Forum - View topicNEWS: Sword Art Online Episode Censors More Content on U.S.-Based Streaming Services
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Romuska
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So we have exploitative rape scenes and censorship. Sounds like I’m not missing much by skipping this one.
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Chrono1000
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I am against censorship and would like to know which company made this decision though I guess they aren't going to admit to it. It is just speculation but Aniplex of America has stayed completely silent during this incident which is somewhat noticeable. I am curious to see if this type of additional censorship becomes a recurring issue in future episodes.
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IanKen
Posts: 34 |
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So, more lazy story telling. The authors excuses on twitter were laughable.
The women in SAO exist to be rescued by the guys (GGO the exception). That was obvious from the very beginning when Asuna (setup as an ace in the first 12) spent the next 12 episodes locked in a cage with a creeper while in the real world apparently nobody knows how to sniff packets and figure out where she (and the others) was logged in at. 
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Shiflan
 Posts: 418 |
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Agreed, that's why I stopped watching SAO, especially the part I put in bold. I mean, as an anime fan I'm used to ridiculous premises of many sorts but things like that just take it too far. But that said, the censorship is unacceptable. Give people a warning, perhaps, but let's not stoop to actual censorship please. And does anyone remember our discussion not too long ago, in a Goblin Slayer thread, about content warnings potentially leading to censorship? There were claims by some people that it was absurd to suggest that there was a "slippery slope" to censorship. Yet here we are. It's been what, two months approximately? That's a mighty steep slope. |
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whiskeyii
 Posts: 2245 |
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This is demonstrably untrue. Early reports stated that Hulu had no content warning, and yet also received the edited version. This is more likely a case of Aniplex deciding to send the edited versions to the US simulcasters, who then have no choice but to show those versions. |
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Jonny Mendes
 Posts: 997 Location: Europe |
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Real world people assumed that Asuna and the other people that didn't wake up was in a coma and had no way to know that her conscience was inside another game. The game picture of Asuna didn't appear on a game blog, nobody would know. I also one of those that din't like the Fairy Dance arc. It was the weakest of all SAO. Kawahara Reki could have skip all this arc and the story would continue to make sense. Even he had admitted that it was the weakest arc (it was in a interview somewhere, just don't remember wer). This LN is mostly aimed at young adult Japanese men audience and most have the fantasy of been the hero saving the princess. That's why so many LN for this audience have the MC saving the girls. Once again, this his not make with American audience in mind. Other cultures still have men that want to be the hero that saves the princess. Is not lazy writing. It just a different culture. Also this his a LN not a full novel. Don't expect great writing for LN's even if a few can have great writing, most are only entertainment write by fans for fans. Last edited by Jonny Mendes on Tue Dec 11, 2018 2:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Chester McCool
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I think the most notable takeaway from this is that because of the Goblin Slayer hoopla anytime there's a content warning in front of a episode like this it basically spoils that there's going to be some kind of rape/attempted-rape scene, which means it'll never be a surprise or unexpected anymore if you're watching it on Crunchyroll. Which begs the questions, pre-Goblin Slayer, was there any huge backlash when a scene like that appeared in a show? Or a content warning? I suppose it's possible companies saw the backlash over Goblin Slayer and are now on the edge of "Well, Americans really got upset over that so maybe we should censor it out of their version.." which would be really crappy. |
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Shiflan
Posts: 418 |
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I wasn't arguing who applied the censorship. That is an irrelevant detail. The point is that it happened. I suspect there is some sort of contractual agreement between the streaming services / TV stations and the licensors which stipulates what level of content each one is willing to broadcast and the licensors supply "custom edits" for each one. That would explain why different versions of the episode were sent to different outlets. Why would the licensor go through the effort of producing different various with various degrees of censorship if that was not requested by each of the broadcasters, either on a case-by-case or broad contractual basis? |
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IanKen
Posts: 34 |
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Yeah. I watched the youtube clip and it was censored up the wazoo on all of the venues. IMO it didn't really take anything away from the scene. At least it didn't go full hentai and show the women enjoying it. And the anime adaptation is apparently way more extreme than what was in the manga. In the end it is a business decision. Given that SAO is a popular property I imagine the licensees are wary of the "Japan is selling rape porn to kids" trope. But in the end it's just lazy. |
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Echii
Posts: 107 |
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I never understood why people are so sensitive over a cartoon. I did not feel anything when I watched that rape scene. And also never understood all the negative reaction. Also, it seems that these people are offended by a sexual assaults for some reason, but not with gore or anything else.
I hate censorship. They should at least make two versions so people can choose (i'm sure majority of people prefer to watch uncensored) Last edited by Echii on Tue Dec 11, 2018 2:37 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Shiflan
Posts: 418 |
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Yes indeed, I complained about that back then as well. Is it really so hard to write a content warning that doesn't spoil the plot?
I don't know how significant it was because I wasn't very active on forums at the time, but I do remember there was a lot of chatter about the rape scene in Perfect Blue. |
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whiskeyii
Posts: 2245 |
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I think you misunderstand the broadcasting process. Broadcasters don't get to make demands of the studio. The studio head decided to make one version, which was then edited into two: one for certain Japanese stations and their privately owned channel, and one for a more general/worldwide broadcast. The studio then delivered the edited versions to the appropriate studios and that's that. Broadcasters have their hands tied; they can only air what they're given. Even if you're mad about censorship period, you're getting mad at the wrong parties. This is all on Aniplex (likely a business decision to avoid courting controversy), not on any of the stations/streaming channels that got an edited version. EDIT: Also, to address this:
Yes, because a content warning is what it says on the tin. What good is a content warning if you don't know what kind of content you're being warned about. (And really, when has anyone ever been *happily* surprised by a rape scene. )
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bleachj0j
 Posts: 923 |
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Yes. I specially remember Valvrave a couple of years having to put a content warming on an episode that contained a scene of rape. Well, not rape... sort of, but still not great.
Does it really have to be explained to you why people are tense around sexual violence? Just because you weren't personally offended doesn't mean other people can't be. |
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Marzan
 Posts: 515 |
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It doesn't surprise me to be honest. No offense to people in the States, but online debate about these kinds of issues gets toxic much faster and in a much greater magnitude than anywhere else. Maybe Aniplex is just trying to to err in the side of caution with what they know will be a very, very controversial episode (considering what happened with Goblin Slayer).
I think that unfortunately self censorship by artists and production companies will become much more prevalent in the future. |
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Shiflan
Posts: 418 |
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Right. But what's stopping a major licensee, like Crunchyroll or Hulu, from having special requirements in their contract regarding which version(s) they are given? In this case the article makes it clear that this is more than just "foreign vs. domestic", since the French platform was not censored to the same degree as the US based ones were.
That's an interesting assertion; I haven't even stated who I am mad at.
Obviously. Last edited by Shiflan on Tue Dec 11, 2018 3:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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