Tokyo Anime and Manga ban passes

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/12/13/tokyo-anime-manga-ban-passes/

Tokyo’s ban on anime, manga and games featuring “virtual crimes” or which are “likely to interfere with the healthy development of youth” has passed after the DPJ agreed to support it.The DPJ’s only addition to the critical portion of the law was a short rider which requests “prudent application of the law in light of any artistic, social, scientific or satirical merits the work might express” – it does not however add any legal obligation to consider these, or establish any clear or indepdently enforced criteria for judging whether a work can be declared “harmful” or not.Even more bizarrely, the final draft actually removed a passage that imposed “a duty not to possess [photographic] child pornography” on Tokyo residents, whilst leaving the section banning erotic manga and anime (and explicitly excluding photographic materials) all but unchanged – that the bill is intended exclusively as an “anti-otaku” law seems to be beyond doubt.It is very difficult to objectively assess the scope of the law – along with vague and subjective terms like “interfere with the healthy development of youth,” the law also includes “etc.” on the end of most of its examples, leaving it quite unclear, for example, whether the “improper glorification of illegal sexual activity, etc.” applies to only virtual sex crimes, or all crimes in general – presumably the interpretation adopted will be whichever is convenient to censors.Similarly, the ban’s mention of “rape and other sexual acts which violate societal norms” seems inevitably to point to a ban on depictions of homosexuality, considering who was behind the law.The generally expected form the law will take is that of a “amakudari” (a pervasive system of sinecures for retired bureaucrats) body which will inspect all anime, manga and games, with only those titles receiving approval as “healthy” able to be sold regularly in Tokyo shops – the rest will be relegated to the “adult corner.”The most immediate and direct effect of the law will almost certainly be to see ecchi manga such as To Love-Ru, bishoujo titles such as Champion Red and most BL manga, as well as any seinen manga with especially mature themes, banned from general sales – presumably most will then be cancelled due to a lack of suitable magazine or tankobon distribution channels, with a few perhaps being resurrected as 18+ ero-manga.As has already been seen, publishers will also likely be purging future anime, manga and games of any content liable to fall foul of the law, and removing older titles from distribution.The law probably also spells the end of most late night anime in Tokyo (and by extension, everywhere else), which it would appear to ban under its distribution clause; given the vague wording, of the current season alone it seems Ore no Imouto, Panty & Stocking, Yosuga, Sora no Otoshimono, Milky Holmes and others would all fall foul of its various stipulations.There is also some doubt as to whether Comiket will be able to be held under the new regulations – if not, its cancellation or removal to another prefecture seems likely, although a lack of sufficiently large spaces may severely complicate this.The law comes into effect in July of 2011, so with magazine, tankobon, anime and game release schedules being what they are, it seems likely its effects will be felt much sooner; in a genuinely democratic state there might be scope to overturn it before then, but from what has been seen so far it seems unlikely publishers have the guts or savvy to do anything about it.

What the fuck.

So... no more loli rape manga?Shit. Can anyone recommend me a new fetish?

lol rigid Japanese lawmaking there...BUT IF THAT MEANS THE END OF GANTZ AND/OR BERSERK I'LL probably kill myself ='(

OH NO!

ANN says the bill only passed committee and will go to a full formal vote on Wednesday. This is corroborated by the source linked in the Sankaku Complex article. In fact, this is even mentioned by a previous SC article on the matter.I see absolutely nothing anywhere to suggest that the bill has been completely ratified.

Replying to #5

It's a first step to probably something horrible.

Replying to #6

This is just like COICA. Everyone got their panties in a knot when it passed the judicial committee, even though it meant nothing. Almost every bill would pass committee unless there's something seriously wrong.

Except, you know, in Japan the passing of a bill through committee essentially means it'll be law.The biggest opposition to the bill has only eight seats.

Replying to #8

Even if that's the case, it's stupid to talk about future events as if they've already happened. There are no guarantees.

Fuck. I need to start hoarding moar shotacon.Still, why would they do this? Crime going up in Japan or sumthin'?

Replying to #10

Otaku don't make good scientists, doctors, high-ranking businessmen or soldiers.

Would somebody please think of the children?

tehuber1337 · #9Even if that's the case, it's stupid to talk about future events as if they've already happened. There are no guarantees.

