Tokyo Government passed anti-manga bill into law
Sad panda is sad
Today, 15 Dec 10, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly passed Bill 156 into law. As previously discussed, this law gives the Tokyo government additional powers to restrict the sales of manga, anime and video games based on two additional criteria: glorified or exaggerated depictions of illegal or incestuous sex acts.
According to Kadokawa’s head honcho, Shinichirou Inoue, there are unconfirmed reports that during the debate of the bill, a certain assemblyman said, “Isn’t there any way we can criminalize homosexuality?” If true, this suggests that the law, despite its expanded powers, will indeed be ineffective against yuri and yaoi titles due to the fact that homosexuality has never been criminalized in Japan.
It appears that Tokyo Anime Fair is doomed as the various companies led by Kadokawa are pledging to continue their resistance despite the setback.
December 23rd, 2010 at 2:13 pm
well, I see a panda.
December 25th, 2010 at 10:41 am
assemblyman said, “Isn’t there any way we can criminalize homosexuality?”
I have a question about this, in the West the people against homosexuals are from the Right because they are more religious and it goes against Christianity (Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox)
In Japan, being a non-Christian country I read homosexuality has never been banned so being gay is tolerated by everyone?? I also wonder who would want to criminalize it(talking about the assemblymen)
January 5th, 2011 at 11:04 am
Ever since I heard about this bill, I’ve thought it was crap. Obviously, Japan doesn’t have the First Amendment, but for ages they’ve been praised for the freedoms they allow despite the lack of a “freedom of speech.”
Now, when I think of “glorified depictions of illegal acts” they probably mean shota/lolita, right? Yes, these are illegal in real life. And when you hear about pedos on the news, it makes you cringe a little. But come on, it’s cartoons. It’s comics. No matter where you are, if there’s someone who likes it, they’ll make it. If they’re worried about this market “glorifying” pedophilia, they should probably just force companies who produce works like that to censor genetalia, or to include statements with credits or something that would say “____ does not condone real-life acts of shota/lolita/incest, etc.” or something along those lines. Also, even though I dont think any of these markets is huge in the anime/manga industries, this bill will most deffinitly imact the economy.
As for that ignoramous who wanted to illegalize homosexuality: it’s exactly as Caedite said. In almost all places where homosexuality is (wrongfully, in my opinion) illegalized, it’s because of religious reasons. Gays can’t marry in Japan, true, but to completely illegalize DEPICTIONS, as in the IDEA of homosexuality is beyond disturbing. Yes, plenty of people would love that to happen, but the truth is: gays have been around since the dawn of Man. There are even species of animals that have shown homosexuality. There are countless great people from hisory who were gay, or have been presumed to be, and it’s time for the world to grow up. A person’s sexuality doesn’t define them as a person. Now, before I go even further into a tangent, the same can be said about a manga, character, or anime. Unless it’s full-blown hentai, there are plenty of decent series about homosexual characters that are respected as art. If homosexuality is considered “an illegal act” then just slap a warning on it too. Don’t ban it.
So many things the governments do wrong, and for the wrong reasons…
January 21st, 2011 at 11:16 pm
^You gotta understand that in the West, which has been anti-homosexual in the past, legalizing it has become a symbol of freedom, tolerance and progress. In parts of the East where it has been acknowledged for longer, it is just another sex act, and people there you RAEG against only consider it as such. Pedophilia has been around “since the dawn of man” as well. If they are trying to set some sort of hierarchy or criteria, they have no reason not to consider it like all the others.