Some months ago an organization named Yes to Freedom was formed to fight against retrograde groups that try to thwart the freedom of speech and artistic expression.

Yesterday, this group announce the creation of it’s mascot, something like the Japanese  OS-tan’s but this one name Freedom-tan or in Japanese, Jiyu-tan (自由たん).

Here’s the post they wrote about this.

As both of Yes To Freedom’s current campaigns are related to Japanese subculture, and more precisely anime and manga, we have deemed relevant to create, in a line of thought similar to Wikipedia’s Wikipe-tan, our own “-tan” anime-styled mascot.

We have named said character Freedom-tan – or, in Japanese, Jiyu-tan (自由たん) - as a clear reference to our goals and ideals. While her rather diminutive frame is somewhat meant as a reference to our campaign on lolicon art, her usual items hold a more mainstream meaning. The pen/brush is a way of defining writing as a “peaceful weapon”. The art pallet, on the other hand, stands as a shield – art – against censorship and everything Yes To Freedom opposes. Finally, the feather, official logo of Yes to Freedom, symbolizes both freedom itself, through its link with bird-like features.

The character was designed and drawn by Deth with help from an exterior artist, ATOM-ix, as well as our community for insight and the overall concept. She is licenced under Yes to Freedom’s own licence as are all original creative works authored by its members for the organisation.

Here are the basic versions. Click on them to see them in full size. Several more accessories, poses and clothes will be added later to create a complete persona.

You can read it here too: Yes to freedom.

The version in the upper side of this post is the one with a pen, and this one below has a brush.