There are only five days left until the 78th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bomb attack and a few days until the release of Barbie and Oppenheimer in Japan. The two events seem quite contrary, especially considering the Openheimer movie, which is a biopic on Robert Oppenheimer, famously known as the Father of the Atomic Bomb.
The movie release has already sparked controversy in the country, and to add fuel to the fire, the portmanteau circulating over the social media platform has pushed the netizens to raise their protest as #NoBarbenheimer.
For those who are not aware of Barbenheimer, it is a meme circulating on the internet in a positive response to the worldwide release of the two movies—Barbie and Oppenheimer collectively.
Since their release on July 21, the two movies have dominated the U.S. box office. The media has referred to the two movies as “Barbenheimer” as a result of their simultaneous release and a variety of memes that appeared online.
One of these photos appears to show the actors playing Barbie and Oppenheimer smilingly posing in front of a terrifying explosion that some in Japan have compared to the actual carnage caused by the American atomic bombs launched during the last stages of World War II.
The meme was insensitive to the emotions, pain, and agony that are felt even today after 78 years. One of the posts read,
“Many victims who perished under the mushroom clouds were children the same age as those playing with Barbie dolls, and the memes were inconsiderate.”
Others called them stupid and unforgivable and urged a boycott of the movie.
The dropping of an atomic bomb is a sensitive issue, especially for the victim nation. Considering the sensitivity of the issue, a careful handling of the issue was critical; however, the insensitivity demonstrated by a few people even forced a few people to demand the ban of the release of both movies in Japan altogether.
One of the memes that resulted in outrage showed Margot Robbie, who played Barbie, sitting on the shoulders of Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, with an orange inferno of an atomic blast in the background.
Also, read Did Oppenheimer Regret It? A Tale of Triumph, Regret, and Seeking Redemption

The memes are thought to diminish and desensitize the atomic bomb event, the consequences of which are still felt by future generations.
The images were not created by Warner Bros., but the official response to the meme read as
“It’s going to be a summer to remember.”
Taking note of the situation Warner Bros. Japan LLC expressed regret over the Barbie Movie account’s responses to some social media posts from their American counterparts. The apology read as
“We apologize to those who felt uncomfortable because of these inconsiderable reactions,” Warner Bros. Japan said in a statement on X.
Post the Warner Bros. Japan response over the issue, Warner Bros. in the US apologized for the previous remark.
“Warner Brothers regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement. The studio offers a sincere apology.”
However, it might have an effect on how much money their upcoming movie makes at the box office because of the controversy surrounding their social media posts. It remains to be seen how this apology and the subsequent backlash will affect audience perception and, ultimately, ticket sales.

Know here,Vietnam Takes a Stand: The Barbie Movie Ban and the Nine-Dash Line Controversy