Tokyo's Anti-Loli Bill has Passed in Committee.

[Macgyvercas]

Like I said in another thread, a Tokyo without insane, ridiculous sexual content is like Seoul without dog soup and New York without apple pie.

It just seems wrong on a cultural level.

Also like Erie PA without an obscene amount of snow in the winter.

Erie is the gas station between Buffalo and Cleveland.

Yeah, pretty much.

We have a cool state park though.

 

[BrassButtons]

It's not enough to just be unacceptable, it has to be a criminal act as well.

This would be a good point, if you weren't using societies stigmatization of loli as the reason for it to be illegal.

A point that I was bringing up in context when I was replying to another poster.

See above. I am taking context into account. You are not. As further demonstration:

No, you couldn't. Doing these things is a violation, whether the child can comprehend the actions or not.

Similarly depicting minors in such a manner is a violation

A violation of whom? Please bear in mind that we are talking about depictions of fictional minors, not real people.

A violation of the LAW!.

This is context dropping (may also count as equivocation, though I'm not sure). The discussion was about the violation of a person. It was not about the breaking of laws--indeed, it was an argument over whether the law should exist to begin with. Which makes this circular reasoning as well (it's illegal because it's a violation of the law that makes it illegal).

 

[Romidude]

Wow... I wonder if there will be riots (of otakus, if nothing else).

People will be killed, when it happens; I called it.

 

[MrSmish]

The number of people supporting censorship in this thread is absolutely mind-boggling. ANY censorship is bad, period. This reminds me of a quote that has been alluded to already, but I think deserves another look.

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

I just read this in English today.

Well, as long as we're off topic...


Llamas with Hats 4 is out.

 

[BlackWidower]

The anti-loli bill (bill 156), which has since mutated into a general anti-crazy-sex bill, has passed in committee. This means that anything deemed harmful will be pushed into the "adults only section" and will be tightly regulated. There's lots more on the story here, and I suggest that you give it a read. http://www.japanator.com/fffuuu-tokyo-s-anti-loli-bill-passes-in-commitee-17722.phtml&mainnav=&track

I actually disagree with Japanator's take on the story. I think that the bill is a good thing, as much of the things that the bill is banning really has no place anywhere other than the shelfs of the extremely depraved. After seeing some crazy loli stuff during my (very) brief tenure on 4chan, I am actually happy that this kind of material will be banned.
And yes, I know that freedom of speech is necessary, and that things like this can be used to make an artistic statement, but where a loli hentai differs from, say, Lolita or Oedipus is that the medium is drastically different. Whereas Oedipus was meant to be an allegory for the importance of understanding fate and the power of the Gods, a loli image is clearly designed for the viewer to get off on, and should (in my opinion) not have any right to exist.
So what's your take on the story? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

If they want to get off on it, so what? That's their right. It's not your penis they're wanking.

Of course you might argue it will cause an increase in cases of child molestation. That is ridiculous.

"A person who is prone to act on his fantasies will likely do so irrespective of the availability of pornography." - Duncan Shaw, former British Columbia Supreme Court Justice

 

[Crumpet Man]

I'm all for the theory of this bill, but in practice all it's going to do is hamper the anime and manga industries

 

[Apophenia Overload]

This is the sort of mass, unwieldy prohibition that will get overturned in years, if not months. In the meantime, it's worth it just for all of the delicious weeaboo tears.

 

[rockyoumonkeys]

To be honest, i find that this won't help anything. To me the only reason why Japan is so fucked up as far as the porn industry is concerned is because of the law banning genitalia *it must be censored* on film, this makes it so, in a small way the Japanese are sexually repressed. If you could just see the genitalia, there would be less of a reason to have a girl being fucked in the blur by a giant octopus.

This. All of those bizarre fetishes sprung up out of a need to circumvent the censoring.

 

[sageoftruth]

Before you start arguing about freedom of expression, remember that this is Japan. Sure, they've started to place more value in individualism over time, but with Japan's extremely high societal standards for manners and etiquette, sometimes they just aren't prepared to have people running aroung shouting and flipping each other off all the time.

 

[ph0b0s123]

I would love to see all the loli and rape stuff disappear from Japan. None of which is touched by this law. But it is really hard to do so without curtailing artistic freedom. The only solution I could come with with that protects artistic freedom and decreases the amount of this objectionable material being produced, is to not allow anyone to make money of it. You can draw whatever you like, there is just some stuff that you cannot make money off. That would separate the artists from the people just wanting to make money from peoples perversions.

