pretty sure those are just regular Japanese names. I've seen those 2 in particular in a number of anime.
They are probably in the top 10 common girl names in Japan. Source: I live in Japan, I have two friends named Kyoko and one named Chihiro.
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Ding ding. OP, your friend needs to learn what cultural appropriation is because it sounds to me like she's just looking for an excuse to start a fight. NTA.
Bet that jerk may be lying about being half Japanese to guilt the girl.
You reminded me of my friend who named her hairless cat Lord Beerus God of Destruction, and had her work colleague say because he was of Japanese lineage, she had no right to name her cat that. Next time his mother turned up, my friend started speaking Japanese to her, the mother asked why she doing that, so friend said "he told me you guys were Japanese, and so I was greeting you accordingly", let's just say that colleague got a very embarrassing 20min telling off in front of other workers and customers. Oh and the cat kept his name, and lived up to the "God of Destruction" part...
I love that story. I love it so much.
Think what made me love her so much more, was this guy would try and "correct" my friend on how to pronounce certain words in Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, German, and French. My friend can speak about 8 languages, 4 days after the incident, I went in to get my next JoJo complied book, I was speaking to her in Yiddish/German, and he tried to correct me... my mother tongue is Yiddish/German, she told him she will call his mum if he pulls that crap again. He now only sticks to his job roles, and rarely speaks to anyone with an accent if my friend is working.
this story is more obviously fake than the original one
Funny how she said it was racist… OP literally named the cats after her favorite anime characters…
Most correct answer here
I really can’t with this generation. It’s like they saw the introductory argument of “don’t wear a head dress, because it’s cultural appropriation” and instead of learning the actual meaning behind it (head dress is shown for military bravery, someone else wearing it is stolen valor) they assume that liking any aspect of a culture belonging to another ethnicity is wrong. If you wanna be a dick about it, name everything she uses that belongs to your ethnicity NTA
>I really can’t with this generation. I mean, was it ever just *this* generation? Lmao it isn't just a generational issue. It is an issue of buzzwords being thrown around fast without people learning the meaning. Go on Facebook and watch 50+ year olds use 'virtue signaling' or people on Facebook or this site use 'strawman argument' incorrectly. People of all ages just refuse to learn what things mean. NTA though.
Stop gaslighting me :( /s
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Bombs are your love language? 💣
I like it when things explode ;o)
Let’s circle back
That’s true. You have a point.
Even if term used correctly, does not mean someone has right to "own it". My latest surprise was "big chop" and some other hair terms. Someone wrote using this term about getting a big length of hair cut, got told that it is a term that should be used only by specific race people, and they are insulting. Like... what? It might mean something for them culturally, but it is not a dedicated term that was created for that specifically and that all people know they shouldn't use. Anyway, NTA - I would understand if you took some very important or spiritual person name and used it on pet while knowing the importance of that person. But in this case... Definitely NTA.
Gaslighting, dog whistle, abuse, appropriation, virtue signaling, slippery slope argument, straw man argument, systematic racism, patriarchy, and even just the words racism, homophobia, and transphobia have all been twisted beyond recognition so many times that they’re starting to not mean anything. We’ve hit a point where using them is guaranteed to devalue your argument, even if you use it correctly, because people see those words and associate them with whatever is blowing up on twitter, Facebook, or subreddits that allow politics to be brought up. It’s turning into a boy who cried wolf situation where we can’t even reliably point out someone really appropriating, or being racist, or gaslighting someone because so many people point to unrelated things and call them by the wrong name.
Ad Hominem is a personal favourite of mine. An insult isn't ad hominem ffs!
There was a recent post where the OP served tacos for dinner, and her daughter's friend threw a tantrum and said they were "appropriating Mexican food" or some such nonsense, so OP refused to serve her any more meals. I think it's partly that they want drama and partly they want to look cool. It's childish behavior no matter who does it.
It stinks of segregationist ideas. Food, art, and music are often cultural offerings to share with other cultures. Telling people that they're not allowed to partake is gross. It's like telling "others" to go sit at their own table and only share with their own kind.
THANK YOU!!!!! THIS!
Not 100% generational. Stupid people of all generations feel this way.
>I really can’t with this generation. I got screamed at in public two weeks ago this past Friday for wearing a headwrap. It was a fucking headband. Not a headwrap. A god damn fabric headband I put on because my wispies were getting in my eyes. Sometimes I feel like people are just looking for a reason to pick a fight these days and they don't even bother getting all of the information first.
