Violation Eroge Really Banned

After the previous confusion, Japan’s leading adult game classification body has bowed to feminist pressure and banned the sale and manufacture of so-called “rape” games.

The “ban”, initially invented by a broadcaster, has now been passed by the EOCS, the major censorship body for eroge in Japan, in the special meeting held to control the damage spreading from the Rapelay media fiasco.

The spineless wretches representing their various companies at the event were apparently resigned to their fate, and supinely opted to pass the ban, presumably in the hopes of averting legislative attention from politicians with nothing better to do in the midst of economic malaise. The meeting itself was an informal gathering, with no voting or otherwise.

Most concern apparently focused on just how far the ban would go (for example, banning BDSM completely as almost all fictional works of such incorporate rape), with some companies understandably concerned over what would happen to their products currently in development. Concerns centred on such crucial issues as whether monsters or tentacular appendages would be problematic.

It is also thought that particular attention will fall on packaging (and titles), with the actual content perhaps not given such scrutiny.

Some discussion actually concerned whether the industry should drop the slightly euphemistic term for its products currently used, “bishoujo games”, in favour of “adult games” or similar, probably because the “beautiful girl game” moniker is inappropriate in the current climate of moral hysteria.

The details of the deliberations are provided by a member of the Abel Group who attended the event.

As previously explained in detail, the ban will only affect members of the EOCS group; this accounts for most companies in the industry, but as ample alternatives to classification at EOCS exist, the real effect may just be to cause a variety of cunning dodges within and without the organisation.

Notably, the EOCS previously banned games with loli or incest content, but this proved totally ineffective (perhaps as designed), whilst allowing the body to present a facade of “responsibility” (if appeasing moralists can be considered such) to those who might otherwise fret.

The current situation looks set to develop along similar lines, as long as certain interfering feminist politicians and international groups are placated into not pursuing more far-reaching legislation.

Were these elements to pursue a full ban in law, it seems unlikely it would end with just games, as clearly adult video and ero-manga would have to be subjected to the same criteria at some point (since the games in question are actually visual novels rather than games per se, and possess about as much interactivity as a book).

This would eventually end up colliding with actual novels if pursued with any consistency, so it seems a major Constitutional issue would then loom, as the Japanese Constitution is fairly protective of free speech. This is probably not the sort of easy victory feminist politicians on a “protect the children” ticket are looking to pursue…

Here is a timeline of events to recap:

An Irish rag on a slow news day picks up the story that importers have been selling Rapelay via Amazon. The theme is that the game encourages r**e and is child pornography.

Amazon completely drops the product, including in Japan. Other retailers soon follow suit.

Feminist busybody group “Equality Now”, which organises spam campaigns to keep its members busy without actually having to deal with problems directly, targets the game, accusing it of human rights violations and telling the Japanese government it should be banning this sort of thing, like low crime paradises such as the UK.

The developers tell the foreign feminists to get lost.

Soon after the Rapelay developers cave in and completely remove the game from distribution.

Equality Now’s Japanese lawyer (the group has no presence in Japan) drums up anti-eroge media attention.

A Japanese diet member, an avowed feminist, picks up on the scandal and starts calling for a ban. Objections start with the opposition and minor parties and soon the ruling party jumps onto the bandwagon.

A “study group” is organised to decide how best to ban the games.

Broadcaster TBS falsely reports that the EOCS has banned the games.

The EOCS bans the games.

At no point at any time has any evidence that such games (which amount to illustrated novels) contribute to indecent assault been presented.