Not so Merry Christmas -- Youth Ordiance Amendment

[deathlike.livejournal.com]

Information on Comiket
TL;DR

Manga creator Takeshi Nogami (Sailor-fuku to Jūsensha, Panzer fräulein ALTESEISEN), anime writer and setting advisor Takaaki Suzuki (Strike Witches, Last Exile), and translator Dan Kanemitsu (new Evangelion films, Love Hina) are collaborating on a dōjinshi (self-published work) about the recently passed amendment to Tokyo's Youth Healthy Development Ordinance.

Saru Demo Wakaru To-Jōrei Taisaku ~Monkey Business~ (An Idiot's Guide to Tokyo's Harmful Books Regulation) will be available at Comic Market 78 on December 31 at the Tokyo Big Sight event complex. The Japanese/English book will also be available from Amazon Japan.

The current ordinance already prevents the sale and renting of "harmful publications" — materials that are "sexually stimulating, encourages cruelty, and/or may compel suicide or criminal behavior" — to people under the age of 18. Tokyo's Bill 156 will expand the definition of "harmful publications"; the industry will now regulate "manga, anime, and other images" that "unjustifiably glorify or exaggerate" certain sexual or pseudo sexual acts. The government can also directly regulate these images if the depicted acts are also "considered to be excessively disrupting of social order" such as rape.

The upcoming dōjinshi will feature manga parodying the amendment along with English translations of the dialogue. There are also Japanese essays for which Kanemitsu is translating into English online. The creators encourage readers to share the book, as long as it is done noncommercially.

The dōjinshi's three authors have previously collaborated on a series of dōjinshi about Strike Witches. All three also actively opposed Bill 156 and a similar earlier bill that the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly rejected in June.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2010-12-26/dojinshi-created-about-tokyo-youth-ordinance-amendment

Bill 156 explained, Spanks spartydragon: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/brain-diving/2010-12-21

http://community.livejournal.com/bleachness/592771.html

Comments

[spartydragon.livejournal.com]

Saw this a week ago and posted it on the other post, but it bears repeating as it it explains things very clearly: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/brain-diving/2010-12-21

[lady-leia-solo.livejournal.com]

So what does this mean exactly? I'm a little confused...

[deathlike.livejournal.com]

Fandom strikes back...

[lady-leia-solo.livejournal.com]

I mean, doesn't it always?

[deathlike.livejournal.com]

The bill is vague as ever... As it impacts on the entire prefecture of Tokyo, Japan as a whole. This how Japan goes about doing things.

[lady-leia-solo.livejournal.com]

From what I read at ANN, it does look to be a bit vague and as such I don't understand what it affects.

[deathlike.livejournal.com]

I'm still trying to figure that out too.

[saiyan5ninetail.livejournal.com]

I'll try to explain as clearly as possible what this bill most likely means. In short, it means that manga with brutally graphic scenes like visuals of guts being ripped out and other such levels of gorn, and other provocative scenes like rape, will only be sold to people 18 or older. As an example, a 14 year old wouldn't be allowed at all to buy the manga Berserk.

[deathlike.livejournal.com]

Such law already exist to be sold to youth under 18.
The recent bill contradicts what's already there. This isn't the second time Gramps Ishihara has tried to pass the bill and wining the folks vote of Tokyo by a landslide.

[redgreendress.livejournal.com]

Well I can't say I know anything about japanese politics, but from what I read here, I don't exactly see how this will affect Bleach in any way. It depends on how strict they are, of course, but there's nothing in Bleach that would mentally harm a twelve year old, as far as I can remember. If this gets a handle on the overtly sexual/violent stuff I read about sometimes, like rape video games, s&m hentai that gets sold to any kid who wants it, than it might actually be a good thing. AS long as they don't get all fussy about curse words and Grimmjow giving the finger on the volume cover and Mayuri and Szayel being all...Mayuri and Szayel. There's censure and there's censure, y'know.

[tonyyao82.livejournal.com]

Responsibility seems to be dead over there in Japan, sadly. The problem is that if any tiny hint of fanservice is considered excessive, then the law is REALLY bad.

I posted my thoughts about the bill and what it says about society as a whole. You can read it at: http://www.mangatherapy.com/post/2609971604/youth-ordinance-bill

What happened to listening to reason than instinct? By the way, that book looks awesome and funny. I probably will catch the book.