Anime Vice Anime/Manga News

Two days in a row I open the morning with a censorship story? For the suck, world. For the suck.

The latest is the nation of the Philippines, which is reportedly banning hentai, “the Japanese cartoon that depicts children in explicit sexual activity.” Unfortunately I can't find any direct texts of the act, so I haven't been able to determine whether hentai is actually only being defined as anime that involves explicit sexual acts with children (meaning, technically, that Japanese cartoons featuring adults in sexual situations is still okay within the letter of the law), but the second article I looked at offered this:

“The House of Representatives is planning to pass a law that will ban the Japanese pornographic cartoon hentai that usually depicts children in explicit sexual activity.”

...Which seems to acknowledge that not all hentai is kiddy porn, but that it'll all get banned anyway. Now, I can't fault some aspects of the bill, which impose harsh penalties upon those who are “found guilty of hiring, employing, using, persuading, inducing, or coercing a child to perform in the production of child pornographic materials.” But “the mere possession of hentai may be penalized with six to 12 years imprisonment and a fine of not more than P500,000.”

Ridiculous. And what's more ridiculous? This line from the Sun Star's article:

“South Cotabato Representative Darlene R. Antonino-Custodio...said the Internet, which is used for gaining knowledge, is being used by some as a medium to satisfy sexual desire.”

You don't !@#$ing say? The Internet, satisfying sexual desire? Heaven forfend!

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for absolutely harsh penalties against those who abuse real children, and even if I disagree I at least understand banning animated depictions of kids in sexual situations. But ALL hentai?

This is why I'm glad that in the US, any ban of media is strictly confined to be as limited as possible. Not that we don't have our own Decency Gestapo, but it's unlikely they'd be able to get anything as broad as this through the legislature and courts.

Those of you over the age of 18 who are up for it, I say you should watch a hentai today in protest. If you do it, go ahead and share what title you're watching. I'm planning on sitting through Anyone You Can Do, I Can Do Better, personally!