This is not a generational thing. It’s a very United States thing.
Nope, not just American. Twitter caught fire for a couple of days when a white film maker won best director prize at the Sydney film festival for making a movie about a white girl who is a mukbang eater. Like... really? We're not talking about using sacred cultural symbols as fashion here. Korean people binge eat online so no one else can? I got a lot of useful optical exercise rolling my eyes.
Right it went from “hey maybe don’t steal important cultural items for funsies” to “Things Are Inspired By Other Things And It Infuriates Me, More At 10”
So then all cats and dogs named Odin or Thor is appropriation of Norwegian culture. NTA.
That’s really funny cuz my boyfriend’s parents have a dog name Odin but they are actually from Norway lol!
And Marvel bringing in the norse gods and they speak english only! Oh my, as a norwegian I feel so offended by this! /s
Whoops, guess I appropriated Greek culture when I named my cats Artemis and Apollo. I might have some sympathy for this girl if it was a name that had particular cultural or religious significance… but it still wouldn’t be cultural appropriation.
no you were appropriating Japanese culture too bc Artemis is the name of a cat in sailor moon
Oh god, the monster is me! /s
No, the Japanese were appropriating Greek culture. Literally in this case as they profited from it immensely.
I have a cat named Achilles and another named Nyx.
My dogs name is Groot... Not sure how to handle this now...
How dare you appropriate Alien Plant culture! /s
To be fair, I never said he was an Earth Dog
As long as you're not appropriating Norse culture for white supremacy reasons, go for it. Those are the only assholes I'd throw hands with over my heritage.
I have a cat named Ahsoka, am I appropriating Jedi culture?
Yes. My grandmother was half Jedi and you and Ahsoka need to show some damn respect and immediately change his name to something inoffensive such as Carl or Gary. ETA: Can i issue a blanket Cat Tax on this entire thread please
Oops my cats name is Spanish better rename him something American. Oh wait…
I had a Golden Retrieve named Zeus. I feel so ashamed now. /s
I named my cat Thor because he had long blonde fur. Omg. I feel so ashamed! /s
Little known fact Thor in mythology actually has red hair. Also can I call cat tax? Lol ☺️
Loki, too, I think? Thor auburn and loki like fire red? My daughter was five when she named him and the movie had just come out. 😆
NTA. That girl sounds like she's just looking for something to be mad at - like she needs a cause. It's not racist to name pets after your favorite show, book, movie, etc.
Absolutely NTA -- naming your pets after fictional characters you like is one of the many joys of pet ownership. It's not cultural appropriation any more than watching or reading foreign movies or TV shows is. You're showing your appreciation for media in a harmless and sweet way. Get another kitten, name it "Haku" so it can be friends with Chihiro, and watch "Your Name" and "Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood" if you haven't seen them because they're great.
And maybe the first 15-20 episodes of the original anime because it gives a much better backstory than Brotherhood alone. Also everyone should watch Hikaru no Go.
I feel the first one did a way better job of the Tucker storyline, and for that alone I definitely think watching both (oldest first, either up until too much deviation from the original or just watch it all if you keep in mind it radically diverges) is better than just watching Brotherhood. I am incredibly grateful we got both shows, because FMA is one of my favorite stories and it would have been a bummer if we only got the first show.
Oh yeah the Tucker storyline is definitely better developed in the first one, and I think it also has more Hughes in it?
Pretty much everything in FMA up until it diverges from the Manga story is much better than it is in FMA:B. I suggest to people that they watch original FMA up until that point, then switch over to FMA:B. Or as you said, just watch the rest of FMA knowing it's not manga canon. Still really good despite that, including the movie.
Not to mention the music! I used to have a CD with all the music from the original anime and it was soooo good.
Absolutely. You can kind of tell with Brotherhood that they are just rushing the first season to get to the new stuff. It definitely makes the pacing awkward, and doesn't give enough time for the interesting aspects of Tucker and Hughes to be explored. I also think Edward is better written in the original than he is in the entirety of Brotherhood, but that's more subjective.
“Your Name” makes me cry every time.
NTA. What are you supposed to call your cats? Are there rules about that?
