Tokyo's "Anti-Anime" Bill Sparks Convention Wars

[PumpItUp]

They need to send the bill back for reevaluation. It's true that its excessive vagueness will be a detriment to the anime industry but there was an important reason the bill was created to tackle: the rampant increase in the depictions of minors in sexual situations a.k.a. child pornography.

You can argue over the difference between physical child porn and drawn child porn but you can't argue that it has become a problem in Japan. The bill was intended to at least limit the excessive amount currently on the market and that is what the bill should do. Yes, the government was too hasty in pushing out the bill and yes, the Big Ten are justified in protesting it, but the bill is still needed.

On a lighter note, that picture of Taiga is the most hilariously appropriate pic for the article. Her expression just screams "You gonna die now."

Unfortunatel, child porn doesn't fall under the scope of this bill and won't be limited in the slightest. Those are already in the AO section and so can't be targetted by this bill. This bill is targetting "fan service" of all kinds.

While I agree that seeing far less of this in anime and manga would be desirable it's not a governments job to do that. If you want to see those things go away don't buy them and they'll diminish into a niche market.

I for one think even the intent behind this law is silly. Underage nudity isn't sexually arousing so why is there an issue? The inability to see nudity as anything but sexual speaks more about the sexual repression of modern society than anything else.

You are right about the bill not targeting child porn. That was my mistake.

Unfortunately, you are also right about Japanese society being sexually repressed. Having studied their culture for a period I know that sexuality is an extremely mixed bag. On the one hand, personal sexuality is much more open than in the US (evidenced by the large number of gay, lesbian, and transvestite characters in mainstream anime). On the other, Japan is a country notorious for its obsession with "cute", which often replaces the American definition of "sexy" as the most desirable trait in women. What else is cute? Young girls. And soon the lines begin to blur.

Also keep in mind, a lot of the fanservice-type anime is set in high school, where most of the characters are underage.

I would like to note that I'm not against broad censorship, or even narrow censorship of an art form. But on the other hand, this exists:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXiXw556MaE (NOT SAFE FOR WORK OR SANITY)

You're correct in that alot of the fan service animes are set in high school, but my stance on them is that by not purchasing any anime which contains those types of scenes I am discouraging the creators of those animes from making those types of anime and thus am doing my part to cleanse the market. I think the government choosing what younger people can and cannot see is a large overstep of their purpose.

As an adult if I wished to see those kinds of scenes I could merely purchase AO animes, but I find it odd that a child presumably age 13-17 in the case of actually having enough money to purchase their own anime or watch anime without consent of their parents would be restricted from seeing fan service of characters within their age group. Sex is an integral part of growing up, particularly within that age range, and that type of repression may be part of what leads to people who actually enjoy the very much creepier tentacle scenes.

I have absolutely no problem with children around that age purchasing anime with their own money. They are intelligent enough to make their own choices in regards to their entertainment. It actually quite nicely mirrors the current American debate over selling M-rated games to minors and I'm wholly against the planned government-imposed restrictions.

I'm not even really for government restrictions on the anime industry. I'm not a fan of censorship, even light censorship. However, you cannot deny that the industry has...rotted a bit. This is an industry that can produce shows like Eiken and Queen's Blade (both soft-core pornography in everything but classification) for the general market. This is an industry that makes its fortune primarily off the backs of fanservice-vehicles. It's not even the matter of oversexualization of minors that's the biggest problem, it's the lack of restraint the industry uses when using sex or sexualization.

Does this mean I'm against bold experiments like Panty & Stocking? No. Am I against sexualization in general? No, shows like Degrassi and The O.C. have used sex and high schoolers and there is nothing wrong with that. But those types of shows did not regularly feature girls with D or F cups, nor did they take pleasure in finding the most obscenely low shot to show of the girls' panties (keep in mind: "Panty Shot" is used almost exclusively to describe anime).

As for not buying borderline obscene or offensive anime to discourage the creation of similar titles: it doesn't work. With the exception of incredibly offensive, widely reported controversies over particular titles, boycotts don't work, at least not for fanservice titles. It would have the same result as boycotting a brainless popcorn Hollywood action flick, people would still go see it and the producing company would only lose a miniscule fraction of their potential sales. Fanservice, like brainless action, appeals to the lowest common denominator of people, who don't care what they're watching as long as it involves boobs and explosions. Boycotting those types of shows and movies are monetarily pointless, though the aforementioned bad press is one benefit (if it's loud enough).

I guess what I'm trying to say is that anime companies, and the industry as a whole, need to set higher standards for the sexual content in their product. I don't want to involve the government but the industry needs to set tougher standards or at least grow a sense of decency.

The stereotype is that "Anime is just cartoon pornography". The longer that the industry pushes the border of decency, the closer they are to proving that stereotype right.

