Current Events > Studio Pierrot admits japanese animators are under pressure

(+) Yeah! (+)

To remove certain content for the western market and they don't want to do that because they believe it won't sell. Interesting that some videogame companies are complying with gusto to suxh pressures, like capcom and SE.
https://natalie.mu/comic/column/568806

Who keeps doing this shit

Well I can't read Japanese so can anyone tell me what "certain content" is in this context?

Kim_Seong-a posted...

Well I can't read Japanese so can anyone tell me what "certain content" is in this context?

And here i thought google automatically translated it into english.

Thanks lol.

Seems interesting, makes sense from a bean-counter's perspective. Makes me curious how prevalent moral puratinism is in casual anime consumers, or where these people that are complaining are even watching the shows.

Back in the 90s and 00s when cable was still the best option to get an audience I can sort of see it. But with the advent of streaming I can't imagine that worries about cigarettes and sexy poses are something that's seriously considered for the overseas market. >_>

Foppe posted...

However, it is difficult to aim for something that will be popular overseas or become a long-term series. Of course, you're aiming for half the head, but if you make an anime with that in mind, it becomes boring. ``I won't let you smoke so I can take it overseas. Violence is a little weaker. Avoid sexy expressions. There's no way that people overseas would want to watch Japanese anime that restricts a lot of expressions like that. Works that are hits in Japan are also hits overseas. I don't think you should take the wrong approach when creating anime."

It sounds like they are outright being lied to about what people in the west would want to watch.

Vyrulisse posted...

It sounds like they are outright being lied to about what people in the west would want to watch.

More like threatened that their producst won't get greenlit to be released in the west (mainly, the USA) if they don't make changes to content.

Foppe posted...

Works that are hits in Japan are also hits overseas.

This

Modifier posted...

More like threatened that their producst won't get greenlit to be released in the west (mainly, the USA) if they don't make changes to content.

Who is threatening them to not be greenlit? To me this feels like these Japanese studios are simply choosing the wrong localizers/publishers who are out of touch/stuck inside their own bubbles.

As westerners, our regression of the sexual freedom movement is getting embarrassing and its super weird when its not even due to religious involvement.

Oh boy, lots of chuds on twitter are going to be excited about this.

PBusted posted...

Who is threatening them to not be greenlit? To me this feels like these Japanese studios are simply choosing the wrong localizers/publishers who are out of touch/stuck inside their own bubbles.

Funimation? So Sony I guess. They are definitely being lied to.

PowerMan5000000 posted...

As westerners, our regression of the sexual freedom movement is getting embarrassing and its super weird when its not even due to religious involvement.

I feel like the people who only see that side are just looking at the wrong demographics since there is also a section of media that has been much more open with sex and explicit imagery that weren't nearly as accepted in the past too. I won't deny there's also a visible increasing amount of sheltered romance-averse geeks whose voices are a lot more vocal than they've ever been too.

Revelation34 posted...

Funimation? So Sony I guess. They are definitely being lied to.

They can choose to release on other platforms like Netflix.

From the outside looking in, it doesn't really seem like Japan has ever really given a shit what we wanted, and I think that's the way to keep it. I doubt they're to blame for stupid localization stuff (ie Brock's jelly donuts in Pokemon and stuff)

PowerMan5000000 posted...

As westerners, our regression of the sexual freedom movement is getting embarrassing and its super weird when its not even due to religious involvement.

Honestly one of the reasons I moved to Japan besides the election of Trump (that was the primary one), was how regressive the US was becoming around sex. Mortal Kombat could come up with increasingly gruesome fatalities with body parts flying everywhere, but the only thing people worried about is if the women were dressed appropriately. It's completely whacky and you can't talk about it without someone thinking you're a coomer or whatever the current insult is because you don't care how much clothes a character is or isn't wearing. If you are okay with someone ripping someone's intestines out and strangling them with them, but you draw the line at revealing outfits there is clearly a problem. "Cut the boob off, just don't show it." I remember someone saying that to make fun of Christian sexual puritans back when I was young (80's or 90's). Now it's still somehow applicable but the puritans might also be left wing somehow.

