Anime in the Japanese culture is seen as any form of animation, but to the rest of the world, the word anime is related and connected back to Japan. The history of anime goes back to the early 1900s, with Japan’s most likely first animated film made by Shimokawa Oten, which was created from chalk and no longer than five minutes. There is a lack of certainty for when the first anime was made and released to the public, due to the fact that a large amount of these films were lost when studios and theatres were destroyed during the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, from the battles of World War II, or just from the falling apart of these films throughout the history of time. Also, earlier animes were recorded on paper that was easily flammable, which makes it more difficult to maintain over time. As time moved forward, anime became more advanced with Japan releasing in theatres it’s first colored and full length featured animation in 1958, first televised anime TV show in the 1960s, production studios opening up, and in the 1970s anime became deeply rooted into the Japanese popular culture that even magazine brands just to keep the public up to date on anime news started to establish. In the 1980s is when animation in Japan really spiked and lots of popular TV shows, such as Dragon Ball Z, and movies from Studio Ghibli came out. There was a crash in Japan’s economy in the 1990s and since the budget was cut short for lots of publishing studios, it became hard to publish good quality anime. The only ones that were successful at the time were Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service, produced by Hayao Miyazaki, and Toei’s Sailor Moon. Due to the advancement in technology with computers and cellphones becoming more popular with the public in the early 2000s, anime once again thrived, and has become well-known in different countries around the world.
Anime was originally intended and marketed their audience to children, but more recent anime have been made with adult themes. When anime was getting started, however, and the audience was mainly towards children, some anime have been banned due to the illustrations and how graphic they can get. One anime in particular, Midori: Shoujo Tsubaki from (1992), created by Hishori Harada was banned nearly everywhere when it was premiered because of its depressing storyline involving a teenage girl, Midori, who loses her mother and decides to join a carnival freak show only to be abused and humiliated by everyone. We watch her go through her life and see all the psychological and physical damages that she endured. The scenes involve nudity, sexual harassment, graphic animal abuse, and violent language. Many people after watching the film were very upset and disturbed by what they watched, decided to get rid of the films, and it was banned across the world during the time. Only recently, in the past couple of years, was the film discovered in a warehouse and became available to the public again. Some parts of the anime movie however were lost. Lots of popular animes now-a-day involve gory scenes, but are commonly watched and easily accessible to kids and teenagers. Midori: Shoujo Tsubaki, however, is not really shown anywhere. It can only be found on pirated websites online. When Hishori Harada made this film, he put all of his life savings to produce it, only for it to be banned.
Should anime or animations in general ever get banned or should they just be restricted to certain age groups to decide whether they are willing to watch the film or not? Harada’s artwork seemed to be appreciated when the anime film was found again, but is still banned in many places.
Fianca Nicole Banca
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I would say anime should not be completely banned but should definitely be regulated and restricted to certain age groups to let them decide if they want to watch. Similar to what I responded in another post, children and adolescent’s brain function, mental age and thus cognitive competence are not yet fully developed. Plus, they are less-experienced, making them even more prone to be affected by adverse effects. They can’t yet view the violent anime with rationality, as they can’t even sometimes discern reality and fantasy. Under violent instigations, they may acquire bad information and conduct bad behaviors. Thus, the anime and some cartoons should be assessed and regulated based on different age levels, giving the freedom of creation and appreciation while also protecting underages from being influenced by negative values that conveyed. Nevertheless, the anime that are too gory or brutal should be banned, because they deliver negative and abnormal messages that would adversely affect and distort even adult’s health state and moral values. The sensory stimuli created when exposed to violent or gory scenes may lead the audience to conduct violent behaviors that even harm the social security, promoting the spread of extremism or terrorism.
Anime is a form of media that is the same as movies. Just like how some movies are made for kids while others which have more mature theme are made for adults, there are anime for every different genre. So, the ones with adult themes should be restricted for adults just like how in movies they have rated R and rated PG and depending on the consumer’s age they are allowed/not allowed to see these films. I watched the anime “Midori” that is written about in this article few months ago. The contents of the anime is disturbing and graphic. However, after consuming so much media and reading mangas with plots similar or even more disturbing than this anime I was not shocked with what I have watched.
