Ya Boy Kongming! is currently one of the most popular anime out right now and it's gaining new fans every week. However, it looks like one of the show's episodes is getting the wrong kind of attention. People are pointing out that Episode 3 featured a secret insult to China, but some are also defending the scene by claiming it is a reference to a Japanese incident!
In Ya Boy Kongming! Episode 3, there is a shot of Eiko Tsukimi standing in front of a truck. There doesn't seem to be anything special about the scene but some viewers have pointed out the plate number on the truck says "47-291."
To most viewers, there's nothing special about those numbers. However, it has been revealed that 47-291 in Japanese has a similar pronunciation as "Shina Nukui" which translates to "I hate China."
So has Ya Boy Kongming! been insulting China all this time? The same panel in the manga doesn't feature the plate number so fans believe it is the anime itself that is sending the message across.
P.A. Works, the studio that is working on the anime, has yet to comment on the backlash. However, others are defending Ya Boy Kongming! by stating that 47-291 is actually a reference to the incident back in December when Hino Motors Ltd. had to recall 47,291 trucks due to an unspecified problem.
Ya Boy Kongming! is based on the manga written by Yuto Yotsuba and illustrated by Ryo Ogawa. The anime follows the famous Chinese military strategist Zhuge Liang Kongming as he is reborn in modern Japan where he meets singer Eiko Tsukimi and offers his services as a master tactician to help her achieve her dream.
The fifth episode of Ya Boy Kongming! is now out. Ya Boy Kongming! Episode 6 is titled Kongming, Freestylin' ("Komeizu Furīsutairu") and will be broadcast on May 10, 2022.
Related: The Chinese Influences Behind Ya Boy Kongming Explained
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