A Japanese anime video recreating the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump has become popular on Chinese social media, sparking a lot of talk about violence in entertainment. The video, inspired by the series ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’, depicts Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania narrowly escaping a bullet from a 20-year-old shooter named Thomas Matthew Crooks.
In the anime, Trump uses a fictional ‘stand,’ a spirit-like figure from the show, to catch the bullet before it hits him. This moment is similar to a famous scene in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, where the main character, Jotaro Kujo, cleverly dodges a bullet. The real event took place on July 13, resulting in one death and two injuries before police shot Crooks.
After the shooting, Donald Trump said, “I was supposed to be dead,” describing the experience as surreal. He felt lucky to have survived, saying it was due to “luck or God.” Just two days later, he appeared at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee with a bandaged ear.
The anime has received mixed reactions online. Some people find it funny, while others think it makes light of a serious situation. Social media users have expressed both outrage and fascination, showing how entertainment can influence views on real events.
As the FBI investigates the shooting as a possible act of domestic terrorism, this viral anime highlights how quickly real-life events can become online content. The mix of pop culture and politics raises important questions about how we discuss violence and its effects on society.