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Mamoru Oshii Takes a Swipe at Political Correctness, Sort Of
Director Mamoru Oshii has apparently taken aim at the current wave of excessive political correctness in a recent interview. However, things aren’t as straightforward as they seem.
In an interview with Japanese publication Pia, Oshii made some seemingly innocuous comments that didn’t raise any eyebrows initially. It wasn’t until his other responses were archived on X and only accessible via the Pia app for users in Japan that attention was drawn to a more direct criticism of modern political correctness.
The catch? These later comments are hidden behind a paywall, accessible only to those with the Pia app and a Japanese IP address. This has led some Western outlets to pick up on the story, but the context is limited by the availability of the interview.
This isn’t the first time that Japanese creatives have expressed frustration with changes forced upon their work due to Western beliefs about political correctness. In 2020, Dragon Quest creators Yuji Horii and Kazuhiko Torishima sparked controversy when they criticized changes made to a game release due to international pressure. They later retracted their statements, claiming miscommunication and pulling the video from YouTube.
While Oshii’s views on political correctness are consistent with his outspoken nature, the fact that these comments are not publicly available in full raises questions about his intentions. Does he truly want to spark debate or is he simply expressing himself without considering international fallout?
As someone who has interviewed Oshii and seen him discuss Western games like Fallout, it’s possible that he does have a genuine issue with modern political correctness. However, the fact that these comments are hidden behind a paywall suggests that he may not want to stir up controversy.
In any case, it’s clear that no one wants to take on the debate, including Oshii himself. It seems that even outspoken creatives like him are unwilling to engage in this discussion publicly, likely due to fear of backlash.
It’s understandable that fans would want to play games without an agenda imposed upon them. However, it’s unlikely that Japanese creators will be able to make a significant impact on the issue.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2025/04/25/mamoru-oshii-takes-a-swipe-at-political-correctness-sort-of/
