It's finally filtering through the INet...
Japan is trying to pass a new regulation that would severely restrict how "nonexistant minors" could be depicted in Manga and Anime. Mostly, the regulation is aiming to curtail the sexual or even sexually suggestive depiction of characters that 'could' be seen as being minors, but this is going to be very wide open to interpretation.
More information can be found here.
There's also an online petition available to sign - 100.000 are needed.
You can sign it here.
I put up two screens where you can see what you need to do:
Screen 1
Screen 2
Japan is trying to pass a new regulation that would severely restrict how "nonexistant minors" could be depicted in Manga and Anime. Mostly, the regulation is aiming to curtail the sexual or even sexually suggestive depiction of characters that 'could' be seen as being minors, but this is going to be very wide open to interpretation.
More information can be found here.
There's also an online petition available to sign - 100.000 are needed.
You can sign it here.
I put up two screens where you can see what you need to do:
Screen 1
Screen 2
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ravensilver- Ravensilver
Comments
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-03-16/asahi/tokyo-virtual-child-porn-bill-put-on-hold
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-03-15/creators-decry-tokyo-proposed-virtual-child-porn-ban
The problem is, the more you regulate, the more it goes underground. And the argument that the images (or games, or movies or whatever) could *possibly* trigger abnormal behaviour, is spurious in my eyes.
If kids go out and shoot up their schools, you don't ban the computer games they were playing, you ask where they got the guns and ammunition and the knowledge to use them. If a pedophile abuses a child, you don't look for shota pics under his bed, you need to ask why he hasn't been treated.
Whatever craving you have, you will *always* find something that will satisfy that! It's the craving that needs to be adressed, not the thing that satisfies it.
We have that problem with depictions of minors here, too. Finder 1 got put on the index, because of the combination of lust and violence - even though it was marked as mature and +18!
I totally understand trying to protect children - especially as a mother. But banning all images and such won't do that.
We're currently having a *huge* scandal of catholic (and protestant) run boarding schools sexually mistreating the students. Some of the cases are old - dating from the 60s and 70s, but some run into the 90s and now! So now the discussion is: is celibacy part of the reason why so many priests and monks have pedophile leanings?
We'll see how it turns out...
Genesis: *shrieking*
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-03-16/asahi/tokyo-virtual-child-porn-bill-put-on-hold
But it's important to keep being aware of these kind of things, or they'll slip right by us fans and readers and suddenly we'll sit there and there will be no more Zangeal and SephyxCloud and other wonderful stories!
Angeal: *sigh* "He says he's somewhat relieved, but he requests that you hold him until the 'bad people' stop threatening to take away his porn."
*Squishes Genesis to her ample bosom*
Sorry, no hard, planed abs here. I'm as woman as they come. But if Genesis doesn't mind, he's welcome to huggle as long as he wants.
*offers hardcore porn from private yaoi manga and doujinshi collection*
There, there... we won't let them take all the good stuff away...
Angeal: *eyeroll* "Conceited much?"
Genesis: *dreamy-eyed* "How about a smutty bedtime story, dear Raven? Bear me to the land of erotic dreams on your wings of black satin."
Zack: "Uh...he might be drunk."
Don't mind if I do, since you're offering so nicely...
*leer*
Smutty bedtime story? Hm... You *did* read "Lost Bet" over on Y!Gallery, right? Or did I send it to Amarissia?
Unfortunately, the only other smutty stories that I have aren't in the FFVII universe but rather in the Gundam Wing one (my first love). I'd be happy to share those with you, though, if you really want... ^___^
Genesis: "Hmm, we could try that, but we must be quiet. Gundam is one of those anime things that Amarissia is still scared of."
If I didn't, then I will. You will like that one, Genesis. ^___^
Hm... of all the Gundam series, the only one I would immediately recommend is Gundam Wing. The dynamics between the five guys, and their backstories, are really interesting and enable writers with *such* a rich world, that you will continue to find new ideas and stories, no matter how much you think everything's been said already.
Yes, there are mechas, but that's because it's Gundam. *Much* more important are the stories around the people involved.
I *could* check to see whether I happen to have a second set of GW disks... I sometimes buy stuff double (because I forget I had them)...
MECHAS! I knew it! Yike. Is Gundam Wing one of the older animes, with kind of a Speed Racer look? Those I still have to avoid. I had no idea there was more than one Gundam...shows what a newbie I still am to anime, huh?
*goes to do that right now*
Hm... A bit more sophisticated than the Speed Racer look. But one of the older ones, yes.
*pfft* I've been into animes for a *very* long time, and there's so much out there that I'll still go "what, what?" when someone comes along with a series I don't know. ^^
Cloud: "Amarissia shrieks loud."
So many worlds waiting to be discovered, huh? *grin*
I'll wear my ear-plugs.
Oh yes. Just looking at all the old stuff out there - I wish I could buy them all up just to have them around to re-watch. And then the new things coming out... *despairs*
So, what do you look for when you search for animes? Anything in particular? Anything that you don't like or, as you said, that makes you shriek?
Yeah, the less shrieky, the better. I rather like Haruhi from Ouran High School Host Club. :)
Hm... I'm trying to think of any female characters that I like right off.
Oh yes! Kaname Chidori from Full Metal Panic! She kicks ass! *gg* Poor Sosuke, always gets beaten up by Chidori.
The bill was meant to keep comics depicting sexual relationships involving minors from being sold to minors, not adults. You can see the full discussion here.
I do see some danger in this sentence: "It wouldn't have any direct effect on adult comics, which are already not sold to minors, though there is some fear that, if a legal concept of "non-existent minors" is established, it could later be referenced and incorporated into actual censorship laws with penalties." Because it could make this a forerunner to more stringent censoring in the future.
But at least for the moment it looks like the bill is on hold and will be reviewed.
I do understand where this is coming from, though. The concern with child-abuse is growing world-wide and governments are under pressure to *act* - thus often coming out with quick-start rulings and laws that aren't really feasible.