I do not believe that anime should be banned. Anime is interesting because it allows certain stories that aren’t normally able to be shown through human acting to be portrayed in an animated format. There is so much passion and talent that goes into creating anime and so much charm behind these moving pictures. Now that’s not to say that some sort of regulation isn’t needed but where to draw the line becomes difficult. Stuff that you watch as a child can take on different meanings when you grow up or you find out that there were some concepts that you couldn’t understand as a child in media that you can now understand.
I would argue that anime should not be banned, but rather follow the similar age restriction structures that movies tend to abide. Just because some content is not suited for kids, does not mean that they should be banned entirely. The median is anime, but it is no longer exclusive to kids. We should try to enforce some form of age restriction structure so that the animes are rated just like movies and videogames.
Seeing as though this form of media entertainment was new at the time, I can understand that the public may have not been ready for the kind of story Harada illustrated. However, I have personally watched a few anime shows and movies myself, and while they are on the newer side, they definitely contain mature themes and violence as well! These shows probably aren’t meant for kids to be watching either. That’s thing though — anime is not always equivalent to silly cartoons — it’s an art form meant to be taken seriously, for it can be just as intense as movies and shows with real live actors in them. I do think personally that grouping together different anime’s and categorizing them based on age groups would be efficient. This way, the creator’s art piece has not been shunned and ignored, and the right audience can appreciate it for what it is.
It’s understandable as to why they banned the anime back then, but there is almost no point in doing so now. Anime and manga are beginning to become more main stream in US culture and interest is only continuing to increase With the internet, there can be an unlimited supply of series to be read or watched. The piracy scene with anime/manga is also pretty crazy, meaning internet access is the only thing needed to connect someone to anything they’re interested in.
Banning seems to have been a more extreme option that was taken for this instance of Hishori Harada’s work. Art is and will always be subjective and although the premise of the anime is something that is very controversial, certain precautions and other means of regulation should be done to make it so that it maybe should have not been as controversial as it should have or not even released if it was that controversial. Although
I have not seen this anime specifically, and nor do I would want to venture out to see it, it seems unfortunate more so that this was a piece of work contributed by so many people only for it to be banned.
As an anime watcher myself, I believe that anime should not be banned, but definitely should have more restrictions on age group. Like any other kind of arts, anime is just one of the way to tell a story, express emotions and values. It can be problematic at times, but it also do lots of goods in many other times.
Banning anime, like any form of media censorship, carries significant negatives and parallels the concept of banned book lists. Just as banned books limit intellectual freedom, banning anime restricts artistic expression and limits the diversity of creative content available to audiences. Anime, as a distinct art form, encompasses a wide range of genres and storytelling techniques, appealing to a vast and diverse global fanbase. Banning anime not only hampers the enjoyment and exploration of cultural products but also impedes the exchange of ideas and perspectives that these works often convey. Similar to banned books, anime can address sensitive or controversial topics, encouraging critical thinking, empathy, and cultural understanding. By prohibiting or limiting access to anime, societies risk stifling artistic freedom and hindering the potential for meaningful discourse. Instead, fostering open discussions and providing guidance and context can better serve to address any concerns or issues surrounding anime content. Making sure anime comes with the correct warnings and precautions is necessary.
Banning anime, like any form of media censorship, carries significant negatives and parallels the concept of banned book lists. Just as banned books limit intellectual freedom, banning anime restricts artistic expression and limits the diversity of creative content available to audiences. Anime, as a distinct art form, encompasses a wide range of genres and storytelling techniques, appealing to a vast and diverse global fanbase. Banning anime not only hampers the enjoyment and exploration of cultural products but also impedes the exchange of ideas and perspectives that these works often convey. Similar to banned books, anime can address sensitive or controversial topics, encouraging critical thinking, empathy, and cultural understanding. By prohibiting or limiting access to anime, societies risk stifling artistic freedom and hindering the potential for meaningful discourse. Instead, fostering open discussions and providing guidance and context can better serve to address any concerns or issues surrounding anime content.
Hishori Harada’s anime should not have been banned. Censoring it or placing an age requirement would be most ideal for this situation — just like there is for movies, tv shows, books, etc. Anime should be no different nor exception to this. There are far worse and gorey-er anime’s and manga’s that have now been released and are widely accepted, and even highly supported. That being said, Hishori was a bit too ahead of his time having released that anime in the early 90’s and sadly, he ended up attracting the wrong audience who was not able to understand the approach of this anime. I am not an active anime watcher, I will watch anime less than once a month but I have to appreciate the time and dedication it takes to come up with plots and characters, and having the creativity to build something out of nothing. It is sad to hear that Hishori did not have the anticipation that he had been looking for, but it is a sigh of relief to hear that his work and his anime is now being appreciated for what it is.
