Hi All.
[RANT]
Now this is something that really makes me upset.
Those idiots can’t tell the diff. between a Nazi Swastika and a “Ura-Manji”.
Here are 3 links that explain the diff:
Symbols
Bottom of Page
If they fight for or against something they should atleast be able to tell the difference between 2 different symbols and their history and background.
[/RANT]
they should at least know what they’re talking about, before they start whining.
But you should say that to the nazi’s, it’s all their fault it can’t be used without being associated with them. **** 'em!!:mad:
I agree that they are mistaken, but calling them “uneducated” is a little strong. Don’t you think?
Originally posted by Richie
I agree that they are mistaken, but calling them “uneducated” is a little strong. Don’t you think?
Not when the complainant is a resident of Hong Kong where buddhism and buddhist symbols are common.
Seeya.
the “swastika” symbol was around LONG before hitler perverted it for his own use. it is sad that the symbol is persecuted even now to this day. this would be akin to some fundamentalist complaining that the cross represented the wholesale slaughter of many islamic and middle easterners during the “crusades” so it should be taken off the market. completely ignorant in my opinion.
but to deny that there’s strong associations tied to the swastika, (for better or for worse) because of the nazis is a little misguided as well, I think.
yes, I know they’re traditional symbols in a lot of eastern religions, yes I know that Hitler stole them, but then again, they’re also associated with the systematic slaughter of millions of human lives.
whenever you have two competing associations like that tied into a single symbol or object there’s bound to be trouble.
Originally posted by GreyMystik
the “swastika” symbol was around LONG before hitler perverted it for his own use. it is sad that the symbol is persecuted even now to this day. this would be akin to some fundamentalist complaining that the cross represented the wholesale slaughter of many islamic and middle easterners during the “crusades” so it should be taken off the market. completely ignorant in my opinion.
actually, I agree. nothing with a religious symbol should be used by a purely secular company. We’re better off keeping religious symbols with religious things, especially because of many varied associations that they carry.
I think you’d see the same amount of uproar depending on the religious symbol on the product and the area that it’s been shipped to. Would you put a Star of David on a coke can and send it to Iran? How about a cross on products destined for Pakistan?
Would you put a Star of David on a coke can and send it to Iran? How about a cross on products destined for Pakistan?
Yeah, but they didn’t put a swastika on a coke can and send it to Israel. 
Obviously its a symbol with a whole lot of meaning to a whole lot of people. It was once a sign of Christ…until the christians found out that Buddhists were using it in a sign for buddha.
Originally posted by norther practitioner
[B]
Yeah, but they didn’t put a swastika on a coke can and send it to Israel.
Obviously its a symbol with a whole lot of meaning to a whole lot of people. It was once a sign of Christ…until the christians found out that Buddhists were using it in a sign for buddha. [/B]
Right, and people from the Indian subcontinent used it as a symbol for the sun before the buddhists. My point is that such symbols shouldn’t be used frivolously because of the enormous amount of weight such connotations hold. Furthermore, in the age of information, it doesn’t even matter to some degree where you’re sending them as the global community is so much more connected than ever before.
Just some fuel for the fire…
fact is, you can’t say it’s the same symbol. the Nazi’s swastika arms protrude to the right, Wan protrudes to the left.
people, being ignorant, uneducated, and niggard 
Yeah, the symbol on that robot is definitely a nazi style swatzika, with the arms turning clockwise and balanced on a corner.
Not the same at all as when the symbol sits on a side and the arms turn counterclockwise.
It was probably an honest mistake, but still, since the toys are also being sold in London (according to a different article), it’s nothing but trouble waiting to happen. Or it was, until trouble happened.
Robowaru is a villan robot so nothing wrong with him having swastika.
Agree with chang style novice…
except, the symbol does mean something else going clockwise on its side…
There are three variations that I know of…
the nazi (on corners)
the counter clock (on side)
and the clockwise (on side)
and I’m sure there are more…
Does he come with a moustache too?
hehehe
Yes, people are stupid. the arms go different ways on the symbols, making them NOT THE SAME SYMBOL.
When you turn the curve of a smiley face the opposite way, does it still mean happy? No. It means fcking sad. If you turn the arms on the swastika the opposite way, same fcking concept. They are different signs, symbols what have you, and people *****ing about it is just some whiny fck who doesnt even know what the nazi sign is, otherwise there wouldnt be this misconception. Furthermore, if they feel sooo torchered by this symbol, shouldnt they at least know what the fck it really looks like?
…
Blah.
Dont get me wrong, I hate nazi’s. but I also hate whiney pieces of sh!t who ***** relentlessly about everything and nothing,
Robowaru is a “villain” in a Japanese Children’s story, Robocon is the hero.
