The Ministry of Education this week repeatedly apologized for a video it released last month promoting the government’s “National Childcare Policy for Ages 0-6,” which had triggered strong reactions from anime, manga and figurine fans who said it disrespected people’s hobbies and preferences.
In the 30-second video, a married couple with their two young children visit the husband’s mother, whom he secretly hands some cash, asking her to pay the delivery person when the action figure he ordered arrives. She scornfully tells him: “What? Are you still playing with those figures?” In the next scene, she gleefully announces that she spent the money on “more meaningful” things for her grandchildren. The children are then shown holding educational books and toys.
The YouTube video racked up more than 4,000 dislikes, with comments saying it discriminates against people who enjoy manga, anime and video games, while discouraging people from wanting to get married and have children. The ministry on Saturday last week took the video down and apologized the next day.
The video was the latest in a series featuring similar themes. In one, after a woman says she wants to spend the money they are saving from a government childcare subsidy on an education savings fund, a child shouts that “daddy wants to buy a video game console.” In another, a woman describes her husband as her “third child,” after he excitedly says he wants to play with their son’s toy robot.
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) also stirred up fury among anime and manga fans with his preface in a new autobiographical manga titled Keep Promise (漫畫柯文哲), in which he wrote that manga seems to be for children, and only entertainment for adults, but does not address important matters. After the backlash, the book launch was postponed for a reprint, while Ko’s campaign office said it was not his intention to disrespect manga fans.
Many online commenters and legislators have criticized Ko and the ministry for showing ignorance and discrimination against anime and manga fans, and a general disdain for personal interests and hobbies. Local comic artists have said that many comics and manga that won the annual Golden Comic Awards were about “serious” matters such as same-sex relationships and environmental protection, yet the three ministry videos ridiculed a father’s interests in video games, robots and action figures.
Moreover, the videos showcased an outdated moral standard that is dogmatic and repressive — viewing certain forms of recreation as “childish” and “meaningless,” while stressing that “responsible” adults should hide or give up their interests that merely serve the purpose of enjoyment, and to instead prioritize “saving money,” “raising a family” and other “more important matters.”
The videos might have tried to resonate with young adults’ experiences, while Ko tried to draw support from young people by using a manga to express his political views, but their attitude of superiority and implicit moral condemnation only intensified the feelings of exclusion felt by adults with “nonmainstream” hobbies. The message appeared to be “I know what is best for you,” rather than the values of diversity, equity, inclusion and respect for individuality that the ministry should be encouraging.
To win over young adults, politicians and government agencies should first show respect for diversity and be willing to listen and learn about their situations and needs, rather than unilaterally deciding what is best for them. The importance of hobbies and individuality should be encouraged, as it is not only beneficial for physical, social, emotional and cognitive development in children, but also for maintaining overall well-being in adults.
In the US’ National Security Strategy (NSS) report released last month, US President Donald Trump offered his interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine. The “Trump Corollary,” presented on page 15, is a distinctly aggressive rebranding of the more than 200-year-old foreign policy position. Beyond reasserting the sovereignty of the western hemisphere against foreign intervention, the document centers on energy and strategic assets, and attempts to redraw the map of the geopolitical landscape more broadly. It is clear that Trump no longer sees the western hemisphere as a peaceful backyard, but rather as the frontier of a new Cold War. In particular,
When it became clear that the world was entering a new era with a radical change in the US’ global stance in US President Donald Trump’s second term, many in Taiwan were concerned about what this meant for the nation’s defense against China. Instability and disruption are dangerous. Chaos introduces unknowns. There was a sense that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) might have a point with its tendency not to trust the US. The world order is certainly changing, but concerns about the implications for Taiwan of this disruption left many blind to how the same forces might also weaken
As the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) races toward its 2027 modernization goals, most analysts fixate on ship counts, missile ranges and artificial intelligence. Those metrics matter — but they obscure a deeper vulnerability. The true future of the PLA, and by extension Taiwan’s security, might hinge less on hardware than on whether the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can preserve ideological loyalty inside its own armed forces. Iran’s 1979 revolution demonstrated how even a technologically advanced military can collapse when the social environment surrounding it shifts. That lesson has renewed relevance as fresh unrest shakes Iran today — and it should
As the new year dawns, Taiwan faces a range of external uncertainties that could impact the safety and prosperity of its people and reverberate in its politics. Here are a few key questions that could spill over into Taiwan in the year ahead. WILL THE AI BUBBLE POP? The global AI boom supported Taiwan’s significant economic expansion in 2025. Taiwan’s economy grew over 7 percent and set records for exports, imports, and trade surplus. There is a brewing debate among investors about whether the AI boom will carry forward into 2026. Skeptics warn that AI-led global equity markets are overvalued and overleveraged
RSS