 

[Liiizard]

Well done Japan. I'm not one for censorship, myself, but this bill will go a long way toward helping your international standing. After all, the old "Japan's major export is Tentacle Rape" joke is going from old, to just plain embarassing. Get rid of that crap and try to focus on improving and modernizing an art form that is undeniably linked to your national culture.

As for the event, whatever, conventions come and go. They're fun, they're useful, but I doubt there's such a thing as "event loyalty". One hall of like-minded hobbyists is the same as the next, the one that represents the people should be the one that survives.

I would agree, except for one thing:

This bill doesn't affect actual porn in any way. Japan will continue producing underage pedophilia and tentacle rape at the exact same rate. It's only non-pornographic anime that's affected.

Leave it to Japan to mess up a bill designed to stop horrible horrible filth and instead censor art and discriminate against gays. One of the primary sponsor of the bill is openly anti-gay. Guess how any mention of completely clean homosexual love will be interpreted in regards to how it might affect childhood development?

They're fine with oppressing "sexual deviancy" like "homosexuality" as long as the old businessmen can get all the child porn and female humiliation they enjoy.

 

[The Random One]

Nice, now this is how you fight unfair bills. Show 'em what's at stake.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

Perhaps they should stop filling things with fan service and sex appeal then?

Perhaps games should stop filling things with gore and violence? Next thing you're gone to see some guy trying to censore video games. ...Oh, wait...

 

[AboveUp]

One part of me feels this law is stupid and idiotic.

Another part of me hopes this law ends the moe trend and bring back actual content.

That latter part of me is such a naive guy.

You realize that this could potentially relegate things like "Berserk" and "Evangelion" to the back room with all the hardcore porn, right?

Honestly, I'm not too big of a fan of either. And given the kind of things the people behind series of that caliber are capable of, I'm sure they'd be able to at least come up with something that goes further than "here's bunch of cute girls doing things that make their breasts jiggle". Which is pretty much the part of the market that will suffer the most because of this. Maybe now we'll stop seeing stuff like K-On figurines with cameltoes.

Although it is a shame that whole breast jiggle thing is one of the most famous aspects of Gainax, what with the movements of both individual breasts being animated separately, rather than as a set.

 

[Ftaghn To You Too]

To hell with that bill, it's just stupid restrictions and censorship. It's good to see them fighting it.

And if they move Evangelion to the back room...

The United States is going to nuke everything. EVERYTHING.

 

[13CBS]

Hrm, I'm a bit torn.

On one hand, the bill will do away with some of what I see as gratuitous fanservice (Familiar of Zero, I'm looking at you).

On the other, everything John Funk points out sounds like valid concerns--freedom of speech, the inability to include sexual scenes for artistic reasons, etc.

Edit: As an aside, this bill, depending on how strictly it is enforced, may also limit anime shipments to the US--I have my doubts on most American publishers wanting to legally import and translate stuff classified as "pornography". That may lead to a rise in anime piracy (fansubbing).

 

[kasperbbs]

I hope this decreases the number of ecchis ,so they would make something worth watching instead of that crap ,but if this bill messes with stuff like berserk then its gonna be bad..

 

[Dastardly]

suh-nip

While it sends the message that they are displeased with the law, it does nothing to communicate a reasoned argument against it. I'm not saying they don't have one. I'm saying this doesn't present it very well.

It appears to be making a powerful statement, crippling this convention... but I'm not sure "powerful" is the right word. The law is out of that poor fella's hands now, so the message isn't going anywhere useful. It's "loud," but not necessarily "powerful."

The Japanese government is not known for being open to discussion, but I hope these publishers couple this "show of force" with a reasoned, even-handed argument against this new law.

 

[Death God]

Wow! Really? And I thought that Tokyo was the biggest producers of anime and, as we know, most anime are SO perverted! The two just seemed to fit together.

 

[The Lunatic]

Perhaps games should stop filling things with gore and violence? Next thing you're gone to see some guy trying to censore video games. ...Oh, wait...

What? People should stop making games like MadWorld, which are violent for the sake of being violent?

In which case, I humbly agree.

And please, let's not mix American censorship with the rest of the rational world, shall we?

 

[UberNoodle]

MOst of the backlash is the same as when any legislation is past. It's all the "what ifs?" presented as actual outcomes. What IF the government decide to abuse this bill? Well they'd be shooting one of the nations biggest exports and domestic money makers in the foot. What IF the government take it a step further and make all anime, and then all other media, require government approval before release? See above. See also that would make Japan into China. That will not happen. What IF the regulators just start banning things willy-nilly by their own personal morals? See the above again, and the current Japanese rating system is pretty fair and actually quite open, except for the pixelation on genitalia.

What if, what if, what if?

This bill has more direct good that it could do than all the panic mongers would have you believe. To throw it out is to thow the baby out with the bathwater. This bill is a STEP. Detractors seem to demand that the destination be reached immediately. Perhaps that is a sign of the times, where life is so Fast Food and On Demand. The legislation will evolve but it will do that best when people stop reacting emotionally and start reacting objectively and constructively.