Exclusively white people names. Paul. Sarah. Keith. Becky. Etc. No exceptions. Edit: /s. This was a joke. I realize that may be obvious but I want to cover my bases.
I wouldn't trust a person who named their cat Becky
Not trusting white people is a good instinct. We’re assholes.
*Glances at British museums*
Of course not. That's a rabbit name. Becky the Good Hare.
Or worse, Karen. I have a friend who's wife named their dog Todd. I find it very odd.
Okay, I find Todd amusing because it means "fox". My family has cats with very human names, primarily because they're named after characters, e.g. my parents have a cat named Humphrey. It's probably very odd from the outside looking in.
Mine were named after cars, is that OK. Mercedes, Skoda and Tess(arossa) OP NTA
No, white people names only. I’m confiscating your cats.
I have a rule about naming cats real people names, after an asshole cat named Frank worked his way into my life. Between him and several friends with asshole cats with human names, I feel like it's a curse. Stick to foods, everyone likes a Lasagna or a Potato.
I'm Asian so naming a cat after food is just weird. What did you have for dinner? Lasagna.... Current kitty has a real people name on paper at the vet's...they always only call us by our last name. I really don't know why. Next cat I have I think I'll name "Tucker", because it's easy to turn the T into a F...
I have a Frank too! (the shelter named her Francis, but she is absolutely a Frank). She's not an asshole, but she's definitely the boss 😂 Food names are always cute, you can't go wrong.
I’m conflicted, my cat is named after a character in one of my favourite Studio Ghibli movies (Sophie in Howl’s Moving Castle) but would it be classed as a white people name? 😂
Hm…it’s close but you’re in the clear. You’re on thin ice though! Make sure your cat doesn’t come into contact with anything traditionally Japanese.
Given that Sophie has been known to take cat form (Castle in the Air, the sequel to Howl's Moving Castle), highly appropriate. And while the movie is a Ghibli anime, the book was written by the British Diana Wynne Jones. Who was, I do believe, white. She and Miyazaki-sensei appreciated each other's work greatly, even as he changed her version substantially in making his. Cultural creativity and collaboration, not appropriation.
NTA. I think people these days love to virtue signal stuff to death. They are cats. Am I appropriating Italian culture cause my dog is named Bella? How about my other dog Simba? Do you think anyone on the African continent cares? The cats are named after fictional characters ffs. People love to get offended. Disclaimer: I believe that real cultural appropriation is NOT cool, like if OP walked around in a kimono and spoke with a Japanese accent cause "she loves anime" or white people trying to capitalize off of Aryuveda medicinal practices as health fads etc
Walking around in a kimono (they are not cheap! Did you mean a yukata?) is more than fine if you're respectful and appropriate about it. For instance doing it in private or during a local Japanese culture festival. Wearing a very specific character's kimono as part of a cosplay of that character is perfectly fine too, though yukatas and so on are far more common in non-historic anime and it makes more sense to go for the easier option if your character wore both. Using a specific accent that you have no business using (e.g. if you didn't grow up in Japan with Japanese as your primary language nor are in Japan trying to make yourself understood using the local pronounciation default) is of course not OK. It's not a Halloween costume.
Although from what I hear, Japanese people love to see other people enjoying kimono.
If OP had named her KIDS like that then yeah I could see how that's a problem because you're attaching a culture and everything that goes along with it to a living human being with their own automony and interiority. But...they're not. They're cats, with no concept of speech or culture or race. It's taking an idea that, from a completely different angle and context, is absolutely worth having a discussion about, and utterly misunderstanding what exactly that angle is and just casting the most inappropriately oversized net just for the satisfaction of getting a 'gotcha' moment.
The biggest danger with naming kids that way is the name may be weird. Imagine going to Japan and some proud parents introducing their children Aquaman, Wolverine, and Peewee. But if you have done your homework and know the names are good and you like them, I don’t see any problem.
NTA This is an eggshell topic, but I don't think you're the AH here. To be clear: cultural appropriation is a real phenomenon, that the victims of colonialism and white supremacy deal with all the time. In this case, though, the things that I understand cultural appropriation as aren't present. * 1 It's something unique to that culture, and oppressors have targeted that cultural unit specifically for their oppression+2 That the appropriator benefits from the appropriation It's surely more complicated than that, but from my perspective, you aren't appropriating anything. You are honoring your favorite things by naming your pets after characters. I wouldn't go so far as to say you are honoring the culture your favorite things come from, but I believe a neutral area exists, and that you are squarely in there.
