Comments on: Tokyo Metro Assembly Thought of the Children, Passes Anti-porn Bill

By: toyNN

toyNN — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 21:56:44 +0000

Lets just hope they narrowly apply this bill and do whatever 18+ restrictions to the very explicit anime, manga, and games. Which is reasonable and already done in most every other country. The problem everyone has with this is the possibility that whatever review board is formed can decide broadly what is “harmful”.

Also its not a National bill and the Prime Minister is not supporting it.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 20:21:25 +0000

In one way, I agree with you. I was at an electronics store many years ago, and someone stocked a copy of “Urotsukidoji” in the children’s section. I brought this to the attention of one of the sales people and they moved it to the adult section. Had they known (or read the box) this was an adult title, it wouldn’t have been placed there.

On the other hand, some adults would like to see this title. Because the morality board doesn’t agree that tentacle rape should be made available to ANYONE makes this censorship. Several mangaka have boycotted the Tokyo Anime Fair for this specific reason. This will not eliminate this “offensive” material; it will just drive it underground.

By: Yx Y

Yx Y — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 19:09:29 +0000

If you think about it there are a lot of images in hentai doujinshi and manga that are very disruptive to childrens minds, even some adult minds might get warped by some of the images. I applaud this decision and agree there should be better filtering and control over a lot of the publishers and publications of this type of material. Just because its legal to draw doesn’t mean its good for society. Especially for a child who may pick it up thinking its the next comic he should read. It’s gotten out of hand and when things get out of hand, actions must be taken. Thanks for your understanding.

By: DM

DM — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:17:35 +0000

Cry more!!!.

By: Ike

Ike — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:17:22 +0000

I’m sure the Tokyo Anime Fair / Comiket will get a lot of empty stands through angry mangaka’s and production houses who just received a serious crunch in their target audience due to this enactment… I think it’s a bad thing for the anime/manga culture in Japan. It somehow feels this Ishihara was more or less forced by international regulations who would call this “minors depicted in sexual behaviour” (loli) the most obscene, perverted and criminal offensive material. Something it’s absolutely not, they draw for a living, if this was soo taboo then people wouldn’t have been buying it for hundreds of years. And before this law you could find this kinda stuff virtually everywhere (in Japan).

By: fh

fh — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 06:59:00 +0000

The bill is not specifically anti-porn, but rather anti-Anything-the-unregulated-censorship-board-thinks-is-harmful-to-children.

The bill also does not target only [depictions of sexual or pseudo-sexual acts between] individuals who cannot legally apply for marriage (specifically), but also any sexual or pseudo-sexual acts that can be considered illegal. Since Governor Ishihara is somewhat of an outspoken homophobe, there is already speculation that the vagueness and subjectivity of the bill may be used to target works that contain any sort of homosexual themes.

The outcry in response to the bill is due in part to the fact that when earlier versions of the bill (which first called for censorship of only pornographic works which featured child-like characters, then was broadened to include most pornographic works) were rejected, committee members promised to work with mangaka and members in publishing to work out a version of the bill that would protect mangaka’s creative expression. Those discussions evidently never took place, and the bill passed without much of a second thought to its effect on mangaka.

Already, many mangaka have been instructed by their publishers to stop using specific themes in their works (eg: no more school seifuku, or school settings), for fear that their publications will be labeled “inappropriate for children”.

Comiket may also be affected, and may also decide to hold its events in a different prefecture (which will no doubt be a devastating change for the tens of thousands of people who attend).