Editing of anime in distribution
The content of Japanese animation (anime) is frequently edited by distributors, both for its release in Japan or during subsequent localizations. This happens for a variety for reasons, including translation, censorship, and remastering.
Regional considerations
The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with the English-speaking world and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (June 2018) |
Japan
Under article 175 of the Penal Code of Japan, material containing indecent images are prohibited. However the laws date back to 1907 and were unchanged during the process of updating the Japanese constitution in 1947. Over time and due to changing tastes the acceptable standards have become blurred.[1] The display of pubic hair was prohibited until 1991 leading to series such as Lolita Anime and Cream Lemon using the sexualization of children as a loophole. The use of tentacles in series such as Urotsukidōji enabled the creators to avoid a ban on the display of genitals. In other cases, the content is self censored through the use of blurring and black dots. When the censorship is removed for overseas release, the basic animation underneath is revealed, leading to concerns over the sexualization of children in those markets.[2]
Cowboy Bebop and Gantz are examples of titles that received edited broadcasts and were later released as unedited home releases.[3][4] Episodes of shows such as Mr. Osomatsu have been edited for repeats and home releases.[5]
United States
Due to the lack of a formal and consistent age rating system in the
When Cartoon Network began to broadcast anime there were no internal standards in place for the use of overseas material. This required them to develop a set of standards and guidelines for the handling of the content. The display of alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, violence (including depictions of death, spoken references to death and dying, scenes of characters being threatened or in life-threatening situations, and depictions of suicide), gambling, blood, offensive language, offensive hand gestures, sexual content (including nudity, intercourse, innuendo, and depictions of homosexual and transsexual characters), and the mistreatment of women and minors were all deemed unacceptable as well as other situations unsuitable to a younger audience. Material for Cartoon Network was edited for TV-Y7, whereas Adult Swim content was edited for TV-14 standards. However some content that aired on Adult Swim was originally scheduled to air on Toonami and was edited accordingly. Autodesk Inferno was used to digitally edit scenes to remove blood or cover up nudity on content edited by Cartoon Network. In some cases content was edited before it was given to Cartoon Network. The editing practices evolved over time due to complaints from parents.[7]
4Kids Entertainment made changes to the anime they licensed to make them "more Western" in order to be more accessible to children. Another reason was so that they could easily merchandise them. However, they also released uncut versions of some of those shows.[8]
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom the Video Recordings Act 1984 and subsequently the Video Recordings Act 2010 make it a legal requirement for all home video media to be certified by the British Board of Film Classification. Sale or hire of unrated media is prohibited however imported media is allowed for personal use providing the content does not breach UK law.[9] The BBFC is responsible for assigning age ratings to video content and if necessary requesting cuts and refusing certification if content fails guidelines. Examples of content deemed unacceptable include graphic violence and scenes of a sexual nature such as underage sex and sexual violence.[10]
A number of releases were substantially cut in order to pass certification including the Urotsukidōji series and
Australia and New Zealand
In 2020, the streaming of
Types of editing
Localization
Localization is an essential process in releasing anime outside of Japan. It can cover a range of different processes depending on the individual title and the desired result. At its most basic level, the localization process is responsible for deciding on romanized character and term names, as well as episode titles. In other cases it may require special attention to areas such as humor where a judgement call must be made to try and retain the feeling of the source material. At its most intense it may involve editing of the content itself in order to fit a target market.
Music
In some cases, the original Japanese music may be replaced with alternate regional music. This can be either a technical consideration caused by footage getting cut since it is synchronized with the audio on the episode master, or it can be an artistic consideration.[22]
Changes to episode count and order
The Pokémon episode "Dennō Senshi Porygon" was removed from all repeats and home releases of the series due to an issue during its original broadcast. It was never released in any form outside of Japan.[23] For the North American Blu-ray release of Mobile Suit Gundam series producer Yoshiyuki Tomino removed episode 15 of the series due to its poor quality animation.[24]
Repackaged shows
The
Nudity and sexuality
As nudity is far more stigmatized in the U.S. than it is in Japan, such content is often edited out of locally distributed anime.
Views
Creators' attitudes
The "no-cuts" policy was highlighted when Miramax co-chairman Harvey Weinstein suggested editing Princess Mononoke to make it more marketable and avoid a PG-13 rating. In response, an unnamed Studio Ghibli producer sent him an authentic katana alongside a letter reading "No cuts."[33] Although Studio Ghibli has not allowed Disney to cut the films themselves, some minor changes to translated dialogue have been permitted, including the removal of references to testicles in the English dub of Pom Poko, replacing them with the innocuous euphemism "raccoon pouch".
See also
- Anime industry
- History of anime
- Re-edited film
- Standards & Practices
References
Citations
- ^ Sevakis, Justin (December 28, 2015). "Why Don't Anime Characters Have Pubic Hair?". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-61172-018-1.
- ISBN 978-1-61172-018-1.
- ISBN 978-1-61172-018-1.
- ^ "Mr. Osomatsu Anime's 3rd Episode to be Partially Altered for Home Video, Streaming". Anime News Network. November 20, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ^ Sevakis, Justin (September 12, 2014). "What Time Is It, Anyway?". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ^ Pope, Kyle (March 4, 2002). "Edit List Special - Cartoon Network Interview". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ^ Pennington, Stephan (April 24, 2005). "Alfred R. Kahn". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- BBFC. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
- ^ BBFC. September 20, 2006.
- BBFC. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- BBFC. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ISBN 978-1-61172-018-1.
- BBFC. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ISBN 978-1-61172-018-1.
- BBFC. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- BBFC. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ^ Manga mania 13 pg 70
- ^ a b Manga Mania 30. January 1996. Pg 120
- ISBN 978-1-61172-018-1.
- ^ "Wakanim, AnimeLab Continue to Stream Interspecies Reviewers Anime in Select Regions (Update)". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- ^ Sevakis, Justin (November 14, 2014). "Answerman - Show Me Your Evil Stick". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ^ Plunkett, Luke (February 11, 2011). "The Banned Pokémon Episode That Gave Children Seizures". Retrieved September 11, 2014.
- ^ "7 TV Anime Affected by Japanese Censorship". August 16, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- ISBN 978-1-61172-018-1.
- ISBN 978-1-61172-018-1.
- ^ Poitras 2001, pp. 63–64
- ^ Poitras 2001, p. 53
- ^ "Sailor Moon R Movie". Sailor Moon Uncensored. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
- ^ Turner, Andy; Lazar, Jim (2004-04-14). "Sakura Diaries Editing Report". Animeprime.com. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
- ^ "Canada Bans Imports of Cool Devices, Words Worth". Anime News Network. 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
- ^ "FAQ". Nausicaa.net. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
- ^ Brooks, Xan (2005-09-14). "A god among animators". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
Books
- Clements, Jonathan and Helen McCarthy (2006). The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation since 1917. Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 0-7425-3787-0.
- Poitras, Gilles (2001). Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know. Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 1-880656-53-1.
Further reading
- Ruh, Brian (2010). "Transforming U.S. Anime in the 1980s: Localization and Longevity". In Lunning, Frenchy (ed.). ISBN 978-0-8166-7387-2.
External links
- The Otaku Alliance (Internet Archive)—"...a group of fans dedicated to fighting companies that have treated anime titles unfairly."
- Anime' No Editing Zone (Mirror Website)—"...dedicated to promoting the idea that all anime deserves to be brought over to the North American market uncut, unedited, uncensored, and as unaltered as reasonably possible."
- Macdonald, Christopher (September 10, 2005). "Anime Localization". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 12, 2014. An editorial addressing the issues of fan desires in anime localization.