The Anime Industry as We Know it Faces Crisis

[TheGameNinja]

The "anti-loli" bill passed it's first vote and if it passes again within the next few days it becomes law. Basically, this law (which is currently only restricted to Tokyo and is not nationwide) takes away self-regulation from the industry and gives a government-appointed committee the right to label a product as "harmful" and would basically be the equivalent of a video game getting an AO rating from the American ESRB (which is self-regulated). This law would alter a current law, which already restricts what would actually be considered "harmful" e.g. hentai. Most major retailers (online and offline) in Japan have policies against selling these products already and the new law could get things such as Panty & Stocking, OreImo, or even Evangelion pulled from shelves, or otherwise shoved into the Adult section. It's de facto censorship. The companies still have the right to make it, but they will be fined if it is found to be "harmful" and most stores won't sell their stuff. The reason this affects the entire industry even though it only effects Tokyo is that most of the companies producing this material are based in Tokyo. This law will also affect manga and games. The only things excluded are books and live-action material. There's no telling how much this could hurt the industry, especially since it's already got enough problems to deal with thanks to piracy.

[Tanassy]

The "anti-loli" bill passed it's first vote and if it passes again within the next few days it becomes law. Basically, this law (which is currently only restricted to Tokyo and is not nationwide) takes away self-regulation from the industry and gives a government-appointed committee the right to label a product as "harmful" and would basically be the equivalent of a video game getting an AO rating from the American ESRB (which is self-regulated). This law would alter a current law, which already restricts what would actually be considered "harmful" e.g. hentai. Most major retailers (online and offline) in Japan have policies against selling these products already and the new law could get things such as Panty & Stocking, OreImo, or even Evangelion pulled from shelves, or otherwise shoved into the Adult section. It's de facto censorship. The companies still have the right to make it, but they will be fined if it is found to be "harmful" and most stores won't sell their stuff. The reason this affects the entire industry even though it only effects Tokyo is that most of the companies producing this material are based in Tokyo. This law will also affect manga and games. The only things excluded are books and live-action material. There's no telling how much this could hurt the industry, especially since it's already got enough problems to deal with thanks to piracy.

Shit, this is pretty bad..
The industry is barely hanging in the balance already, and for this to come along, I don't even..

Lets just all bloody hope this doesn't pass again..

[jkid101094]

So basically they're being even bigger bitches about censorship? Fuck the goddamn children. I want my hentai. D< *shot dead*

[TheGameNinja]

So basically they're being even bigger bitches about censorship? Fuck the goddamn children. I want my hentai. D< *shot dead*

They're getting around calling it censorship by not banning it outright. It just makes it so that the companies making it will be fined for making it at all and then no one will even sell it. So it IS censorship, even if they don't call it that.

Of course, this law could easily be rendered null if stores that sell anime, games, manga, etc. simply remove their self-imposed restrictions on what they sell, even if they continue to not sell what they didn't sell before. Meaning that the "harmful" label will lose its power. The fines will still be there, though. >.>

[Elija2]

Oh no, what will I ever do without my panty-shots?

[TheGameNinja]

Oh no, what will I ever do without my panty-shots?

What you would think this would do is only affect fanservice like that. But it could be applied to anything. Like violence or anything that committe finds "harmful" to Japanese society. Like Yu Yu Hakusho? Too bad, there's kids dying and killing other things. Like Eden of the East? Too bad, there's a chick chopping dudes' "Johnnies" off. Like yaoi or yuri (even if it's clean)? Too bad, there's homosexual behavior (and yes, that's possible, as the mayor of Tokyo has talked about how he doesn't think homosexuals should be allowed on TV). Like Pokemon? TOO BAD, A MAN POINTS A GUN AT ASH AND TEAM ROCKET CROSSDRESSES. The wording is SOOOO vague in this bill that they can classify basically anything they want to as "harmful."

[jkid101094]

They're getting around calling it censorship by not banning it outright. It just makes it so that the companies making it will be fined for making it at all and then no one will even sell it. So it IS censorship, even if they don't call it that.

Of course, this law could easily be rendered null if stores that sell anime, games, manga, etc. simply remove they're self-imposed restrictions on what they sell, even if they continue to not sell what they didn't sell before. Meaning that the "harmful" label will lose its power. The fines will still be there, though. >.>

...
And there goes the rest of the anime industry. D<

Oh no, what will I ever do without my panty-shots?

