Anime Boston Incident

The Anime Boston Incident is a term used to describe a infamous photoshoot wherein cosplayers portraying the characters Germany and Prussia from the anime/manga series Hetalia: Axis Powers did Nazi Heil Hitler Salutes in public. This event occurred in Boston, Massachusetts during the 2010 Anime Boston convention, which took place between April 2nd and April 4th.https://animecons.com/events/info/1312/anime-boston-2010 
== The Incident ==
During the 2010 Anime Boston convention, a group of cosplayers had planned a photoshoot (one congoer would later describe the photoshoot as "HUGE"https://cosplay.com/archive/thread/9mz7o3/hetalia-incident#). However, the event's organizer (LiveJournal user KOENIG_CUPCAKE) learned that the original location for the event was closed. She decided to move the event to another location, which was outdoors near the Prudential Center.https://hetalia.livejournal.com/6828345.html During the photoshoot, some of the cosplayers portraying the characters Germany and Prussia decided to pose giving the infamous heil Hitler salute.https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/jiugnm/hetalia_fandom_the_anime_boston_incident_aka_that/ It is unknown exactly how or why the gesture started. KOENIG_CUPCAKE would later claim that one person started it, others followed suit, and it lasted for a very brief moment. Regardless of how long it lasted, it was long enough for at least one person to snap a photo (the photo)
Adding to its severity and offensive nature, the photoshoot took place close to a Holocaust memorial and also coincided with Passover. 
A photograph depicting several cosplayers doing the heil Hitler salute was later posted to the Hetalia LiveJournal community, which generated substantial backlash. 
== Aftermath ==
Many Hetalia fans were quick to point out how inappropriate and offensive the cosplayers' actions were, even it was only intended as a joke. https://kurohaneshizumi.livejournal.com/196468.html https://pyrrhiccomedy.livejournal.com/35062.html Others in the cosplay community, regardless of their involvement with Hetalia, also expressed their disapproval of the situation.
In response to the backlash, KOENIG_CUPCAKE issued an apology to the Hetalia LiveJournal community on April 5th.https://hetalia.livejournal.com/6828345.htmlOverall, the Anime Boston incident resulted in the fandom self-reflecting on its own culture and fan behaviors. Many cosplay photoshoot organizers made sure to adamantly state that Nazi imagery was not acceptable under any circumstances. https://aminoapps.com/c/anime/page/blog/the-hetalia-anime-boston-incident/X1tg_u5D2rXVXPmxdw0r0paWQl6X1d
However, this did not entirely prevent the occasional fan from trying to incorporate Nazi imagery into their cosplays, such as one incident involving a cosplayer who wanted to incorporate swatstika imagery in a photoshoot in 2012. https://punkgrl5.livejournal.com/4880.html Around 2020, a reddit user would also recall an incident on tumblr in which Germany and Prussia cosplayers photographed themselves "pointing guns at a Jewish temple." https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/jiugnm/comment/gaayxp6/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
The incident would continue to be recalled, even years later, by people who had a negative opinion of the Hetalia fandom as an example of why the community was bad. 
KOENIG_CUPCAKE would eventually leave fandom at some point in the mid-2010s after allegedly sexually harassing a minor while she pretended o be a Homestuck character. At the time, she was in her 20s https://www.reddit.com/r/HobbyDrama/comments/jiugnm/comment/ga93l7a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
== Commentary ==
=== Contemporary ===
=== In Reflection ===
== See Also ==
== References ==
Category:2010 Events
Category:Hetalia: Axis Powers
Category:2010s Events
Category:Scandals