Also as I said I find this stuff objectionable, but by the same token I don't believe making a drawing should ever be against the law, even if I find that drawing objectionable.

Also I don't get why everyone is so focused on the sexual side of this law. It also puts in restrictions on non sexual violence as well. That restriction is going to have a bigger impact.

 

[fgdfgdgd]

Legally, you probably shouldn't be getting any anyway. Might want to keep it on the down-low.

Bullshit, I tell everyone I look at it XD

Seriously though, I don't see the big deal. It's just loli. It's not like it hurts anyone. I can understand why people wouldn't want it as it's... you know, loli, but no one has ever been harmed because of it. At least not to my knowledge.

To the really old people who'll be regulating this stuff, they won't care. Its all the same to them.

And don't get people here started on furries. The way they talk about them you'd think furries killed they're families or something.

Eh. Unfortunately, true. Sad old fucks thinking all the stuff today hurts people...

And seriously, why is furry hentai looked down upon so much? I can understand the people who dress up are kinda... weird, but how is just the furry art bad? I've never got the big deal with it :/

It's kind of delves into the 'art verses porn' thing as well, i remember there was an artist in Melbourne a few years ago that displayed his photography in an art gallery, one of his sets were of a naked 13 year old girl, now, that alone may be shocking, but the fact that it was tastefully shaded so that genetalia weren't 'full frontal' and that the artists history has been in the 'blooming into adulthood' spectrum, not to mention almost all of his shows have had some kind of controversy, but still allowed to be shown. But not this one, nope, they marched in with armed police and hauled the photographs (each being about 3 metres tall and 2 metres wide) away in wooden boxes, why did it happen? Because at the time the governemnt had declared a harsher stance against child pornogrpahy, and this sparked a debate here over the line between art and porn, which eventually lead no where because this is the nation that doesn't care what anyone has to say because it too busy sucking America's cock heeding the laws of our allies. [/pent up rant]

 

[Julianking93]

It's kind of delves into the 'art verses porn' thing as well, i remember there was an artist in Melbourne a few years ago that displayed his photography in an art gallery, one of his sets were of a naked 13 year old girl, now, that alone may be shocking, but the fact that it was tastefully shaded so that genetalia weren't 'full frontal' and that the artists history has been in the 'blooming into adulthood' spectrum, not to mention almost all of his shows have had some kind of controversy, but still allowed to be shown. But not this one, nope, they marched in with armed police and hauled the photographs (each being about 3 metres tall and 2 metres wide) away in wooden boxes, why did it happen? Because at the time the governemnt had declared a harsher stance against child pornogrpahy, and this sparked a debate here over the line between art and porn, which eventually lead no where because this is the nation that doesn't care what anyone has to say because it too busy sucking America's cock heeding the laws of our allies. [/pent up rant]

But... they could do the same with anything considered too offensive or too profane. Hell, there are paintings down at the local museum that are considered suggestive since they have naked women on them, but are they going to be taken away? Probably not, because it's a grown woman. There is a line between art and pornography and often times, it's very noticeable when something goes into the side of pornography. For instance, I know one series of photographs of by an artist taken of a 16 year old girl who pulls up her top more and more in each picture and ends just before showing her breasts. That was taken down due to showing a minor and while I can understand why it was taken down, it becomes just one step closer to being able to take down anything people find offensive

 

[emeraldrafael]

So... does this mean I won't get anymore loli? *sadface*

Or possibly Atlus games, should they decide to not bother making games now that they could be harshly regulated and probably banned.

The chances of us getting Catherine have just fallen drastically.

Hell's going ot be paid if I dont see Catherine.

Personally, this is bullshit. I mean, it really is. This stuff has been going on for years and its a chief export. What does japan think its going to do to fill up the economical capital? They just shot themselves in the foot, unless companies can move out of Tokyo.

*sighs* They're going to be some very dark days ahead of anime/manga fans.

 

[Naheal]

You know why I like anime? They tend to go directions that other forms of media won't touch. The wording of this bill makes me a little concerned.

 

[boholikeu]

in a small way the Japanese are sexually repressed.

Are we talking about the same Japan that has SEX festivals and open air orgies?!

Just because something exists doesn't make it the norm. You're more likely to come across things like a couple being criticized for holding hands in public (yes, it happens) than any of the above.

 

[Acidmokolord]

Oh, at least I can keep all my Todlerco-.....err.....I mean Hentai.....

 

[ultrachicken]

Really, this seems like almost all of the arguments being used against gaming can be applied to this, namely "the government shouldn't have to do the parenting for you," and "you don't have to look at it."

And this law is very vague on what is considered harmful.