Voting's later today and as expected all major parties have expressed their support for the bill. It's as good as passed.

personuser · #11Otaku don't make good scientists, doctors, high-ranking businessmen or soldiers.

Not all Otaku are people who love tentacle rape on lolis, you know.

Replying to #14

You're right, there are some who fall further down the rabbit hole.

Tokyo’s manga ban has been signed into law after passing a final vote, and is set to come into effect in 2011, with Tokyo governor Ishihara crowing that “Japan still has some common sense left after all!”The ban already passed a committee vote, and as expected also passed a final vote on the 15th – the law stipulates that “voluntary restraints” must begun in April of 2011, with the full force of the ban to come in July.All the major parties supported the ban – the ruling DPJ (leftist) insisted on a “prudent application” rider but otherwise did nothing to oppose the law as they did with the previous bill.The LDP (right-wing) proposed and supported the original and current version of the bill. Their usual coalition partners, the Koumeito (the political arm of a Buddhist cult), also supported the bill, leaving only small parties to the left of the DPJ to oppose it.Once again the motives of the DPJ can only be guessed at – they have repeatedly blocked national bans on possession of child pornography (already illegal to distribute) on civil liberties grounds, opposed the previously rejected version of the bill because it was worded as a ban on “virtual child pornography,” and actually insisted the just passed Tokyo law remove a “duty not to possess [real] child pornography” clause.However, when the current bill’s wording was changed to ban depictions “promoting illegal or immoral sexual activity” (effectively a vastly more far-reaching ban than previously) rather than “[virtual] sexual activity involving minors” (this version of the ban was clearly targeting loli manga) as in the current version, their previous opposition all but evaporated.That the law explicitly excludes photographic material can probably be interpreted both as a specific attack on “otaku” culture and an effort to avoid antagonising Japan’s mass media, who obviously would not support any restrictions on themselves but are only too happy to support them on other industries.The 10 publishers who have boycotted the Tokyo Anime Fair are angry at the treatment meted out to the industry by Ishihara and his cronies:

“The earlier bill was defeated with heavy opposition, and we are indignant that the bill should be resubmitted in so short a time.”

Kadokawa’s CEO has vowed opposition will continue, although just what publishers can do about it is not clear, particularly in light of their evident ineptitude in handling politicians.Ishihara for his part is crowing over the industry’s defeat:

“It makes sense for this to have passed – Japan still has some common sense left after all!”

In interviews he merely laughed at the industry boycott:

“If they’re outraged about this then they shouldn’t come. They’ll come the next year, for sure.”

Veteran shoujo mangaka Machiko Satonaka speaks of complete betrayal at the hands of the politicians:

“There were representatives who promised us ‘we won’t resubmit the bill without consulting manga and anime producers,’ but they submitted it anyway, so I feel we were tricked. There are many issues with the ordinance, in particular the ‘improperly promote or glorify [sexual activity]‘ passage, and there is no way we can accept this. In particular, I worry about the future for young mangaka – I hope they will persevere without the industry falling into decline.”

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/12/15/tokyo-manga-ban-signed-into-law/

What the fuck is their problem? I always thought the Japanese were a race of super ninja fighters. Now they are just mere mortals. A shame what they will do to stop doujin and other forms of entertainment.I hope that there is an underground market. ::)

Their scope seems more than slightly vague. Exactly what is “promoting illegal or immoral sexual activity”? Tentacles? Gangbangs? Sluts? They're going to need to draft something a lot more precise than something-kinda-like-maybe-that-thing to be able to put it through systematically.Wonder if this will affect manga artists too much. Or if they'll start doing it online/under the scenes instead. Remains to be seen, 'suppose.Edit: Jeez, I can't believe I just spent five minutes considering systematically or systemically. >_>

I laugh at your misery.
Fufufu...

Replying to #19

Yes, yes. Now go back to masturbating at real porn.

Zydaline · #18Their scope seems more than slightly vague. Exactly what is “promoting illegal or immoral sexual activity”? Tentacles? Gangbangs? Sluts? They're going to need to draft something a lot more precise than something-kinda-like-maybe-that-thing to be able to put it through systematically.Wonder if this will affect manga artists too much. Or if they'll start doing it online/under the scenes instead. Remains to be seen, 'suppose.Edit: Jeez, I can't believe I just spent five minutes considering systematically or systemically. >_>

Fakku! has never mentioned anything about it, oddly enough.