Mangaka Object to Tokyo Ordinance Regulating Anime & Manga Characters [Update Mar 17]

by dtshyk
Mar 15, 2010 12:53 AM | 65 Comments

According to Sankei news, Chiba Tetsuya and Satonaka Machiko held a press conference to declare opposition to a local ordinance regulating "fictitious juveniles". Numbers of famous mangaka made objection to the regulation that it will severely violate the freedom of expression.

The regulation was proposed by Tokyo metropolitan government and it intends to restrict the minor characters appearing in manga, anime, movies, and games. Even if the characters are described as adults in the story, Tokyo will judge whether the characters are considered to be minors based on the appearance, backgrounds, and voices. Those characters are defined as "fictitious juveniles" and Tokyo will restrict the sales of the media if it contains sexual expressions of "fictitious juveniles". Mangaka and their supporters are apprehensive that the interpretation of "sexual expressions" can be expanded limitlessly.

The ordinance will be put to the vote on March 19th.

List of Mangaka who oppose to the regulation (partial)

Sources: Sankei, The Journal, RBB Today

Note: The "fictitious juveniles" are anime/manga/game characters which Tokyo considers to be Under 18 years old.

Source: IT Media

Updated on March 17th
According to Yomiuri news, Democratic Party of Japan, the largest party in Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, decided to postpone the vote and will continue to discuss the proposal in the next term. Ohta Books announced that they collected 822 signatures of mangaka and manga/anime related people, who object to the ordinance.

Sources: Asahi.com, Ohta Books, Yomiuri

20 of 65 Comments Recent Comments

They just can't do this *_* How can someone judge a drawn character's age by their appearance?? This depends so much on the one who looks at the pictures and his/her opinion. Things can't be so subjective -.- And I don't get the point, what's the problem with 16-17 olds? Especially when they are drawn??

Alexstratz said:
Beside let's be realistic here. Moe lolis are now fully part of the manga/anime/otaku (sub-)culture, there's no way people can just stop drawing lolis from tomorrow on. -_-

Totally agreed.

And I think if they have time and money for something like this, they could worry about abusing and stuff that happens in REAL LIFE. Anyway, I don't think that this "law" will be successful. Even if they try to do it...it will be fun to watch them FAIL *evil laugh*

Apr 4, 2010 10:44 AM by Evanna

Kanon would be illegal according to this law. Food for thought.

Mar 19, 2010 9:13 AM by Sheepdude

It's so silly. "Oh my god, think of the fictional children!"

No one should give a crap what happens to fake drawn people or how drawn people are portrayed. If anything it keeps the "perverts" reading instead of taking it out on real children. >_>

Mar 17, 2010 12:47 PM by BakaCharmant

dtshyk said:
List of Mangaka who oppose to the regulation (partial)

Net Business Innovation Consortium
Google
Microsoft
Yahoo

lolol...

This law is toooo punny.

Mar 17, 2010 3:05 AM by ringoo4

Postponed！
POSTPONED!!!!!
yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhhhhh

Mar 16, 2010 10:58 PM by honrow

lol at this bs.

Mar 16, 2010 4:10 PM by wakka9ca

Guess i can kiss goodbye to the new season of Sekirei =))

Mar 16, 2010 11:07 AM by DarknessAngel

dtshyk said:

The regulation was proposed by Tokyo metropolitan government and it intends to restrict the minor characters appearing in manga, anime, movies, and games. Even if the characters are described as adults in the story, Tokyo will judge whether the characters are considered to be minors based on the appearance, backgrounds, and voices.

I didn't notice it included games also. I know for a fact that lots of their games that involve "fictional juveniles" will most likely include sexual situations about them. This doesn't apply only to eroge, but to mainstream games as well. Doesn't sound like a big deal for mainstream, but note that eroge make up a large percentage of the games that are made annually. What does this mean, that 60-80% of eroge would get phased out? What good will that do to both economy and audience? Especially the otaku who are interested in those kind of stuff(they're a lot.)?

Doing this could push people to look for real stuff. This is especially bad for the pedos. They will find an output for their stuff. It's like a rubber band; the further it's pulled, the stronger it'll snap.

MagicWookie said:

There is no clarification as to the extent of how far they will take the ban. Is it going to ban every little bit of ecchi to an underage character...no, probably not. Most likely, it will just take care of manga like Toshiue no Hito, Eiken, Yomeiro Choice and Kiss x Sis. The target for the ban will be the series that offer nothing but sex appeal. Popular series that show an occasional bit of ecchiness will probably be over looked and thus create a double standard that will most likely result in the law being overturned or radically modified to target only loli/shota or the graphic exploitation of the "fictitious juveniles".

I dunno... if they're insane enough to make a law like this, they're probably insane enough to shoot down the "occasional ecchiness". Thing is, loli/shota's not the only thing getting hit, but teenagers/people who look younger than they are as well. Whether they decide to shoot down "occasional ecchiness" is all up to them.

MagicWookie said:

As an artist, I can't support a law like this except for the 3d realm.(Some of that stuff can look too real) While I do enjoy a lot of the ecchi comedies that are out there, it would be nice to see the industry move on and get away from the ecchi high school slice of life crap that has come to dominate the anime/manga world. This ban could force the industry to head in a different direction and get back to making more of the badass shows that I fell in love with from the 90's and early 2000's.

