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Japanese X users reimagine Paris Olympic shooters as manga characters

The Turkish shooter went viral amongst Japanese fans as they gave him the nickname 'Uncle Free-to-Play'. (@myu060309 on X)
The Turkish shooter went viral amongst Japanese fans as they gave him the nickname 'Uncle Free-to-Play'. (@myu060309 on X)
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04 Aug 2024 09:08:37 GMT9
04 Aug 2024 09:08:37 GMT9

Arab News Japan

After Turkish and South Korean Olympic sharpshooters Yusuf Dikec and Kim Yeji went viral on social media, Japanese X users have been making manga-inspired art of them and comparing them to iconic anime characters such as City Hunter’s Ryo Saeba and Jujutsu Kaisen’s Satoru Gojo.

51-year-old Dikec competed in the 10-metre pistol mixed team shooting event at the Olympics in Paris, where he won a silver medal. Unlike other competitors, the Turkish athlete showed up in casual clothing and did not wear any specialized eyewear, giving him a nonchalant feel that resonated with anime fans.  

The Turkish shooter went viral amongst Japanese fans as they gave him the nickname ‘Uncle Free-to-Play’ (無課金おじさん in Japanese), comparing his dementor and lack of gear to gamers who don’t spend money on in-game purchases but still manage to win.  

“This Turkish man is so cool, I had to sketch him,” said a Japanese artist on X, formerly known as Twitter, whose artwork went viral as it gained around 30 million views. “When I drew him, I realized how cool his posture is.”

The Japanese artist praises Dikec’s cool way of presenting himself, saying, “It’s great how he is just wearing an everyday t-shirt,” and “his face has a wonderfully natural expression.” 

Manga artist Haruta Yamazaki also created fan art of the Turkish shooter. “I drew the Turkish shooter because he looked so cool,” his drawing said. 

Moreover, Dikec, who received extra love from Japanese users for posting wholesome photos of his cat, has been compared to multiple renowned manga characters. One user compared him to Saeba, the protagonist of the 1995 anime City Hunter.

The user shared side-by-side photos of the manga character and Dikec, saying they have a similar shooting style. In the manga, Saeba is known for doing a ‘one-hole shot,’ where he shoots multiple bullets that land in the same spot. 

Another user compared Dikec and Saeba in a viral tweet that said, “Saeba’s shooting style is not just cool, but actually makes sense.”

Furthermore, South Korea’s Kim also went viral amongst anime lovers for resembling many iconic characters, specifically Gojo from the critically-acclaimed anime Jujutsu Kaisen. 

A X user showcased a photo of the 31-year-old Korean shooter and Gojo holding the gun the same way while they are both wearing a black zip-up hoodie. 

While the South Korean athlete is currently competing in the Olympics, she went viral for breaking the world record at the 2024 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup earlier this year. A clip showing her relaxed attitude while breaking the world record resulted to many people saying it gave off ‘main character energy.’

Since both athletes went viral, many Japanese and international fans have been asking to see them in an anime together. “On the left (Kim) is the protagonist,” said one user. “On the right is Dikec. He would be that one character in the anime everyone would stay clear of for reasons long lost in time.”

Fans have created various artworks of the two athletes together, with one artist creating an anime film poster based on the shooting competition that features Daehan Choe of South Korea, who went viral for his arched pose while shooting an air rifle at the Olympics. 

Another Japanese fan recreated the athletes in a watercolor manga style drawing. 

Additionally, international artists @luckymong1 and @AwesomeTomato18 created manga inspired drawings of the athletes that gained popularity on the social media website, with the former gaining more than 35 million views. 

The Paris Olympics is currently on-going and will conclude on Aug. 11. Japan has won eight gold medals, five silver medals and nine bronze medals as of Aug 4.

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