Kanye West has stood up from time to time for what he truly believed in. As strongly as he believes in his music, he also has a certain spirit of value that he swears by. However, at times it comes off oddly, such as the infamous Taylor Swift VMA incident. Regardless, when the rapper truly feels connected to something, one can expect him to protect it like his own. Such is the rapper’s connection to Japan and Japanese culture, including the obvious manga and anime.

Speaking of which, one anime struck such an accord with him that he not only made a music video based on it but also took the pain of a Twitter onslaught by defending it.

Kanye West once made a music video and went to war online for this anime

It is no secret that Kanye West loves Japan. The rapper had himself stationed for months in the East Asian country earlier this year. Spotted alongside his wife, Bianca Censori, Ye had virtually made the country his second home. Further, his tryst with Japan and specifically anime dates back years. A 2007 song, ‘Stronger’ from his album ‘Graduation’, had a music video that was directly based on the 1988 anime, Akira.

The song included several nods to the anime, including a motorcycle sequence with taillight trails that looked like those in Akira. Moreover, the rapper West mirrored sequences of the character Tetsuo Shima. The video included a near-identical remake of Shima gaining powers and coming out of a machine. Later on, the ‘Donda’ singer also braved an onslaught when he claimed that Akira was much better than Spirited Away, which ranked above it. Regardless, ‘Stronger’ went on to hold the Billboard Top 100 charts for several weeks after its release.

After his lovesong with Japan, West went on and is still nestled in Italy from where interesting tidbits of his upcoming music keep surfacing regularly.

After a private music party, Ye to hold one publicly in front of a staggering crowd

Ever since Ye had moved to Italy, news of him prepping his upcoming album kept incoming. After a brief lull where music talks were overshadowed by a Venetian show of public indecency, it all started again with a jolt. From music drops at a London fashion event to random verses at a Steve Lacy Concert, the hints were all over the place. 

The ‘College Dropout’ singer threw out a bombshell when a preview snippet of his upcoming album made its way onto the Internet. Featuring Kanye West displaying intense emotions and Ty Dolla $ign by his side, the clip took fans by surprise. Now mere days later, reports have confirmed that the singer has booked the Rcf Arena in Italy for 80,000 fans, ideally for a listening party on the 20th of October. Thus, it seems that the days of rumors are over and it is time for something concrete.

What are your thoughts on West’s love for Akira? What are your expectations from his upcoming album? Let us know in the comments below.