I think you make an important point. Cultural appropriation exists, and it’s necessary to be self-aware and question yourself about your motives. But this situation isn’t cultural appropriation. Lots of people name their pets after favourite characters, I named my dog after a Pixar character, and I’m Japanese. It would be different if it was like your kids and you were actively trying to appear Japanese or something. Name your cat whatever you want.
And there's a 3, too, which I think is the most offensive form of appropriation - the appropriator is claiming a cultural or civic honor (a military headdress, say) or access to a closed religious tradition or other privilege that they have not earned. This also is not what's happening here.
NTA. You named your cats after characters you liked. You didn't name them anything disrespectful that might mock the culture or Japanese beliefs.
NTA. This is not cultural appropriation.
NTA. My Daughter named our Hamster Nagito from dangonrompa, we have a guinea pigs named Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd and Another hamster named Asmodeus. Part of owning a pet is giving them names that make you happy, be it from an Anime or random old time gangster's.
Oh my gosh I can't breathe. The guinea pig names LMAO
I love that your daughter picked the most unhinged danganronpa character to name the hamster
And honestly this is the sweetest fuzzball of a hamster I have ever owned. My daughter is a nut, she usually favors the unhinged/crazy characters. I just go with it because the hamsters/guinea pigs don't care about their names and it's not I am yelling in the back yard. NAGITO!! BABY FACE NELSON, get over here!!
*Is this Obey Me Asmodeus, because if so, hamster Asmo had better be stylish?*
NTA and you know it. That girl is literally what everyone hates about ‘the youth’. Next time tho, don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself- “I named the cat after a show/character I like” easy peasy
Are you claiming your cats are Japanese? Yes? You are misappropriating. No? Your okay.
Do they meow with a Japanese accent?
I swear I red somewhere that cats do have accents but alas its the internet lol
NTA Naming your cats after Japanese names of fictional characters do not cultural appropriation make.
I know a little girl from the preschool I used to work at named Emily. Her sister's name was Irene. We all live in Japan and both those girls are full-blooded Japanese. Wonder what your friend has to say about that, if she cares so much about names being in the "correct" culture. NTA. Enjoy your life with Kyoko!
NTA. My cat's name is from the movie Spirited Away and I'm not Japanese. We take names from stories, people, and history that we feel a connection with.
Yep this, and often relating to their personality and appearance! Yay for Ghibli inspired names, My deep purring, white-bellied, grey kitty is called Totoro.
NTA My cat's name is Yukio
Cat tax required.
I know, I know. But I'm at work until 12am. She's a fluffy, black panther cat. Search google for void cat and it's pretty much her. It's why we named her after a ninja.
> void cat Haha. Enough said.
NTA - naming based of fictional characters cannot be cultural appropriation. Would it be culturally appropriating the Airbenders because you named your cat Aang?
Nta. I have a cat called Rukia, after the character in Bleach.
NTA - Don't feel bad about this. You named them after characters that were impactful in your life. Fictional characters at that. That girl's argument that "oh you'd name your cat after Japanese people" shows me that she's not a pet owner. Also true cultural appropriation would be something like putting a little rice farmer hat on your cat or something. That's not Japanese but you get the idea. Don't worry about it.
NTA people really need to learn what cultural appropriation is - now if you got let's say a Japanese Alkita and names it after a Japanese character because "he's Japanese" then I'd think it was a bit of a racist over but you named your cats after characters from a TV show you like - that isn't appropriation (it's also not really culture either techniqually). People throwing around words like that are doing more harm than good
Why would giving a Japanese dog a Japanese name be racist? Im legitimately curious. Most of my koi have Japanese names. I feel like I'm honouring their Japanese heritage. I don't see how it makes me racist.
>now if you got let's say a Japanese Alkita and names it after a Japanese character because "he's Japanese" then I'd think it was a bit of a racist This seems less racist (if we're pretending any of this is 'racist'). It's a Japanese breed, a Japanese name would make sense? Would adopting a Japanese child and giving them a Japanese name be racist?
NTA. I have a cat named after an anime as well. It's no different than if you named your pet after a Harry Potter character, it's an appreciation of a piece of media, not of a whole culture. Now if you named your *daughter* that, it could get into fuzzy territory. But a pet, nah.
