Topic: How does Japan get away with Manga and Anime?

Okay, before you click away, I'm not talking about the really "R34" type of stuff, nor am I talking about the extreme gory/violent stuff either.

I'm talking about incorporating darker elements into stuff without actually resorting to violence and sex.

For example, I just read the special "Skyward Sword Manga" at the back of Hyrule Historia (U jelly?) and all that Hylia says to Link and just everything in general is pretty emotional and moving (it was to me at least). Yet, there was never that much violence. Sure, there was a little blood but still.

Another example would be the Pokemon Adventures Manga. Just go read the Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald Saga to see what I mean.

So, my question, for all the people who can give an answer, is this: how does Japan get away with it? Why is American media bashed on the moment they step out of line?

Japan can do anything they like. Their standards are pretty low.

Because in Japan that stuff is more tolerable.

I Was watching Robotech on Netflix and a girl like completely strips down, just covering her genitalia, I and was lik, DAFUQ Japan? Y U GET AWAY WIT DIS? And it was TV-G.

Because Japan is awesome.

You'll find that most countries around the world are more liberal than America.

That Barrack Obama fellow would be heading up the conservative parties pretty much everywhere else. Yet to America he's considered to be almost communist.

Japan has a much more open society that hasn't spent the last couple of hundred years having the sword of Christianity hovering over the media. And so stuff like sex and violence is not considered as inappropriate as it is in the US.

@Bankai That's a little harsh and unnecessary. There's no need to use such metaphors or involve religion in this.

America also has darker, gritter and dare-I-say-it better media content, it's just not in the mainstream media outlets. It's a shame that the mass markets aren't exposed to stuff like arthouse films and graphic novels, but if you start looking I'm sure you'll find stuff which is just as dark as some Japanese Manga and Anime.

A Hollywood film, on the other hand, is given so much publicity that everyone knows what it's about and what it contains. If it's offensive in the least, you can be assured that some vocal minority will be banging on doors asking for said content to be removed.

@CM I assume Bankai isn't talking about the concept of Christianity but rather the tendencies of some Christians to be conservative and highly vocal about it. There's nothing to take offense from an observation like that, in my opinion.

Hyrule Historia is pretty crazy, dude. Have you gotten to the octorok rape yet? Poor Link.

@Magikarp I know. I'm just slipping in a note of warning because he's gotten in trouble for posting stuff like that before.

The rule of America is simple. Set the limitations really high, and let your kids see it anyways. Sort of frustrated my 4-year-old cousin can recite lines from Ted.

Movies that get R-ratings get PG ratings elsewhere (Plains, Trains and Automobiles would be the best example of this I think). TV and music ratings are set by the company that makes the product, so that's different, but as a whole on Cable TV there's a weird aversion to simple profanity yet you can show organs splattering and blown up faces (Breaking Bad uncensored contains nothing different other then a few F-Bombs and some mild nudity here and there). Sex is just America's weird aversion to science.

This isn't about the quality, it's about hypocritical prudishness.

No. It's the truth.

America is a Christian nation. Christianity is conservative.

I'm not passing moral judgement I'm just stating a basic reality of life.

My take on Bankai's statement is simple (outside of any religious attacks): Politicians and others use it to their benefit, which includes their censorship. Also part of the reason gay marriage is abhorrent to many politicians, along with other topics like abortion and contraception.

It's no problem when they cheat on their cancer-stricken wife and promptly leave her though.

Wow. This has gotten out of hand quickly. Look, if you guys want to discuss the wonderful world of politics and ethics, be my guest... just not here. In this thread. Or on NL. At all. It never ends well.

FFS I'm not attacking religion. I'm Catholic. A progressive (and non-practicing) Catholic, but I officially belong to the most conservative of conservative religions.

I am simply pointing out that the American culture is Christian. And so conservative. It's not a judgement, it's not a criticism, it's not an attack. It's just a simple truth - Japan is more liberalised.

I didn't even want to bring religion up as a discussion. The author of the thread asked why Japan is more liberal. I merely explained, for a fact, why it is.

End of story, end of thread.

Guys, according to recent studies, approxiamately 70% of Americans are Christian. That's well over the majority. Even if it's not an official religion, what Bankai says is more or less true - we are, for all intents and purposes, a christian nation (at least for now. That study also finds that the numbers are on a downturn). And Japan is definitely not. They're a different country, with a very different history and culture. Expecting them to adhere to our country's standards is pretty much futile.

Those things are pretty much mainstream in Japan. You can find things like that in America too, it just won't be popular half of the time. They both get away with it. People just recognize it more when Japan does it with something generally viewed as aimed at kids.

Oddly enough Bankai's post is another pretty perfect reason. He only had to mention religion. Just mention it, and people jumped on him. XD The general public is pretty easy to offend in America.

Different cultural standards and ethics. If you all would like to get into religion and other touchy topics, please do it elsewhere. Thank you!