Japan’s three-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka has impressed a brand new manga character to seem in a problem of Nakayoshi journal subsequent month, the publishers introduced on Sunday. Osaka, who’s the world’s highest paid feminine athlete, is a fan of each manga and anime and took to social media to welcome the character.
Her sister Mari Osaka is helping with the character’s creation.
“Rising up studying manga/watching anime was one thing that bonded me and my sister immensely so that is actually thrilling for each of us,” Naomi Osaka wrote on Twitter alongside an image of her character, full with tennis racket and pink hair.
Nakayoshi mentioned of their Tweet that the brand new manga, entitled ‘Unequalled NAOMI Tenkaichi’, will likely be launched of their December twenty eighth journal.
A earlier try and depict Osaka, who has a Japanese mom and Haitian father, as a cartoon character misfired, when sponsor Nissin depicted her with pale pores and skin and lightweight brown hair, creating public outcry.
The noodle firm eliminated the business and apologised to Osaka and mentioned that they had not meant to ‘whitewash’ her.
Japan has historically seen itself as a racially homogenous nation, though a number of profitable mixed-race athletes like Osaka, sprinter Asuka Cambridge and baseball pitcher Yu Darvish, are difficult that picture. (Reporting by Jack Tarrant; Enhancing by Stephen Coates)