Manga Publishers Plan “Self-Restraint” Ban on Loli Manga

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Japan’s publishing industry is reportedly planning to ban loli manga by itself, on a “self-restraint” basis.

The plan is being proposed by the “Publishing Ethics Convention”(出版倫理協議会/Shuppan Ronri Kyogikai – the organisation has no official English name nor any site or public presence), an organisation run by the Japan Book Publisher’s Association.

The Convention operates the “Seinen Mark” system, the yellow mark which distinguishes 18+ ero-manga from other manga and ensures age checks and special shelving in the retail distribution channel.

According to reports, they have established an “Investigative Commission into the State of the Representation of Juveniles,” which is proposing new “voluntary” restrictions on loli manga, translated below:

1. Voluntary restraints on publishing manga depicting sex, or activities associated with sex, involving characters modelled on children under 13 and not displaying so-called secondary sex characteristics.

2. Voluntary restraints on publishing manga depicting adults appearing to abuse children who might be thought to be under 13.

The proposed restrictions are said to be opposed by the actual manga publishers targeted, who must understandably be none too happy about their own industry body joining forces with Ishihara and company to attack them.

The Convention actually opposed Ishihara’s ban, making its sudden about turn all the more perplexing.

An employee of one of the companies affected explains further:

“The Tokyo manga ban targetted manga published by Akita Shoten, Hakusensha, Futabasha and others, which did not bear an 18+ mark but had similarly sexual content.

We’re not at all convinced that the adult manga industry, which has been distinguishing between adult and non-adult content, should be affected by any of that.

In any case, this ‘self-restraint’ proposal is even more severe than the Tokyo manga ban.”

There have been no significant attacks on the publishing industry since the Tokyo manga ban passed, so the proposal comes out of the blue – industry figures speculate that the body may be trying to head off further bans by Ishihara and his friends by banning unpopular manga themselves:

“Even now, the Tokyo government maintains its extreme position. The ordinance comes into effect in July, and we can’t deny the possibility that it is intended as a warning to the ero-manga and doujinshi industries.”

As a “voluntary” restraint the policy could not actually physically prevent the publication of loli manga by unaffiliated companies (not that there are many of these), however as it controls the “Seinen Mark” it might well be able to ban loli ero-manga from using the mark, which could severely restrict their sales and thus act as a de facto sales ban, in a similar fashion to the Tokyo manga ban.

Were most of the major adult manga publishers to refuse to publish loli manga in magazine or tankobon form, it would also likely act as a highly effective de facto ban, as without access to the mainstream adult publishing industry ero-mangaka would have extreme difficulty supporting themselves.

The wording of the restriction also explicitly precludes the usual dodge of including a disclaimer or merely avoiding mention of age, and would involve a great deal of ambiguity in judging what exactly “resembles”an under-13.

As usual with such matters in Japan, public debate and scientific evidence have been completely absent.

The Publishing Ethics Convention itself has no public presence, but complaints can be directed against its parent body, the Japan Book Publisher’s Association, although as they evidently take no notice of the interests of their own members it seems doubtful they will heed anyone else.


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    Avatar of Azure Sky
    Comment by Azure Sky
    05:06 10/04/2011 # ! Quality (+0.9)

    All this fucking Self restraint is not needed!

    Fucking ishihara is brain washing people...

    Comment by Deus_mechanicus
    05:17 10/04/2011 # ! Quality (+1.0)

    Seriously, what a bunch of fucking bullshit.

    Need to stop printing on dead trees, so publishing companies can die and mangaka can just release their shit online.

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:01 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    If they published online digitally it would be easier for people of other countries to support them regardless of fan translation or not.

    Avatar of Yamaken
    Comment by Yamaken
    06:21 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    Manga should be like it is! ;___;
    I don't like to read on my Computer screen, it just.. doesn't match or what to say.

    But now to topic: This is fucking b-u-l-l shit like you said.

    Avatar of Hayate
    Comment by Hayate
    06:57 10/04/2011 # ! Quality (+0.8)

    they would have do that if someone will pay them the same amount they got it published on paper

    Comment by Dark Mage
    09:55 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    It is all too easy to publish online anymore even the dead tree printing equipment is no where near as expensive as it used to be.

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:23 10/04/2011 # ! Quality (+1.0)

    not really.
    poll after poll shows most people in the public oppose this bullshit.

    the problem is it's the same cadre (if not literally, than philosophically) of ancient farts who run the government as well as pretty much all industry in Japan.

    if Japan really wants to know why they're been languishing for 2 decades now, they need only look at the fact that all sectors of government and business are ruled by the same bunch of out of touch mummies.

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:41 10/04/2011 # ! Good (+0.7)

    very true, but unlike their parents the younger generation are so unenthusiastic and lost. they just like to stay at home watching their animes and play their eroges and avoid problems. what can u do? its kind of a vicious cycle...

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:58 10/04/2011 # ! Good (+0.8)

    There is a simple answer. People in less conservative countries just have to take the lead until japan wakes up again. There is definitely talent out there in other countries, time to put it to work.