I believe that anime is something that should be precautioned with age ratings but not something that should be banned. The only difference between anime and any other type of digital media such as shows and movies is simply the fact that anime is animated, versus to a live cast and some cgi. Age ratings won’t completely dissuade and prevent those who probably shouldn’t be watching them from watching them, as it is inevitable that there will be some who ignore ratings, but I think it provides a guideline to viewers and parents of viewers to show what should be recommended versus to not being recommended for their ages/preferences. Anime, like other artworks, is a form of art that shouldn’t be dissuaded simply because it looks different or may expose different imagery than other styles or works of art.
I don’t think banning anime entirely is a good idea. Age ratings might be a better option. Anime has become a form of cultural expression, like novels and paintings, with a unique artistic style and story expression. Many beautiful works in anime can touch people’s hearts. Age ratings and parents may not be able to fully guarantee that children will not be exposed to inappropriate content, but this is not just a problem with anime. Children are constantly exposed to this danger on the internet, and we need to take more measures to protect children than ban everything.
I honestly believe that the argument regarding the banning or censorship is completely ridiculous. What separates this art form from other traditional media, such as movies or TV shows? What media children are shown should be, above all else, regulated by the actual parents, and if their child is exposed to something they don’t want, that is entirely the fault of the parents. If a child walked into a theater showing clockwork orange or hellraiser, we wouldn’t blame the movies, of all things. And as far as adults go, what reasoning is there for that age group?
I think it is understandable for some anime to require an age restriction but not to be banned. Art forms across time have been variable. I remember in elementary school when my teachers would draw clear distinctions between educational content like documentaries and books (no matter how inaccurate or entertainment focused they were) with “free time activities” such as TV shows and Movies (No matter how beneficial or impactful they were). Any medium that tells a story is important as it is a way to give voice to the people. In the case of anime I view it as art. A lot of art (paintings, demonstrations etc) can be graphic or disturbing to a point that no one would want to show such things to their kids. However the problem is now harder than ever to solve due to the easy access kids have to the internet where they can come into contact with any amount of violence or disturbing content that they so please.
While I do understand that disturbing images presented from the anime can be offensive to a lot of people, I don’t think anime should be censored. I would agree that maybe their should be an age rating to view something like this, but it shouldn’t be banned entirely. The author clearly put a work in this work to convey some sort of meaning, but even without that, I believe that things like that this should be allowed to viewed, simply because they offer a kind of perspective.
I can see why it should have age restrictions, especially considering anime was first created supposedly for children. However, I do not think it should be banned and cast away completely. I hope these films should be created with the intent to have a message or meaning and thus should not be disregarded because it is is too much for the average eye. Although I would not personally watch this, I don’t know if banning this will prevent graphic shows and movies in general. I think if it was encouraging something such as racism then yes, please ban it, as it should not be for the general public’s amusement. However, the author seems intent on keeping as much of anime’s historic pieces alive or at least intact as so much has already been lost.
Anime is definitely a form of art and is a source of entertainment no different from that of regular shows that we see on T.V. The specific anime mentioned in this article, Midori: Shoujo Tsubaki, is in fact very depressing and gory, but should not be banned simply because of that as there are many other shows and animes that are equally as gory, if not worse. In the comments, Raymond mentions “Chainsaw Man” which I would agree with is a much more gory anime as there is a scene with the main character literally sawing a monster’s innards and eating it. In comparison, Midori would seem much lighter than Chainsaw Man. There are also other mangas that are just as horribly depressing as that of Midori such as “Oyasumi Pun Pun” which often talks about depression, nihilism, and suicide, yet it remains as one of the most popular mangas. It is unjust to Hishori Harada, the author of Midori, to be the only author to suffer from the unjust banning of his anime because of popular opinion, when he grotesquely portrays the dark reality of abuse that occurs in the world.
Should there be a reason to ban anime, it should be for reasons of safety, not because of popular decision. What I mean is, if the show is proven to cause many to develop mental illnesses like depression or even leading to suicide, then it might be for the best to ban the film.