"Unhealthy media which contains sexual activities of fictitious juveniles or visual descriptions of fictitious juveniles related to sex-like activities." Unhealthy media and sex-like activities, I believe, can still be open to interpretation. They would have to clearly state what that defines. Will this extend to the all-too-common panty shot and accidental grope/fondle or even kissing for that matter? How would something like Suzuka be treated, chapter 147 for example?

They should really cut down on the usual stuff, yeah. But this law isn't the way to go though.

About the definition of "sex-like activities" is all up to their discretion. We can't be too sure.

Mar 16, 2010 6:02 AM by LobsterRyoma

What's the use of that? We all know there's more people raping minors who doesn't know anime than those who knew it.

We're extremely harmless

Mar 15, 2010 10:15 PM by Sakuma

MagicWookie said:

dtshyk said:
Edited the news
The "fictitious juveniles" are anime/manga/game characters which Tokyo considers to be Under 18 years old.

Source: IT Media

Seems like some people misunderstand the matter. It's not just loli problem, but all the high/junior high school anime/manga will be affected. Haruhi, Full Metal Panic, Negima, Toaru Railgun... everything!

There is no clarification as to the extent of how far they will take the ban. Is it going to ban every little bit of ecchi to an underage character...no, probably not. Most likely, it will just take care of manga like Toshiue no Hito, Eiken, Yomeiro Choice and Kiss x Sis. The target for the ban will be the series that offer nothing but sex appeal. Popular series that show an occasional bit of ecchiness will probably be over looked and thus create a double standard that will most likely result in the law being overturned or radically modified to target only loli/shota or the graphic exploitation of the "fictitious juveniles".
As an artist, I can't support a law like this except for the 3d realm.(Some of that stuff can look too real) While I do enjoy a lot of the ecchi comedies that are out there, it would be nice to see the industry move on and get away from the ecchi high school slice of life crap that has come to dominate the anime/manga world. This ban could force the industry to head in a different direction and get back to making more of the badass shows that I fell in love with from the 90's and early 2000's.

Nostalgia always distorts retrospection. Ecchi manga were there since 1960's or much before then. (eg. Harenchi Gakuen in 1968) The strong point of Japanese manga is its vast variety. Monochromatic creation will end up extinction of manga culture.

Mar 15, 2010 7:49 PM by dtshyk

MagicWookie said:
While I do enjoy a lot of the ecchi comedies that are out there, it would be nice to see the industry move on and get away from the ecchi high school slice of life crap that has come to dominate the anime/manga world. This ban could force the industry to head in a different direction and get back to making more of the badass shows that I fell in love with from the 90's and early 2000's.

I will agree with you on this. It will most likely be a nice revolution in anime as a forced move on them.

Mar 15, 2010 6:12 PM by francismeunier

Mar 15, 2010 5:38 PM by MagicWookie

Edited the news
The "fictitious juveniles" are anime/manga/game characters which Tokyo considers to be Under 18 years old.

Source: IT Media

Seems like some people misunderstand the matter. It's not just loli problem, but all the high/junior high school anime/manga will be affected. Haruhi, Full Metal Panic, Negima, Toaru Railgun... everything!

The proposed amendment of "Tokyo Juvenile Protection Ordinance" said:

Unhealthy media which contains sexual activities of fictitious juveniles or visual descriptions of fictitious juveniles related to sex-like activities.

Mar 15, 2010 4:06 PM by dtshyk

loli_slayer said:
Maybe Mangakas will start working overseas (not the US/Canada of course since the Handley case) ?

This feels appropriate:

Actually in response to this I think the USA psychology norms are trying to be enforced in a another country......I know they a association that dictates how people should be and if you are not they could say according to a)x and b)x you a disorder and must take x pills to be normal......it could be that USA might be trying to make a Japanese more like theirs in sexual norms.....since they occupy Japan anyone think it might be so with this development? I smell conspiracy anyone else?

Mar 15, 2010 3:45 PM by francismeunier

Oh yeah! It always makes my day when I discover that my country is not the only one run by the idiots.

BTW, what about light novels?

Mar 15, 2010 2:09 PM by lubryka

Opposition are all ecchi anime or manga people, lol~

Mar 15, 2010 12:47 PM by Dr_Jan_Itor_List

Do they actually think this will stop lolis or what? I'm going to laugh in my little corner while those people FAIL.

Oh Japan...

(that is a serious list btw)

Mar 15, 2010 12:43 PM by mirichan00

Weel, I have to admit that what I usually read/watch is for a mature public (as in Berserk, Cowboy Bebop, Ergo Proxy, Evangelion, so on) and therefor not that much affected by that oh so very stupid law (for all the reasons said beforehand by everyone else). Thing is, if on of those mofo tries and make Evangelion illegal, there'll be hell on hurt, that I swear.

Oh and, joke appart, this whole thing about banning underage in sexual situations is most probably an attempt to *cleanse* japan of all its pedohiles/pedophiles-to-be. Just have to know if Fictionnal underage sexual content is what prevents child abuse, or if it's the complete opposite.

I wonder.

Mar 15, 2010 12:34 PM by Waza

That's what happens when when there are intolerant people in the government that's so absurd.

Mar 15, 2010 12:09 PM by sintra

I don't care that much really. I should just move the central of manga & anime industry to another land and then sink Japan. That country is in the risk of being sunk anytime anyway. And since Japan will no more support those, there's no reason to keep support dying japan. :(
That's what I want to do, sadly I'm no god. :(

Mar 15, 2010 11:56 AM by Kleeyook

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