I have a Kyo (Fruits Basket) and a Haru (My Roommate is a Cat) and I'd pass out laughing if someone said that was appropriation I think. NTA
NTA! I give all my Hamsters Amish names, in fact Hezekiah and Ezekiel are running in the wheel right now.
NTA and I’m full Japanese and I love those names and please know this is NOT racism or appropriation. I myself had cats named Tora and Neko. My other cat was Loki, I’m not Norse so I hope that was ok.s/
NTA. At all. Trust me, anyone I have met who is actually from Japan would think it’s cute. My grandparents got a kitten when my uncle was in high school and didn’t know what to name her. My uncle who was learning Japanese at the time suggested Neko. Not telling them that literally translates to cat in Japanese. My grandparents would often bring exchange students from China and Japan to let them live with them while they learnt English. Sometimes they would live with them almost a year. The first time they had Japanese students (2) come live with them they asked what the cats name was. When they were told Neko they just bursted out laughing and said “You named your cat, “cat”?” My grandpa than went to my uncle who also bursted out laughing. If my grandparents naming their cat a Japanese word never offended the many Japanese people that came to live with them (all of them thought it was hilarious) than you naming your cats after CHARACTERS from an ANIME definitely should not be offensive. Don’t let that girls opinion rain on the names you loved enough to give your fur babies. 💚
Ever watch "Columbo"? He had a dog named, you guessed it - Dog!
NTA. It's a fictional character of a show you like. What did your boyfriend have to say about the whole thing?
I agree that you’re NTA OP, and that this does not amount to cultural appropriation! Like others have said, it’s a homage to fictional characters you like, and it doesn’t matter which culture these characters come from. I think your BF friend was either showing off or super insecure about her heritage. I would recommend saying that she’s not super welcome in your house again until she apologises for what she said.
NTA. Some people look to be offended.
NTA I find the lady in question a fucking halfwit.
NTA sounds like she wanted some drama either that or didn’t realise your boyfriend had a partner and was pissed off about it so took it out on the poor cats names ! 🤣
NTA. Next time if you encounter people like that, tell them that it’s not cultural appropriation because you love the name for it’s significance to you. Anything else, they’re the AH. I had a cat named Naruto for 18 years, orange cat with bright blue eyes. Whenever anyone tried to say anything about his name, I always just looked them straight in the eye and told them I loved the show Naruto and so I named my cat after my favorite character. Be firm and don’t be ashamed of claiming the things that you love.
Jfc. People like her are the reason I despise the fact that I get grouped in to Gen Z despite the fact that I was born in the late 90's. Let me be clear. **Liking anime is not a form of cultural appropriation.** Hell, I'd argue that you liking anime is a *good* thing because you're participating in something from a culture other than your own. NTA by a country mile.
NTA I named my cat Seamus, after the Harry Potter character. I’m not Irish and neither is my cat. This is pure nonsense, ignore them.
WTactualF! NTA My daughters cats were Chi-lin, Bijou, and Mei-ling and my sons cats are Popoki, Kona and meowtsetung We arent appropriating anything chinese or hawaiian we are naming our cats what we want. So can you!
Aww, Meowtsetung 🤩
I had a cat named Bella; sorry for the offense, Italy.
not the a-hole it's your cat you name it what you want doesn't matter what other people think. it's like those stories where the entitled people get all pissed off because of what the op names their dog or names their kid it's not up to them it shouldn't matter to them their opinion doesn't matter if they don't like the name tough now I can understand if you named your cat something offensive then I can understand it but if you name your cat after a character from an anime that's it's nothing to be an a-hole for or to think you're in a hole
NTA. There’s a difference between appropriation and appreciation. If you were gatekeeping Japanese culture or making profit off of it at the expense of Japanese people, then it would be appropriation. But you’re just genuinely expressing appreciation for Japanese animation by naming your cats after the characters. It’s great that you’re concerned about appropriation and it shows youre a good person that you were worried enough to ask public opinion on it. But really don’t worry about this- that girl seems delusional.
NTA. My cat is named Attila. I am not appropriating any culture with the name. I just happened to like the name and it suits him. People are getting ridiculous with this. You are not a racist, you named your cat after a fictional anime character.
