cultural politics; britcoms
Wow. The stereotypical Japanese character on the Channel 4 series Flowers is really offensive... until you realize _that's the creator_ playing that role.
Even then, I was ready to get my Angry White Liberal hackles raised, because said creator is named "Will Sharpe"... and I made the logical but totally wrong assumption about his ethnicity. William *Tomomori Fukuda* Sharpe's ethnicity, as it turns out.
I read a little further into it and apparently it's partly a subversion, and partly a wink at the fact it's his deliberate attempt to introduce Japanese comedy tropes to a British audience.
Hmm. I'm only halfway through episode 2, and I'll keep you posted if this turns out to be any good.