The government of Tokyo has banned yet more saucy manga as “unhealthy to minors,” although unusually there are actually some manga fans prepared to defend the move, condemning the title as “indefensible” and “provocative.”
The manga at issue this time is “Pochi to Goshujin-sama,” a BDSM eroge manga adaptation published by Ascii Media Works and formerly serialised in Dengeki Hime, but now classified as “unhealthy literature” and now subject to a sales ban by the Tokyo government.
They object to the manga not being sold as adult literature, saying it “depicts semen and sounds which constitute obscenity.”
Unhealthy or not, the manga in question seems unlikely to be winning any awards for family-friendliness:
It is however apparently a slight step down from the contents of the original adult game, a title much renowned for the quality of its hentai antics than its storyline:
There has been widespread confusion as to just what criteria the Tokyo government is actually applying (previously the city vaguely referred to “the new criteria” when explaining why it had decided not to ban incest titles similar to ones it banned before), with critics observing that “unhealthiness” appears to have more to do with a lack of popularity than actual content.
However, publishers have also been subject to criticism for publishing sexually themed “all-ages” manga which is at times indistinguishable from 18+ ero-manga – though such volumes are not typically circulated through mainstream retailers alongside mass market manga.
The notion that children could freely buy such manga has provoked some outrage (although by the same token nothing stops them buyingthe violation novels penned by Tokyo’s own beloved governor, or any movie short of hardcore pornography – and yet there have been no efforts to restrict sales of these media), and even amongst otaku online there is not much sympathy for Pochi:
“Out!”
“How is that alright?”
“It is completely out!”
“It’s a huge lie to call this normal (non-ero) manga.”
“It’s normal porno manga!”
“Why do the publishers insist on putting the noose around their own necks like this?”
“Just sell it as an ordinary ero-manga already.”
“It’s too much, Toyko ban or no.”
“Obviously you’ll get banned if you publish this sort of thing.”
“Controversy marketing, surely.”
“Just put an adult only mark on it already.”
“Why do they even sell this stuff as general manga?”
“I stuck up for Ichigo Red, but I can’t defend this.”
“I am totally against censorship, but publishers who are being needlessly provocative like this need to reconsider. It makes a mockery of the ones who take it seriously.”
“What happened to all the people who opposed this law?”
“If this was just a normal ero-manga it would be nothing, but when it is general manga it is exciting for some reason.”
“What’s wrong with Ascii, publishing this as general manga?”
“Well, if To Love-Ru Darkness was approved by the Tokyo government as general manga fit for all ages, I don’t see why this should be banned?”
Hurry up and die already, Ishihara-bastard.
You know, instead of going through all this hassle to ban these manga, why not just take the time, sit down and do a little thing america… and most of the 1st world countries do… AND MAKE A FUCKING RATING SYSTEM FOR MANGA!!!
Now I want to read this and fap my balls out
The Westernization of Japan is shocking
One of these days, all the people Ishihara had wronged will come howling for his blood.
Karma!