Who in their right mind would agree to the issues the bill is attempting to target? If the bill isn't satisfactory, then help fix it. This ISN'T an attack on free speech. I wish the world hadn't been corrupted by America's tangled and grey concepts on what free speech is. Anime artists will still HAVE their freedom of speech, and if the legislation is supported and constructively nurtured by the gov't and artists, there'll be no danger of it being taken away.

Clearly what the bill needs is language to ensure that CONTEXT is taken into account with any ruling. The current rating system has this, and that is why sex in a film is not classified as pornography. The reason for its being is NOT the sex itself. Therefore, with such language introduced or POINTED OUT (there is a really good chance that the bill HAS this language but the media and interest groups are going for the sensationalist angle), something like Evangelion would NOT be banned or adversly affected. Something like Urutsukidoji WOULD probably be.

 

[delet]

2ch *IS* most of Japan. It is nothing like 4chan.

Thanks for your opinion, but it is wrong.

Going by the 15-64 demographics, 10% visit 2ch. Given that Japan's population tilts heavily toward the older, I would wager that 20-25% of those 15-30 visit 2ch regularly.

There is nothing even remotely comparable in the west. 2ch is a place where the Japanese can shed all of their social issues and speak freely regarding any topic. For a culture where what you do is *exactly* who you are and determines your place in the world, that's a big deal.

10%, 20-25%... You do realize what 'most' means, right?

Once again, thanks for your opinion, but it is wrong.

Also, you seem to be under the impression that I believe 4Chan compares to 2ch. Guess what, you're wrong there too.

 

[whaleswiththumbs]

I am for a little warning or something with any media that might contain risqué material. But forcing things such as this upon an industry is censoring by another name. I am all for the companies continuing producing whatever they want. if that means that suddenly an anime store in Japan turns into an adults-only affair, well maybe the parents of anime-loving kids can take a note from parents on the US and complain and whine till they get their way. [small] kind of like their kids[/small]

 

[tthor]

Well done Japan. I'm not one for censorship, myself, but this bill will go a long way toward helping your international standing. After all, the old "Japan's major export is Tentacle Rape" joke is going from old, to just plain embarassing. Get rid of that crap and try to focus on improving and modernizing an art form that is undeniably linked to your national culture.

As for the event, whatever, conventions come and go. They're fun, they're useful, but I doubt there's such a thing as "event loyalty". One hall of like-minded hobbyists is the same as the next, the one that represents the people should be the one that survives.

lol oh no, this won't effect their tentacle rape exports etc at all; because, that anime porn is ALREADY considered porn. what this bill will do is also make shows like dragon ball z, sailor moon, evangelion etc also considered porn. so anime porn will hardly be effected

EDIT: oh ya, any anime that has homosexual characters in it will also be considered porn (yes, if there is so much as a gay guy walking around in the background of the anime, it will automatically be classified as porn)
the governer of tokyo, the guy you started the bill, has in the past sayed that he hates homosexuals, foreigners, and basically everyone who watches anime or reads manga (going so far as to say that these people who enjoy anime are genetically different than normal people). did i also mention that the governor has published several books in detail about violent rape(i have not read any of his work, but i've heard it is bad enough to make a regulars on /b/ sick to his stomach). that is why books and liveaction film are specificly exempt from this bill

 

[Scout Tactical]

Both sides of this debate are freaking out over nothing. This is alarmism at its finest. I have seen THREE articles now on the Escapist making claims about how prolific non-sexualized anime COULD be censored, without any real evidence to back up the idea that they would be attacked. All of this alarmism is predicated on the belief that Japan will go insane and crack down as hard as possible on all anime, which is unlikely.

Even then, this doesn't ban such anime from being sold! It sends it to the back rooms of stores. Would stores stop stocking NGE if it was in the back? No. They certainly didn't stop stocking Red Alert 2 when it was temporarily 'banned' to the back of stores after 9/11. Bottom line is, NGE probably should not be watched by kids in the first place, whether you consider nudity or not.


I guess I just wish the Escapist would show it's a little bit better than other news outlits and stop fearmongering over what could happen until there's hard evidence that it will happen, or at least that the Japanese government is dumb enough to crack down so hard on all "non-sexualized" anime that it destroys its own GDP through lost sales.

 

[antipunt]

Wow, a boycott that has some wind behinds its sails. Nice, we'll see where this goes.

 

[Konaerix]

One part of me feels this law is stupid and idiotic.

Another part of me hopes this law ends the moe trend and bring back actual content.

That latter part of me is such a naive guy.

You realize that this could potentially relegate things like "Berserk" and "Evangelion" to the back room with all the hardcore porn, right?

And that would be like taking the Mona Lisa and tossing it into a fire! SHIT!!!
(Nice tag, John. I love Touhou)