Very true, though I will say in FMA's defense, the uniforms were very much intentional to say, "Amestris is full of fascists!" And it's possible part of the *point* was to poke at all the anime folks who wouldn't think anything of it because even by that point oh boy.
There are just one too many anime subcultures that's gotten a little *too* mainstream (looking at YOU Moe style), and uh. Yeah. Bit of an issue. And while admittedly I can only speak on this from having done research as an outsider...
I wouldn't be surprised if the folks who try to strip Nazi uniforms of their connotations are part of the very circular venn diagram with those who think Japan needs to go back to its imperialism days. Not just have a military again. But full imperialism days with all the horrors.
For sure! It’s definitely not the creators themselves that perpetuate it, it’s part of the marketing and fandom culture and that phenomenon when what they intend warps when various audiences interact and make it their own (in not necessarily malicious) ways. Like people not getting Fight Club.