Honestly I am glad no one cares in Japan. Women read BL publicly in a book store. That same store might sell a manga literally called "Big Boobs" and no one will give a shit if you buy that. And there's violent stuff too, and no one cares about that either. My wife has a BL collection, we've got a 2B figure, etc. They're not hidden away, no one cares. Shit half the people who work in my lab have erotic anime figures on their desks. There's an entire shelf in there of abandoned waifus from former lab assistants.

Anime being very japanese is how it got popular. Let them do their thing.

I feel like there's some misinterpretation of the interview here, it sounds way more to me like he's talking about changes made to kids shows that are specifically meant to be shown overseas, in which case I think all of these things are sort of reasonable?? but also I get the impression it's more talking about decisions made in th past rather than any sort of recent gotcha moment + he's not even really that interested in doing it so who knows how much influence it actually has

PBusted posted...

They can choose to release on other platforms like Netflix.

That's assuming that Netflix doesn't do the same.

PowerMan5000000 posted...

As westerners, our regression of the sexual freedom movement is getting embarrassing and its super weird when its not even due to religious involvement.

Just say Americans.

tremain07 posted...

Who keeps doing this shit

The ones who say that censorship isn't actually a thing. :/

Foppe posted...

Just say Americans.

Not that I even really agree w/ the premise, but for what they're talking about, it's definitely NOT just Americans. It's Western.

There are other prudes in the English-speaking world besides American censors?

I dont know about SE caving in to pressure to change their games. But in FF16 theres a gay romance and they refused to censor it for regions where it would be banned.

kirbymuncher posted...

I feel like there's some misinterpretation of the interview here, it sounds way more to me like he's talking about changes made to kids shows that are specifically meant to be shown overseas, in which case I think all of these things are sort of reasonable?? but also I get the impression it's more talking about decisions made in th past rather than any sort of recent gotcha moment + he's not even really that interested in doing it so who knows how much influence it actually has

4Kids was a mistake.

Seaman_Prime posted...

I dont know about SE caving in to pressure to change their games. But in FF16 theres a gay romance and they refused to censor it for regions where it would be banned.

That's actually a good thing though.

I thought this was going to be about the insane working conditions that Japanese animators have to deal with, but no, it's just "censorship is when no boob". Adjusting your product to appeal to a broader demographic is not censorship, it's just good business sense.

Revelation34 posted...

That's actually a good thing though.

yeah i know, its why artistic integrity is good and should be respected.

*checks the public service children TV channel*
*sees a badly drawn penis and vagina jumping around singing*
*checks Youtube and Facebook*
*the original uploaded videos are still there more than 9 years later*
I would happily link to that catchy tune, but PrudeFaqs would ban me *shruggs*

Garioshi posted...

I thought this was going to be about the insane working conditions that Japanese animators have to deal with, but no, it's just "censorship is when no boob". Adjusting your product to appeal to a broader demographic is not censorship, it's just good business sense.

Self censorship is a thing.

So fucking tired with people acting like prudishness is progressive.

Revelation34 posted...

Self censorship is a thing.

Not to mention his post's conceit is also exactly what I'm referring to. It's not the localizer's product. The localizer is moving someone else's product. And "adjusting a foreigner's product to appeal to a broader local demographic" is the same sort of logic for whitewashing.

Proof that incompetent studio execs transcends culture, language, and regions?

PBusted posted...

Not to mention his post's conceit is also exactly what I'm referring to. It's not the localizer's product. The localizer is moving someone else's product. And "adjusting a foreigner's product to appeal to a broader local demographic" is the same sort of logic for whitewashing.

Yeah a lot of people don't understand the difference between a localization and an Americanization.