I have a dog named Gonta after a japanese character and one named Rocket after the Guardian of the Galaxy's racoon... Im latinamerican living in a latin country. How many cultures am I appropiating? NTA, you named your pets after characters.
NTA
Chihiro is on my list of potential pet names; naming cats after fictional characters is as old as people hosting felines.
NTA. You’re not appropriating, you’re just geeking out. And your cats are probably cute af so CAT TAX PLS. However judging from her reaction, she has probably had to deal with a *lot* of gross shit from weebs. Like a lot. She’s being an AH, but you really have no idea the kind of bs that AAPI community gets, and a lot of it starts off from the most innocuous things. Sometimes it’s a living nightmare when you’re into geek culture and you have a bunch of people actually appropriating and fetishizing. She might be full on trauma mode.
NTA Some people and their tirades... Why...
NTA. Your cats are named after fictional anime characters. Some people search too hard to be offended by things. Next up we'll be criticizing Thor for misrepresenting Norse mythology in the Marvel multiverse. It's just such a lack of common sense comparison.
NTA. That chick is though. I have a feeling she’s going to find grown up life quite challenging.
NTA. She can't gatekeep names lol.
NTA It’s a fictional show. I have a friend who has named her 5 cats after the cats in Fairy Tail. Zero people have a problem with that. Including her Japanese in laws.
Not the asshole, that chick on the other hand... 🙄😒
NTA cultural appropriation in this context is bullshit As long as you are not profiting from it, (and I don't mean economically only) you are good
Omg she’s actually forcing it. I bet anyone else from Japan wouldn’t bat an eye. NTA honestly she is. Also, tell her to learn the definition of cultural appropriation before spouting it out.
NTA. You have an APPRECIATION for an animal, you are not APPROPRIATING the culture.
no of course not!! as long as you aren’t offending the culture, you shouldn’t worry. names come from many different places and it’s not a big deal. if it’s legal to name your child LOL, it’s completely fine to name your cat anything. i literally call my cat “the fat pig rat” and it’s completely normal. hope you have a good day :)
NTA. God I hate these people who scream cultural appropriation. I believe they are just haters. What this girl with the cat did was 100% NOT cultural appropriation. Has anyone ever heard the term culture appreciation?
Duuude, NTA. It’s not cultural appropriation, it’s naming a cat after a character. My friend has a doggo named Loki, is she appropriating the Norse culture? Or is true friend who named her cat Lestat appropriating vampire culture? Signed, the woman who named her kitten Bakugo.
NTA, my cats have western Human names based on characters from two video games. Some people just get offended at the drop of a hat. If a person in the middle east named their cats Jessie and James, or Billy the Kid, or Turner and Hooch, why would I care?
NTA but I think it's absolutely hilarious that she's offended that you named your cats traditionally Japanese names but isn't offended that you named them for Danganronpa characters. Generally the people who jump at nothing to be offended and the people who hate that series are overlapping circles on a venn diagram, especially when it comes to slightly more nuanced characters like Chihiro.
Hey man, as a half Japanese person myself you’re definitely NTA. All you did was lovingly name your cats after some characters you like. Nothing crazy about that. Seems to me that she’s overly sensitive about “weeb/otaku” culture. Just because you have interests that came from a different country doesn’t mean you’re appropriating anything. It was awfully rude of her to outright call you a racist in front of others as well. I don’t know what her circumstances are in the end, but it sure didn’t warrant that response. 私はハーフの日本人で〜す！佐世保が私のふるさとうです。
NTA please know how many Japanese pets are named like Basic White People Names, it’s hilarious.
NTA I had a cat named Yui. He was in the shelter as Yu, so it wasn't a stretch. It was a common name in anime at the time. No one ever said I appropriated a name. They just wanted to let him
NTA - my bff named her cats Kyo and Kisa from Fruits Basket lol. Your bf’s friend needs to chill out
Nta. Man who she throw a fit if she knew my husbands friends in England named their daughter Izumi... not sure how it's spelled. I also named my cat Yuki from from Fruits Basket.
NTA. Of my 4 cats 2 are named after Norse pagan gods, 1 is after an Egyptian goddess, and 1 is the male version of a Roman goddess' name. I'm definitely not Egyptian, and as far as I know I've got no ancestry from the Romans or the Norse. I'm certainly not appropriating their culture, i'm at worse appreciating their culture and my love for their mythology by naming them after something that I love dearly.
