We've been talking a lot here about some proposed legislation in Tokyo, which would restrict the sexual-- or sexualized, i.e. potentially lust-inducing --depictions of any character that appears or sounds like they're under 18. The bill's vote was delayed and now it's
officially on hold until June.
Soon-to-be banned in Japan...or not?
That said, I can't help but wonder whether such a ban has a significant chance at passing. It's clear that
mangaka think it might. And it's clear WHY Tokyo would want to try and clean up the look of anime and manga-- it's something Japan's national government has been eyeing over the years too. If they want to export anime and manga to a broader audience overseas, they need to ensure that it won't get a reputation for being kiddie porn.
And ANIME!
Japan has also been pushing for anime and manga related tourism-- see the Japan National TOurism Organization ads on ANN, which happily command you to visit a land rich in "culture," "history," and "ANIME." Yet another reason to try and clean up Tokyo's look.
However!
I won't pretend to have the slightest clue about Japanese politics beyond that Koizumi had cool hair and the guy who came after him liked manga...but I HAVE always been given to understand that otaku spending is a significant chunk of the economy. Perhaps it's the biggest difference between anime fans there and here: in Japan, they buy. DVDs, figures, hug pillows, manga, merch, you name it.
I'm sure that this kind of buying is an even bigger chunk of sales for Tokyo, home to
Akihabara and other well-known pitstops for otaku of all types.
So my question is, would Tokyo-- or Japan as a whole --be willing to potentially cripple a local market in order to reach out to a foreign one? I don't particularly get the sense that anime and manga have been making enough money abroad to justify shaking things up at home. (On the other hand,
Osaka is now considering a similar ban-- their economy might not be as heavily impacted as Tokyo's might, so it could be more likely there.)
I could certainly be wrong, but for the time being I hold hope that Tokyo will make the right decision not to censor, even if it's for the wrong reason-- protecting the local economy rather than taking a significant chance on exports.
Anime/Manga on my shelves that contain potentially lust inducing depictions of characters that appear under 18.
Black Cat
Bleach
Claymore
Code Geass
Fairy Tale
Fate Stay Night
Gundam Seed
Gunsmith Cats
Naruto
One Piece
Neon Genesis Evengalion
Rosario Vampire
Shakugan no Shana
Tenchi Muyo
@Rayleon: To my knowledge, that was never officially confirmed by Gainax-- it was info that was released along with a figure or something. When Gainax staffers were asked about it at Fanime a couple of years ago they hemmed and hawed and didn't really answer either way.
eva girls?
Of course, i also have no idea about japan's politcal side and how they go about things, so i guess it's just guess work on my part how things actually work ^^;
Or Chiyo.
The problem with this bill, and also the main reason it most likely won't be passed, is that it's way too extreme. All the animes I've seen, and all the mangas I've read (all together that's more than 250 series); about 90 % of them contain "suggestive lolis". Also, from what I gather, almost 75 % of all post 2000 anime contains suggestive lolis and is therefore highly likely to be banned if this bill ever passes. This includes great titles like Code Geass, Full Metal Alchemist, Claymore, and a lot of other well-known animes that don't really focus much on sex. However this will most likely not happen as this bill is quite unlikely ever to get passed. Although if the "loli-opposition" where to be more moderate (say for instance making loli hentai illegal) there would be quite a high chance, at least I think so, for it to get through.
Good point.