'Babenhaimer' Unwelcome in Japan... Controversy Over Mocking Atomic Bomb Victims

A Barbie with an Atomic Bomb Cloud Hair... Criticism for Satirizing
Reminder of Defeat History... Oppenheimer's Japan Release Date Still Undecided

In the United States, Hollywood films 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' are simultaneously enjoying box office success, leading to the popularity of a second creation called 'Barbenheimer,' which combines characters from both movies. However, in Japan, there has been backlash, with critics accusing the films of trivializing the atomic bomb damage from the past. Warner Bros. Japan, the distributor of Barbie, issued an official apology, but the controversy has yet to subside. It is also reported that the Oppenheimer film has not even scheduled a screening date in Japan.

The official US Barbie account commented "Ken (Barbie's boyfriend) is a stylist" on a secondary creation combining an atomic bomb mushroom cloud and Barbie. (Photo by Twitter)

According to the Mainichi Shimbun on the 1st, Warner Bros. Japan released an official apology the day before regarding the response from the official U.S. Barbie movie account. The controversy escalated after the official Barbie Twitter account posted positive messages alongside images of Barbie with atomic bomb mushroom cloud hair.

Comments such as "It will be an unforgettable summer" on posts featuring Barbie and Oppenheimer with nuclear explosion scenes in the background, or remarks like "Stylist" accompanied by a winking emoji on photos of Barbie with mushroom cloud hair, sparked strong backlash from Japanese netizens. Japanese users criticized these posts for completely disregarding Japan’s position as the only country to have suffered atomic bomb damage worldwide and for trivializing the atomic bomb damage.

Despite the official apology from Warner Bros. Japan, the controversy has not easily calmed down. On the previous day, related terms such as 'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer,' 'atomic bomb dropping,' and 'mushroom cloud' trended on Twitter in Japan in real-time searches.

A fan art showing Barbie and Oppenheimer smiling as they pass by with the atomic bomb explosion in the background. The official Barbie account in the U.S. responded, saying "It will be an unforgettable summer." (Photo by Twitter)

As the controversy intensified, Warner Bros. Japan issued a statement titled "Regarding the SNS posts of the Barbie movie" from their official account. Warner Bros. Japan explained, "Barbenheimer is a series of activities by overseas fans who recommend watching both works, and it is not official."

However, regarding the supportive comments made by the official Barbie movie Twitter account, they expressed "deep regret" and criticized the action. Warner Bros. Japan stated, "The reaction shown by the official U.S. Barbie movie account to the SNS posts lacked consideration. We deeply regret this," and added, "We are taking this matter seriously and are demanding appropriate measures from the U.S. headquarters."

They also expressed regret toward Japanese fans, saying, "We apologize to those who felt uncomfortable due to the series of inconsiderate reactions." This led to renewed controversy over a 'proxy apology,' as the mistake was made by the U.S. account, but the apology was issued by the Japanese account. The official U.S. account has yet to make any apology or statement.

Official Apology from Warner Bros. Japan. (Photo by Warner Bros. Japan)

The Barbenheimer controversy is expected to continue for some time. The Oppenheimer film has been embroiled in controversy even in deciding its release timing in Japan. Japanese media explain that since August 6 is the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, August 9 on Nagasaki, and August 15 is the day of Japan’s surrender, the release timing has not been decided.

Additionally, despite the film covering the development and dropping of the atomic bomb, there has been criticism that it does not explain the reality after the bombings in Japan. Agencies such as Kyodo News pointed out on the U.S. premiere date of Oppenheimer that "the film did not show the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.