I do not think anime should be banned. However, as a person who watches anime, I do think parents should not make their children watch anime which is highly inappropriate. It does not mean they should ban all of it. I mean they should ban the rated-r animes and make sure their children are not exposed to what is harmful for their mental health.
I do not think anime should be banned. However, as a person who watches anime, I do think parents should not make their children watch anime which is highly inappropriate. It does not mean they should ban all of it. I mean they should ban the rated-r animes and make sure their children are not exposed to what is harmful for their mental health.
It is sad that Hishori Harada’s artwork was banned as it was too far ahead of its time. I do not think anime should be banned because it is like many other forms of art, however, I do think there should be an age restriction for the gory and inappropriate ones. Though in this day and age it is kind of hard to enforce an age restriction as most people watch illegally anyways. Its sad that banning it entirely is even an argument, as it is like a cartoon show just a different style of art.
As someone that occasionally watches anime, I definitely understand where people might be coming from in regards to anime being age-restricted. Sometimes, anime is very out of the park with what it is showing, and may not even relate to the story at hand (take for example Goblin Slayer). So I understand that aspect, but anime is also very great at telling a story in a way that is a little more engaging. There are some beautiful stories within anime that wouldn’t really be able to be told in real life, and I think that, anime is worth it.
I view anime as a medium, not a genre, and there can be many different genres within this work. Anime in the current climate is not solely marketed towards children and just because this content is animated, does not mean it is adult. I do not believe in banning anime, but parents should probably be educated that animated does not mean child friendly. Just like live-action TV, there is a lot of different age groups that anime is targeted too.
As an anime advocate, I don’t believe that anime should be banned. The banned anime described in the article was meant for a different time period and a different audience.It is stated before that most anime was targeted toward children, that’s why anime such as Sailor Moon or the Ghibli Studio films were successful. They portrayed fantasy themes that were fictional and not related to reality whatsoever. However, Midori represented realistic themes, such as depression and grief, meaning that the filmmaker wanted to go that direction but did not understand their audience well. This ultimately resulted in a disturbed audience and a bad image for the anime and a ban. Anime should have an age-rating like in most TV-shows in order to help divide the audience. Some themes may not be suitable for some age groups which is why it is important to keep a division.
I think anime deserves the same rights as any other form of art, its a shame his life’s work got banned.
I am a huge anime fan. I have been watching anime for over ten years. I think anime still needs to be watched by age groups because many of them have realistic and influential storylines.For example, the values of a charismatic villain are appreciated by the audience, but the villain is extreme in his approach. For example, the values of a charismatic villain are appreciated by the audience, but the villain is extreme in his approach. An adult viewer will distinguish between beneficial and extreme values, but a younger viewer may mimic all the ways this villain thinks. Naruto’s Obito is my favorite villain character. After he loses the woman he loves most and his spiritual support, he slowly discovers that the world is hopeless. He chooses to similarly destroy the world and then reboot. I appreciate his determination and intelligence, but there was news that a junior high school student lost his love and imitated him to do some extreme anti-social behavior. This is ridiculous.
I feel like it depends on the situation. From an art perspective, I don’t think that any anime should be banned because they are a form of Art. Anime not only involves graphic drawings and animated works but also includes sound effects, voice actors, music, etc. The process of animation, although slightly easier now, was extremely difficult back then as the artist had to draw each scene by hand and had to re-draw multiple drawings with slight variations so that the object would look like it was in motion. Additionally, when the work is complete, watching the animation is an entire experience in it of itself. You get to visually see the artwork come to life (as if they were moving off the screen) and hear them talk while listening to the sound of music/background noise that the animators put into the scene. Therefore, I feel it would be a huge waste (in terms of artwork) if anime was banned. Not only would we lose such well-thought-out, detailed artwork, but it’d also be a huge loss for the artist themselves.
I think there should be an age rating for all animes ever produced. I know a few off the top of my head like ‘Chainsaw Man’ that include so much gore, violence and blood that I would not want my children to be watching that kinda stuff. Nowadays it seems like age rating is disregarded completely because children sign into their parent’s account and have massive volumes of whatever they want to watch and they’re bound to stumble onto something they’re not allowed to watch. I do not believe in completely banning anime; just maybe the obviously inappropriate stuff.