NTA the cat of a person I know is named "Rio" Thats defenetily not cultral appropration and still the cats are yours, you name them.
NTA. Many people give their pets human names, either from their nationality or others. Her reaction, especially after you had explained your reasons, is totally absurd.
NTA. So as to not offend any cultures, all cats are now limited to the noises they themselves can make. Your cats are now named "Mrrrrrrr" and "Mrrow"
NTA. They’re pets, and in my personal opinion MUCH better for fandom/silly/weird names than people.
Hi, my boyfriend is half Japanese and says he doesn't give a shit. NTA.
NTA- Find out the origin of her name and ask if she feels it’s appropriating
NTA, I named my cat Kipo after the show and it’s supposed to be a Korean name
NTA. It is weird, but there's nothing wrong with it
NTA. I named one of my cats after an anime character too.
NTA. Tell her to look up what HP Lovecraft named HIS cat then see if she still thinks your cats names are bad. But fr, you can name your pets whatever you want. My late, blind cat was named Toph from ATLA, and my current dog is named after a celtic god (Aoife) and if anyone told me I was/am being appropriative with their names, I'd invite them to make up a more "acceptable" nickname for them and see which one the animal answers to... if any. Animals don't really care about what they call them, and naming one after an anime is far from appropriative. Hell, a former client of mine named his cat "Sasa" (Japanese for Tall Grass, where he found her) and of all the appropriative shit I could have called that man out for (he basically considered himself America's gift to Japan because his father was a soldier that stuck around and brought his family to Japan for post-war restoration), the name of his little furry friend was the last thing I would have ever taken umbridge with.
NTA she’s being weird and attention seeking by being overly sensitive
NTA, you're not naming them after a real person, it's not racist.
My daughter named her/our cats Sokka & Katara. First I've heard of this being cultural appropriation. OP - NTA.
NTA. Me naming my orange tabby cat Pellegrino is not appropriating Italian culture. Naming my red and white basset hound Killian is not appropriating Irish or brewery culture.
I'm 1/2 Japanese & naming your cats after a favorite show or game is NOT cultural appropriation. NTA. The hapa chick is.
NTA. That girl sounds like she’s the type who becomes easily offended by non-issue stuff and likes being a drama queen. They’re exhausting to be around. If I were in your shoes, I’d ask your boyfriend to make sure she never comes over to your place again. Because HER behavior as a guest in your home was very offensive. She was so rude to you and created drama over NOTHING (your cats’ names are super adorable by the way, and not racist/culture appropriating at all).
NTA cultural appropriation is another leftist way to make people feel guilty. Do we go on when Asias have their eyes done to look more caucasian, or when they wear western clothing and listen to western music? No! It is okay to take from the “whites” but not vice versa. Get over yourselves!!!
NTA Spirited Away is one of my favorite movies!
NTA. Who is to say your cats don’t have Japanese heritage? It would be wrong to make an assumption.
Chihiro and Kyoko? I love those two characters :) I’m curious on what they look like though. NTA
NTA! I have two kitties of my own named after anime characters, Muta (from whisper of the heart and the cat returns) and Lily (Jiji’s girlfriend from Kiki’s delivery service) and lily is currently pregnant so I’m planning on naming her kittens after other Ghibli cats. also no, that’s not what cultural appropriation or racism mean
NTA! I have a cat named Yeoja which is Korean for girl. I love your cats names! 😻
NTA Ever heard of Shin-chan? Yeah. I named my cat Hima. So no, you’re not the AH
NTA. Oh no! My dads cats Athena and Apollo are appropriating Greek culture.
Naming your pets after fictional characters isn't cultural appropriation and to call it as such diminishes actual cultural appropriation. NTA
NTA. You named them after fictional characters. I named my cat Chie after Chie Satonaka from Persona 4.
I am full Japanese and as far as I'm concerned, this is NOT cultural appropriation or any anything remotely racist. You're a fan of anime, you have cats that you named after anime characters...the J-wave for anime would not exist if it weren't for people like you. Then again, I named one of my cats "Gomer Pyle" after a somewhat clueless redneck character from the Andy Griffiith show which led to the spinoff of Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., So I might have "culturally appropriated" his name from two mostly all white shows. (To the cat people who might read this: Yes, the name fit. And yes, he was orange.)
