With over 400,000 followers on TikTok, Filipino content creator @umi.chii has been racking up views for her relatable and honest persona in her content. She was first recognized for her editing skills and transparency in altering her videos and photos. However, her popularity started gaining traction in the wrong direction, as clips of her speaking in a “Japanese accent” circulated. At first, many thought of her as cringe while others found her to be kind and unique. But these opinions started to fade as intense allegations of loli-baiting (acting young for sexual views), romanticizing being mentally ill, sexualizing East Asians, being racist towards her own ethnicity, and glorifying incest started to surface. Are these claims false attacks on her identity, or the truth behind Umi Chii?
Accounts all over social media have expressed disgust or support regarding Umi Chii. Many have pointed out her odd behavior—the videos of her wearing clothing of young girls as a 20 year old woman, and the actions that seem to be aimed at older audiences. Not to mention, her past tweets hinted towards being bigoted. For the cherry on top, in a post made on January 19th in Chii’s Facebook page, she wrote: “…self-isolate from the cruel illiterate inbred phenotype of Filipinos.” On the other hand, many fans have shown their admiration for her aesthetic and her “calming voice.” In response to all her controversies, Chii made a YouTube video addressing the pointing fingers. The explanation contains ten parts, all of which discuss the recent allegations that have been made about her. Despite the thirty-six minutes of Chii trying to clean the mess, viewers have had extremely polarized reactions. Chii exemplifies the impacts of ‘cancel culture’–mirroring many scandalized influencers in the past. CHS freshman Diana Hernandez Lima shared her reaction.
“I think that she is totally in the wrong for doing such actions at her grown age,” Hernandez Lima said. “I feel like she should educate herself and find peace in something else.”
As more clarity continues to emerge, Chii’s online personality has taken a huge toll. For now, the outcome of her account will depend on her growth and the reactions of viewers.