The show is live action and aimed at the pre-school market, plus it is a fairly old series by now.
In Asia most buddhist temples will use both clockwise and counter-clockwise manji(swastika) as they both represent different aspects. See links I provided.
As for the use of the Swastika, it was widely used in Europe and other regions prior to WW II.
While I agree that the figure might upset people and might be mis-interpreted, I must also say that People first need to do some research and find out the background of said figure before heading off on a crusade.
I blame Coca Cola for selling a possible controversial figure, not the designer of said figure.
For me this is just another PC-gob like when Swastikas were outlawed and photos in history books were touched-up to remove them from period photographs.
Heck, one day I could buy a model of a FW190 with correct WW II markings and soon after the same kit was missing the offensive symbol.
Cheers.
Originally posted by Shaolin-Do
[B]Does he come with a moustache too?
hehehe
Yes, people are stupid. the arms go different ways on the symbols, making them NOT THE SAME SYMBOL.
When you turn the curve of a smiley face the opposite way, does it still mean happy? No. It means fcking sad. If you turn the arms on the swastika the opposite way, same fcking concept. They are different signs, symbols what have you, and people *****ing about it is just some whiny fck who doesnt even know what the nazi sign is, otherwise there wouldnt be this misconception. Furthermore, if they feel sooo torchered by this symbol, shouldnt they at least know what the fck it really looks like?
…
Blah.
Dont get me wrong, I hate nazi’s. but I also hate whiney pieces of sh!t who ***** relentlessly about everything and nothing, [/B]
So, what happens when I turn a cross upside down and then sell it on a toy to kids?
Face it, even similar looking symbols carry resonances.
Originally posted by CrippledAvenger
[B]
So, what happens when I turn a cross upside down and then sell it on a toy to kids?
Face it, even similar looking symbols carry resonances. [/B]
Agreed.
But how far should we take the banning of possible offensive material.
Why was the “Hackenkreuz”(Swastika) banned but not the “Iron Cross”?
Here is a link to the original Robowaru Toy you can see that it features an Omote-Manji and is not standing on it’s tip.
I haven’t found a pic of the original design with the Manji tilted so far, most of the pics were to small to see if it was either an Omote or Ura-Manji.
I am sure that the figures are painted/assembled by unskilled laborers in China and thus some might end up a bit tilted or even reversed as in the case of the one shown on Yahoo.
Might be a quality control problem.
Cheers.
Maybe instead of whining about it’s resemblence to a swastika, they should whine about marketing religious symbols to children.
Originally posted by shaolin kungfu
Maybe instead of whining about it’s resemblence to a swastika, they should whine about marketing religious symbols to children.
It’s not even the issue of marketing it to children, I’d say. It’s more the potential implications of using religious symbols (and religious symbols-turned-political symbols as well) to marekt secular items.
But this is a whole can of worms I don’t have time to go into right now.
LC-- really quick (as I’m running out the door), you ask a good question, and since I’m not a sociologist or a historian, I can only guess at an answer. I’d say that the connotations on the Iron cross deal more with WWI, imperial germany, which was seen as a threat, but in a more acceptable manner (i.e. not as many civilian deaths, certainly not as systematic in the deaths that did occur… better treatment of POWs, etc..) The Swastika has its connotations with another violent war, but it’s more the Nazi slaughter of civilians that fuels the continued association of the symbol and any similar-looking symbol with racism and genocide.
It’s not exactly the best state of affairs, but, like I said before, using any symbols that have such intense socio-religious connotations on a toy is just begging for trouble for some large group of individuals somewhere, anywhere.
Man, I hate talks that make me want to re-read my sociology textbooks…:mad:
Originally posted by CrippledAvenger
It’s not even the issue of marketing it to children, I’d say. It’s more the potential implications of using religious symbols (and religious symbols-turned-political symbols as well) to marekt secular items.
I think the problem is more the global village coming into effect.
The Design was done some 30+yrs ago for Japanese audiences, and I don’t think they meant it to spread to the west.
BTW, lots of Japanese products are that way. This doesn’t prevent people from bringing them to the west or selling rip-offs.
Now here comes an international company sees this and sez to itself “Hey, I can use this to promote my goods overseas.”.
So they do a bit of research and everybody loves it and sees nothing wrong with it.
Now the trial campaign goes off smooth where everyone knows what this particular good means and represents.
Next step it is released to the rest of the world and in a few locations a few people take exception and complain about it.
As an example on diversity, try travelling through europe or asia and communicating with hand-signs & gestures, you will get very different responses in different countries to the same hand-sign or gesture.
Some things aren’t just meant to be shared globally.
Cheers.