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NEWS: Manga Artist Megumi Igarashi Appears in Court on Obscenity Charges


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mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6248
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:46 pm Reply with quote
I think I remember reading about this a week ago via Japan Today (I don't have time to find the article), but this is very unfortunate for her.
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Greboruri



Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 373
Location: QBN, NSW, Australia
PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:50 pm Reply with quote
Kanamara Matsuri - Perfectly OK
Vagina Kayak - two years in jail and fines up to 2.5 million yen

There's something seriously wrong here, especially when the Kanayama Shrine makes money off Kanamara Matsuri by "distributing or holding obscene materials for the purpose of selling", same as what Igarashi has been accused of. Male or female genitalia, what's the difference?
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mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6248
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:52 pm Reply with quote
Greboruri wrote:
Kanamara Matsuri - Perfectly OK
Vagina Kayak - two years in jail and fines up to 2.5 million yen

There's something seriously wrong here, especially when the Kanayama Shrine makes money off Kanamara Matsuri by "distributing or holding obscene materials for the purpose of selling", same as what Igarashi has been accused of. Male or female genitalia, what's the difference?


Japan's censorship is weird in many ways. I don't want to have a long discussion over this (also I'm tired, I need to go to sleep). So I'll talk about it when I wake up first thing in the morning.
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Greboruri



Joined: 09 Jul 2003
Posts: 373
Location: QBN, NSW, Australia
PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:54 pm Reply with quote
Sorry, but the hypocrisy is just stunning, especially when you see what happens at the festival.
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Gasero



Joined: 24 Jul 2009
Posts: 939
Location: USA
PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:54 pm Reply with quote
I've seen clips of some modern fanservice anime. THIS is what Japan decides to prosecute?

Also, public art featuring the human body has been around for centuries. Does modern society still have that much catching up to do?

(wondering if ANN mods will censor Michelangelo's David)
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Cptn_Taylor



Joined: 08 Nov 2013
Posts: 925
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:09 am Reply with quote
Greboruri wrote:
Sorry, but the hypocrisy is just stunning, especially when you see what happens at the festival.


Festivals ? Laughing
How about drawing manga/doujinshi with prepubescent characters having sex ? It's ok. But oh my, draw one uncensored penis or vagina (of adult characters) and the whole world comes crashing down on you. That's Japan.
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Banjo



Joined: 13 Dec 2010
Posts: 779
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:12 am Reply with quote
good, I rather have her arrested than see a vagina shaped ship in Japan. Laughing
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Mr. Oshawott



Joined: 12 Mar 2012
Posts: 6773
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:18 am Reply with quote
^
Surely now that was only a joke, yes? Confused No way would I want anyone being thrown into the slammer for producing artwork that may be viewed as "obscene" by most of the public, even if I may feel discomforted by it.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:18 am Reply with quote
It's an old stupid Victorian law and it needs to go. The formality of censoring genitals is just meaningless when you have up to 100 hardcore JAVs coming out every single day, some of them doing the weirdest sex acts imaginable.
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_Cyphon_



Joined: 16 Nov 2014
Posts: 996
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:21 am Reply with quote
Greboruri wrote:
Kanamara Matsuri - Perfectly OK
Vagina Kayak - two years in jail and fines up to 2.5 million yen

There's something seriously wrong here, especially when the Kanayama Shrine makes money off Kanamara Matsuri by "distributing or holding obscene materials for the purpose of selling", same as what Igarashi has been accused of. Male or female genitalia, what's the difference?

Holy shit, I didn't even know something like the Kanamara Matsuri existed until I saw your post. It was definitely a very strange experience reading it up on Wikipedia...
Still, you have to know that censorship is a really (for a lack of better words) odd thing. Some things are censored, but something more extreme is not. It depends on many different factors. The opinions of the people definitely do matter. The festival is regarded as a sacred and traditional thing, so the government can't just completely shut it down. On the other hand, Megumi Igarashi is just one woman selling pornographic material. Take her to court, accuse her of making and distributing "obscene material", threaten to throw her in jail and fine her, easy as that. Same with michaelangelo. Regarded as a famous renaissance artist, many of his works such as David will be overlooked. I'm not defending for the making and selling of pornographic items, either, even if it is "meant to induce friendly laughter". Personally I don't like what she is doing, incorporating vaginas into almost everything, but I also do not think that she deserves to be thrown in jail for 2 years and fined 2.5 million yen.
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SailorDJ



Joined: 15 Aug 2011
Posts: 162
Location: In a land far, far away
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 1:14 am Reply with quote
What the heck?!!

After looking up Kanamara Matsuri, that's some serious backwards logic they have there. Don't the courts have better ways to spend the taxpayers' money than on this? I hope she's proven not guilty.
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Hameyadea



Joined: 23 Jun 2014
Posts: 3679
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 1:19 am Reply with quote
The horrors when +18 adults consume an uncensored +18 material...
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Kadmos1



Joined: 08 May 2014
Posts: 13540
Location: In Phoenix but has an 85308 ZIP
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 1:23 am Reply with quote
This law is coming from a country that is known for lolicon? Oh, the irony.
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ANN_Lynzee
ANN Executive Editor


Joined: 02 May 2011
Posts: 2930
Location: Email for assistance only
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 1:43 am Reply with quote
Gasero wrote:

(wondering if ANN mods will censor Michelangelo's David)


Fun fact you can't really capture in photographs. Michaelangelo's David is roughly 14 feet tall. He's also got a great butt.

On topic: I hope she's found not guilty. What's left out is that the other person who was arrested for displaying the art, was doing so in their shop window. It's an adult shop. I think most people walking around in that area expect to see a few vaginas.
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revolutionotaku



Joined: 19 May 2011
Posts: 881
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 1:46 am Reply with quote
Gasero wrote:
(wondering if ANN mods will censor Michelangelo's David)

"SIMPSONS DID IT!" Laughing
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