You are not alone in your grievances about Hiiro's treatment, believe me. I have an entire video essay in the works about the Amagis as Ainu characters, and the issues with Hiiro definitely get worse than microaggressions in the text. I could go on a long rant about the many ways the writers' biases shine through the story. But I'll save it for when that time comes.
Don't worry about people attacking me. I don't expect anyone would because I haven't said anything particularly unreasonable or inflammatory. I was harsh on Ryuseitai and fine fans who neglected to read up on Okinawa until now, but they can probably take the heat. Besides, it's never too late to start educating yourself. People mapping out lore and trying to lead discussions while conveniently leaving out the glaring politics of this story has started to bug me. But what really annoys me is when such a person starts to flounder and give a half-assed or performative response to being questioned about it. Ultimately, I respect the work being done by these individuals. They're clearly putting time and heart into it, there's no doubt about that. It's nice of them to try and assemble the plot for people in an easy to digest format. But I can't say I respect the manner in which it's being done, or all of their behavior. Sorry for being abrasive about this, but also not really sorry. Bleh 😝 You see, like I've said before, I see Ryukyuan people as my siblings. And, to be transparent, I have discussed the story of Ensemble Stars with my Ryukyuan friends because I wanted to hear their opinions. Recently, I phoned one of them up and we chatted about the things I've been seeing on social media in regards to the subject. Obviously, I don't speak for my friends or anyone else but myself. Still, I want to be clear, this outrage is not simply my own. I know at least some real Ryukyuan people have found the story and people's responses concerning. I wouldn't be acting with such conviction if this wasn't the case. By the way, since last time people didn't listen, I'm gonna reiterate this. If you think you know the Enstars fans I'm referring to here, don't go after them. Don't send them anons. Seriously, I mean it. I just strongly believe that if they want to guide people through the Okinawa Arc, if they want to understand the story they are reading for themselves, they better start giving it the deep thought it demands. Ultimately, Enstars is steeped in political commentary. People are fine talking about how it criticizes the idol industry, for example. So don't clam up when it's time to talk about the really uncomfortable stuff. I understand it's hard. Intimidating. You don't want to step on anyone's toes. My frustrated outburst a little while back probably didn't help that atmosphere, so I apologize. I'm hoping, going forward, I can instead foster a better environment where people are comfortable to talk about Okinawa and Ensemble Stars. That's what I want in the end, for people to talk. And to do it genuinely, not just for show.