A shocking group assault targeting the cosplay community recently took place in China, leaving many stunned. Simply by dressing as a character from the popular anime My Hero Academia, a young woman became the victim of violent acts fueled by extreme nationalist sentiment.
The incident happened on January 11 at the Great Shanghai City shopping mall in Henan province. Viral videos on Douyin show the cosplayer and two friends being surrounded and verbally abused by a hostile crowd. At the peak of the confrontation, the group loudly sang the Chinese national anthem to intimidate her.
The violence escalated when a man rushed forward, yanked off the cosplayer’s wig, and set it on fire right there as onlookers watched. Afterward, the attackers posed for photos with the national flag, celebrating their actions.
When the victim tried to escape, the aggressive crowd blocked her path, preventing her from getting into a car while shouting hostile slogans. Images of the trembling, helpless girl trapped in the crowd have sparked outrage across international social media.
Why is My Hero Academia facing such extreme backlash?
To understand this anger, one must recall the historical wounds between China and the series by Kohei Horikoshi. Previously, the character Dr. Ujiko was found to have the real name “Maruta,” a sensitive term linked to victims of human experimentation by Japan’s Unit 731 during World War II.
Although the author and publisher officially apologized and renamed the character, some extremists still view My Hero Academia as an insult to national pride.
Legal tensions in 2026
This attack occurred shortly after China enacted the revised Public Security Management Penalty Law, effective January 1, 2026. The law strictly prohibits wearing clothing in public that “glorifies aggressive wars.”
While cosplay itself does not legally violate this rule, it has contributed to a hostile social atmosphere. The Chinese online community remains deeply divided, with some supporting the attack and others questioning bitterly whether this is patriotism or simply bullying and criminal behavior.