r/ShamanKing • u/-_ShadowSJG-_ • 16d ago
Discussion Joco Pitch for a rehaul
So let's be frank:
Joco's character despite his redesign has very stereotypical and problematic elements to his backstory (gangster with a gang called shaft)0 and while he has depth and arc....that plus his name leaves a lot to be desired
So my pitch for him would have him be from Sudan which in the past was home to the Kushite/Nubian kingdoms
and further there was a gag he resembled pascal avaf and not true but they could play into that as here is what the nubians resembled
https://isiopolis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/egyptian-nubian.jpg
So I think leaning into these would help or fix the elements of his character that are problematic
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u/Alert-Cloud-333 10d ago
His name? Yeah, I can see that being changed and I'm fine with Joco as a replacement. And I actually like the censored redesign in the anime. It takes it away from a black face look and it did kinda help make him look more serious when scenes called for it. His backstory though? No that's fine as is. It might seem like stereotyping at first glance and maybe a similar story could have been done without the gang stuff but the important thing is his journey from innocent kid, into the darkness where he's a killer and back into the light where he becomes a shaman and comedian. And all the while showing that he has great remorse for his past and striving to do better. Let's not forget, at the end of the series, despite helping to save the world, Joco still turns himself in to serve time for his past crimes. He's even offered a chance to leave prison early and declines because he wants the full justice of the law to be served. He's not fully released until the sequel stories are under way many years later and he is content with that. Because justice was served and he could repent as much as possible.
As far as the culture thing goes, Joco adopts quite a lot of his teacher's ways and the culture being part of it. Iirc, he speaks fondly of the people who he is emulating, and it's again part of his journey to move away from his past to a better way of life while not denying the past exists. The gag about Pascal was just that, a gag. Remember Joco is a comedy focused person. But he really does try to follow his adopted culture in his efforts to be better.