Crazy shrine maiden anime Kannagi has been censored for what lagged (but extremely high quality) satellite broadcaster BS-J deems unacceptable utterances, with the words replaced by a bleep in classic fashion.
The profane word in question is “S**y”, referring to the lately troubled electronics giant of PlayStation fame, and it is used twice in the (obscene in the eyes of many) phrase “It’s a S**y”, occurring in a brief discussion of DVDs on the show.
You can hear the lines here and here, taken from the BS-J and Tokyo MX versions of episode 7.
However, the word in question is reproduced visually, uncensored, in the above frame, and apparently appeared audibly in previous episodes intact.
Although it seems quite possible the company in question has fallen so far out of favour that it is now considered a dirty word, some also speculate that the various corporate connections (keiretsu) involved, or simple demands of sponsorship, may have provoked this petty reaction.
A recent broadening of what can form an acceptable subject for copyright may also be at issue.
This broadcaster also has a reputation for censoring fences…
“It’s a Sony!”
Haha, it cracks me up every time.
“It’s a Sony!” XD
I thought it was normal on anime series to make a parody of the name of the company for sponsoring issues.
In many series I’ve watched brands like Somy, Tamaha, Caca-cola; along with bleeps sound or any other sound when they mention it.
It weird to me the fact that is not vissually altered and that they have say it before on prevoius episodes.
“It’s a Sony!*
Most probably is the copyright thing. If you want use a name that is registered then you must have permission to use it first.
I’d say it might just be done for the sake of “joking” about censorship. I remember in Genshiken 2 they censored Hare Hare Yukai and Motteke! Sailor Fuku! to keep them (jokingly) ambiguous.
testing…
sony
sony
s o n y
testing done.
is that the word?