Indonesia’s Health Ministry enlists kawaii anime character to convince young Japanophiles to get jab

Indonesia’s Health Ministry recently posted on TikTok a video to raise awareness about the current phase of the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination program, in which those above 18 years of age are now eligible for the jab. The video features a young man named Yudha being visited by anime character Ogiwara Sayu, the female protagonist of anime/manga series ‘Higehiro.’ Screenshots from TikTok/@kemenkesri
Indonesia’s Health Ministry recently posted on TikTok a video to raise awareness about the current phase of the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination program, in which those above 18 years of age are now eligible for the jab. The video features a young man named Yudha being visited by anime character Ogiwara Sayu, the female protagonist of anime/manga series ‘Higehiro.’ Screenshots from TikTok/@kemenkesri

Government agencies in Indonesia have tried many ways to appeal to the youth to promote their various programs, but the latest attempt by the Health Ministry to convince young people to get the COVID-19 jab is quite ingenious given the strong weeaboo culture in the country.

The ministry recently posted on TikTok a video to raise awareness about the current phase of the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination program, in which those above 18 years of age are now eligible for the jab. The video features a young man named Yudha being visited by anime character Ogiwara Sayu, the female protagonist of anime/manga series Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway, or Higehiro for simplicity’s sake.

For those who aren’t familiar with the romantic comedy series, Higehiro tells the story about a mid-20s salaryman named Yoshida who meets Sayu, a teenage high school student, and how he ended up sheltering her amid her troubles (yes, it has some creepy connotations, but that’s a lot of romantic anime for you).

@kemenkesriKasihan belom tau, mana masih muda lagi. #samasamabelajar #wibuindonesia #KemenkesRI

♬ 女の子になりたい – まふまふ

Playing on the fantasies of young men cohabiting with kawaii young girls, the Health Ministry’s TikTok depicts Yudha living with Sayu, and how she informed him about the mass vaccination program.

“You’re not up-to-date, Yudha-kun! [The COVID-19] vaccination is now available for people aged 18 and above,” Sayu told Yudha in the video, after which he agreed to sign up for a jab.

The video came with the hashtag #wibuindonesia in the caption ⁠—wibu” being the Indonesian spelling for weeaboo, the derogatory slang term generally applied to Western people who are obsessed with Japanese pop culture, particularly anime and manga, though it has largely been reclaimed by the fan community.

The TikTok has received more than 395,000 likes and shared over 41,000 times at the time of writing, which is way higher compared to other videos posted on the ministry’s page. In the comments, most users expressed their surprise that an official ministry account would post wibu-friendly content, while others applauded their effort to reach the younger generation.

Widyawati, spokesperson of the Health Ministry, confirmed that the TikTok was indeed created by the ministry, adding that they wanted to appeal to the young audience. Between this and giving away live chickens for old people to get vaccinated, we can’t say Indonesian officials aren’t trying.



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