Fans want to boycott the McDonalds Anime: but why and what is it anyway?

Dear anime enthusiasts, have you tried the lip-smacking McAnime yet? If not, then a delicious but odd announcement awaits you. Mcdonalds and Studio Pierrot are collaborating for an anime project, a McDonalds anime. As soon as the news hit the internet with a short teaser, it caused a huge uproar. Amidst the chatter, there were some calls for boycotting the McDonalds anime, which makes this a curious case.

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Everything to know about the McDonalds Anime

Besides the involvement of Studio Pierrot, there are some lingering doubts pertaining to the format of the collaboration project. Most fans are expecting it to be another commercial as the teaser mentions a limited-time availability. Others are looking forward to a full-fledged anime series. 

The 15-second-long teaser exudes major battle-shounen vibes with the characters devouring fries and chicken nuggets. The art style and animation are vastly different from the previous anime collaborations of Mcdonalds. The project is scheduled to release on February 26th.  

McDonalds Anime Boycott explained

Over the years, McDonalds Japan has collaborated with renowned studios and experts in the anime industry to promote their special menus. In 2023, a series of shorts were posted on the X (Twitter) handle of McDonalds Japan. The aesthetically pleasing short series garnered a lot of attention. With a successful history and background with the anime sphere, the announcement shouldn’t be struck as something completely out of the ordinary. Here’s an explanation of how this seemingly innocent project got caught up in the boycott fire. 

i’m cryin mcdonald’s lost so much money from the boycott they tryna gain revenue from an anime 😭😭😭 https://t.co/YtFDIjpNhw

— kareem 🇵🇸 (@kareemmpie) February 20, 2024

Amidst the war and growing tensions in Gaza, it came to light that McDonalds was allegedly serving free meals to the Israel Defense Force. Some customers around the world condemned McDonalds for supporting Israel and called for a boycott. The CEO of McDonald’s Chris Kempczinski reiterated McDonald’s anti-violence stance and blamed misinformation for the ongoing discourse. As soon as the McDonald’s and Studio Pierrot collaboration announcement was made on X (Twitter), fans were quick to call for a boycott for the reasons stated above. 

Is McDonalds Anime, a grave danger to Naruto and Bleach?!!

Besides the unintentional entwinement of anime and politics, another reason fans weren’t especially enthusiastic about the upcoming McDonalds Anime was the recent track record of Studio Pierrot. The renowned animation studios have worked on several iconic titles such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Great Teacher Onizuka, Naruto, Bleach, Kingdom, Tokyo Ghoul, Akatsuki no Yona, and many more. Despite a phenomenal record adorned with beloved anime titles, the studio has failed to fulfill some commitments in recent times. 

• A celebratory Naruto anime was scheduled to release in 2023, which has been postponed indefinitely. 
• Fans were unhappy about the animation quality of Bleach TYBW part 2, as it didn’t feel as satisfactory as its predecessor. There are some rumors about a delay in the third cour as well. 
• There have been no updates about the continuation of Boruto anime or Black Clover Anime, ever since it last aired in March 2021. 

Fans expressed their disapproval about Studio Pierrot prioritizing a McDonalds commercial over their other projects. 

So that’s what oecuf meant by pierrot getting worse…

Boycott McDonald’s and their supporters. https://t.co/eOpVaJ6glR

— Chromafire 🇵🇸 (@chromat1cfire) February 20, 2024

A fraction of fans were concerned that the involvement of international corporations might dampen the cultural aspects of anime. They fear that the active participation of Western corporations will come with changes that are more mindful of the Western audiences, which will end up altering the overall watching experience that they’ve grown accustomed to. Although this is not the first time a fast food chain has used anime as a medium of promotion. Previously KFC and Pizza Hut have had similar collaborations. 

Conclusion

The McDonald’s anime has been caught up in a fire of controversy and politics. There are still a lot of fans who received the announcement with an air of humor and are looking forward to it. What are your thoughts on the Mcdonalds anime, let us know in the comments!