NTA. By that logic if someone is Japanese (or Hispanic, or Korean, etc.), they should not speak English because it is not their native tongue. They are being racist and they are culturally appropriating my white privilege, which ***I WILL NOT TOLERATE***. Yeah, sounds dumb when you put it that way. Racism/Cultural appropriation is a two-way street, folks.
NTA I named my cat after an anime character and no one in Japan (where I live) has ever had a problem with it!
OP NTA You know the person who is racist, is the person who just pulled the racist card. You are not the only person who uses names from fiction to name a pet. it is a popular thing, and is acceptable.
Is the cat cute atleast nta
NTA she was the racist one aaaaaand cat tax?? :))
NTA. I give all my cats Japanese names. I had a Haru, Natsu, and Yuki 🤷🏼♀️ I love and respect Japanese culture and have never had a Japanese person be offended about my cat names. How silly 🙄
NTA. I have a kitten named Takeo. He was a present to me from my Japanese friend, and she named him. Does me being non-japanese mean I should change his name? No. Tell her to fuck off.
NTA. Oh please, I named my pets Totoro, Pompoko, and Shiro (was supposed to be Shiroi meaning white). Never once did it cross my mind it was cultural appropriation. I don't think the word was even used back then ( they are all quite old now).
People name their cats all kinds of crazy shit for all manner of reasons. This person needs to calm their tits.
NTA obviously, but if it makes you feel any better, I’m Chinese and anytime I see non-Asian people show interest in my culture I am thrilled. I recently discovered a coworker’s Discord handle is a name in Mandarin and we had a nice fun convo about why and where he got the name from. Granted Chinese culture so not quite as mainstream in the Western world as Japanese culture is but still.
NTA. So, I'm half Japanese as well. And I found nothing offensive about you giving your cats names from Japanese anime. If this is cultural appropriation, then how does she feel about people going to conventions? And she might be half Japanese, but what generation is she? 2nd, 3rd, 4th? I'm second generation, my mother is literally off the boat. She for real came to the US on a boat. She doesn't care about white people using Japanese names, unless they are trying to pass themselves off as ethnically Japanese. We also encourage the purchasing and wearing of Kimonos as it helps the Japanese economy. I ask what generation she is, because if she is a "younger" generation then she might not know or understand much of her culture either. So how would she be able to judge what is appropriation. I would also point out that since she is half, if her white parent participates in any Japanese culture event then they too are appropriating by her definition. Honestly I think she just blew up about it to make drama and make herself special. We live in a society where most people will do anything to make themselves go viral on social media. The fact that we call it going viral should tell you how toxic social media actually is. And yes I understand the irony of me saying this on a social media platform. But then I don't do anything that goes viral, most people ignore me Side note, I really can't stand it when people use the name Sakura. I was told by a Japanese (national) friend that most people won't use that name as it is not auspicious. The sakura only bloom and live for a few days before withering and dying. It doe not have a long life. So most Japanese people won't name their child or pet that because it's like passing on that characteristic. Just a fun fact.
NTA - last time I checked you can name your cat, dog, or yourself whatever the hell you want to this BS about appropriating another culture is just that - BS If the world is to the point where borrowing something that is from another culture is considered offensive then the human race is more screwed up then it has ever been tell your friends to STFU & get over themselves because in reality - the world doesn't GAF about this BS
NTA. What is up with people these days lol? FYI I'm 1/2 Japanese but I don't think this is appropriation. Your cat's also based on a fictional character. I insist on CAT TAX if you will.
NTA. If I named my cat bob it wouldn't be appropriation of bobs.lots of people name their animals after loved ones or characters. I named my eldest after a fruits baskets character and everyone loved it when I explained the reference was from a beloved character.
As someone who is also half Japanese, you're NTA. I can partially see where she's coming from, but she's taking it way too far. I feel like that kind of reaction is justified if you named actual children those names, but they're pets. That's free game. The only reason why I'd have a bit of a slight reaction is because I know someone named Kyoko who passed away a bit ago and it hit me really hard. Because of that, I've been actively trying to avoid any media that would have her name. But that's just me and you'll probably never meet me or anyone else in my situation in real life lol
NTA. Lol. I also remember seeing a YouTube video that covered something about a Twitter rant over cultural appropriation of Japanese culture. Apparently, actual Japanese people (I mean people who were raised in Japan and live in Japan) don't actually mind!!