Charli D’Amelio is one of the internet’s fastest-rising stars, boasting over 38 million followers on TikTok — but fame isn’t all sunshine and roses, as she found out after facing mass backlash from cosplayers over a viral dance challenge.
Internet regulars have likely seen a viral video of a pink-haired anime character performing a rotoscoped dance online, which has since taken the net by storm, prompting similar animations of other characters and even cosplay renditions of the choreography.
The clip originates from popular anime ‘Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai,’ and stars main character Chika busting a move during the show’s ending credits, one video of which has garnered over three million views on YouTube.
Considering the viral nature of the dance, it comes as little surprise that dancer and content creator Charli D’Amelio hopped on the Chika train — but some members of the cosplay community aren’t happy with her take on the moves.
After uploading her own version of the dance to TikTok, purportedly titled with the caption, “POV we’re cosplayers,” the star was met with serious backlash from anime fans who felt offended and bullied by her video.
“This is a form of bullying,” one user wrote. “If a cosplayer made a video making fun of these girls, they would get so much hate. It’s not even a joke at this point. …I don’t care if they are upset, they just bullied people because they thought it would be funny.”
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The outrage prompted D’Amelio to upload another TikTok apologizing to the cosplay community, claiming that her video was taken “the wrong way” and that she appreciates creators from all walks of life.
“My friend and I made a video where we were doing it [the dance], and it was completely taken the wrong way,” she explained. “I did not mean for it to happen that way, at all. I was not trying to bring down anyone.”
Since uploading her apology, cosplayers across the net are scratching their heads in confusion over the outrage, with many not understanding why the TikToker is facing backlash over a seemingly innocent and unintentional blunder.
https://twitter.com/mcnItys/status/1240643848872833024?s=20
At 15 years old, Charli is one of the net’s youngest celebrities who has already teased a potential live tour — but living in the internet spotlight also means being subjected to a giant microscope from critics, which has already resulted in some unintentional drama for the star.