I'd die. D<

[~Bubblicious~]

If they get rid of Lolis I'm going to be BEYOND pissed off.
Not all of them are fucking perverted, however, people look down upon people who enjoy Anime and games and things similar, automatically assuming we all have no damn life. I mean honestly, yaoi and yuri is fine, it's happening in the real world, it's bound to end up in other things. Anime, comics, manga, cartoons, whatever you want to call them, they in themselves are the freedom of expression. Stupid biased people.

[Sonic360]

Oh great! Congress is bitching out about another irrelevant thing. Besides what will this accomplish, besides people wanting a higher demand for it, and that would lead to more things the government wouldn't want to happen in the long run. Such as piracy and things that would get them around paying the fine. And just when I was enjoying my loli and hentai (possibly shota also). And does anyone else see the stupidity in this bill? Come on! You can have friggin photography and live action movies (lets say adult and child relations) but if it's in an anime or a manga there's the friggin cops at your door. This is bloody madness!

[TheGameNinja]

Oh great! Congress is bitching out about another irrelevant thing. Besides what will this accomplish, besides people wanting a higher demand for it, and that would lead to more things the government wouldn't want to happen in the long run. Such as piracy and things that would get them around paying the fine. And just when I was enjoying my loli and hentai (possibly shota also). And does anyone else see the stupidity in this bill? Come on! You can have friggin photography and live action movies (lets say adult and child relations) but if it's in an anime or a manga there's the friggin cops at your door. This is bloody madness!

Now, now, this is still just in Japan. And only in Tokyo at that. The cops aren't going to bust down your door for having it, but the government is going to keep them from making it in the first place. And if they do make it, you'll have one hellova time getting your hands on it.

[Sonic360]

Now, now, this is still just in Japan. And only in Tokyo at that. The cops aren't going to bust down your door for having it, but the government is going to keep them from making it in the first place. And if they do make it, you'll have one hellova time getting your hands on it.

Yeah I know it is just in Japan, but that would be what it ultimately leads to if the bill passes, am I not correct?

[TheGameNinja]

It's not that they're making it illegal to own the "harmful" material, it's that they are basically trying to cut off the head by making it difficult for companies to get their product made and sold. I'm guessing they hope that the companies will either conform to what they see fit, simply see anime as not worth the effort and give up, or continue as they are and drive themselves into bankruptcy.

[Princessofthechaosemerald]

That sucks...
But at least we aren't in Tokyo..I still feel bad for them though .-. Though if this Bill "censors" certain animes and what not, that means we wont get pokemon and Maybe even bleach coming to us anymore, since it's made in japan? Or Did i read some of the posts wrong .-.

[TheGameNinja]

That sucks...
But at least we aren't in Tokyo..I still feel bad for them though .-. Though if this Bill "censors" certain animes and what not, that means we wont get pokemon and Maybe even bleach coming to us anymore, since it's made in japan? Or Did i read some of the posts wrong .-.

I was exaggerating to make a point. Odds are, this committee will be as corrupt as the ESRB is, even though that's managed by the game industry itself. Uber popular stuff that is seen as kids stuff will be exempt. Ghibli movies will get away with anything because they're Ghibli. Shonen Jump series will probably get away with stuff just because they're Shonen Jump. Pokemon will get away with stuff because even if they did have the gall to fine Nintendo for making "harmful" material, they could easily pay the fine and get their stuff in stores anyway. It's the less respected stuff, the not-so-mainstream stuff, that's going to suffer. But I could be wrong and even those will be restricted. I know that a lot of Shonen Jump manga-ka have been vocally against the bill, including Bleach's Tite Kubo.

[Princessofthechaosemerald]

I was exaggerating to make a point. Odds are, this committee will be as corrupt as the ESRB is, even though that's managed by the game industry itself. Uber popular stuff that is seen as kids stuff will be exempt. Ghibli movies will get away with anything because they're Ghibli. Shonen Jump series will probably get away with stuff just because they're Shonen Jump. Pokemon will get away with stuff because even if they did have the gall to fine Nintendo for making "harmful" material, they could easily pay the fine and get their stuff in stores anyway. It's the less respected stuff, the not-so-mainstream stuff, that's going to suffer. But I could be wrong and even those will be restricted. I know that a lot of Shonen Jump manga-ka have been vocally against the bill, including Bleach's Tite Kubo.

ah, well thanks for clearing that up for me.