    Comment by Anonymous
    07:14 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    The problem is that many of those less conservative countries like Great Britain have gone the fucktard route of making loli illegal.

    So....... You are basically screwed today. The whole world needs to wake up, realize that pedosexuality is a normal sexuality, and that it is being used like homosexuality and heterosexuality outside of marriage was at one time!

    Comment by Anonymous
    07:49 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    very soon, china and s.korea will take over the manga/anime industry... pretty much like the cars and electronics industry where japan once dominated...

    Comment by Anonymous
    07:53 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    And Thus Code Geass Death Note Eden of The East and Akumetsu appear to change the world

    Comment by Anonymous
    09:50 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    "Self-restraint"
    Just like American comic books. -__-''

    Comment by Anonymous
    10:06 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    >very true, but unlike their parents the younger generation are so unenthusiastic and lost. they just like to stay at home watching their animes and play their eroges and avoid problems. what can u do? its kind of a vicious cycle...

    and who wouldn't like that?
    it just seems logical to "avoid" a problem if you have the possibility to avoid it. or would you throw yourself into an ocean-of-probelms just for the sake of it?
    problems should just be avoided as much as possible, unless they're affecting you directly and contemporaneously.

    Avatar of HouseLife
    Comment by HouseLife
    10:58 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    @ Anon 7:14

    That's true, yet not true. The problem is, if you use the (very real) analogy of one form of sexuality being discriminated against, and then link homosexuality and 2d loli, you're just burying yourself into your own trap. Few people, except homosexuals, actually care about homosexuality being accepted. We want it accepted because we don't want anything discriminated against, but I for one am a smart, educated, and open-minded individual, and I don't hate homosexuality, but I find it useless to the world. Objectively, it produces artistically-minded men and women who think differently than a heterosexual might, but even I cannot get by the fact that that homosexuality has no point to the propagation of humanity. As such, it often feels fake to me. I still have several gay friends, though, and some of them know what they are and feel less fake to talk to. This is just the way most heterosexuals feel about it, because it really doesn't have any benefit to us. Even the most intelligent and open-minded ones say the same thing in different words: fine, do whatever, just leave me alone about it. This is similar to 2d loli, but it goes even deeper.

    Loli is similar, but affects far more. It is directly bringing forward the concept of protecting our young, who are innocent. They may be considered idiotic and annoying, but that's BECAUSE they are innocent and have yet to achieve a mentality capable of handling the full extent of our evolution. It's a physical fact that they just haven't reached consciousness yet. This is true for young children, but not necessarily true for adolescents. That is why their 'under 13' description is still very reasonable even for the closed-minded.

    The only way loli will ever have a conduit to being accepted is the same way disturbing art in museums became an exploration and commentary of human darkness. No matter what way we wish to look at it, the fact of the matter is loli is an oddity in societal growth. By all rights, it technically shouldn't have become as prevalent as it has, but it has. It comes from how the societal environment adapted. In very, very simplistic description, it is people taking vengeance against how our society has seemed to reject the idea that a child grows over time. You're either a child, or an adult, and whatever comes with those definitions. No in between. I believe loli became so prevalent because of that lost middle-ground. That is why loli manga tends to inject adolescent sex drive and perceptions in a younger girl. It is unconsciously exploring the lost gap that society has formed.

    If that gap were removed through awareness, and children were once again recognized as young human beings instead of 'objects of their parents' until a certain arbitrary age, I believe you will find the prevalence of loli will balance itself naturally.

    Comment by Anonymous

    please kill yourself.

    Comment by Anonymous

    There's nothing normal about being a pedophile, you fucking weirdo.

    Avatar of HouseLife
    Comment by HouseLife
    14:12 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    @ Anon 13:01 and 12:35

    Guess what. People like you are the reason pedophilia is propagating at all right now. Because of those very statements. The sad part is, the people who hate pedophiles and want to stop them don't realize that... and I'm left face-palming at how blatantly obvious the Catch 22 is.

    Avatar of alidan
    Comment by alidan
    18:53 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    HouseLife
    10:58

    gay people provide the benefit of culling the worlds population without a genocide.

    currently we have only enough food to feed 2/3 the worlds population, i believe that 2.3 billion people would need to die to stop world hunger. gay people, not just people in a gay relation ship, but also in a hetro trying to make it work, make up about 10% of the worlds population by many estimates i have heard. and a further, close to 50% are bi, though preferring the opposite sex.

    their benefit is not making more kids, and helping the world by not imploding in on itself with a constant population growth.

    now, i cant tell in what you wrote, but you do realize that cp, as in real cp, was legal i japan, than i believe it became illegal, but possession or sharing was legal, than i think sharing became illegal, and now i think all thats left is simple possession.

    here is another thing. children are information sponges. they can take what ever information we give them, and for the most part apply it. the only reason they are ignorant for so long is because we shield them from everything. if we told them the basics in lets say kindergarten, they would know that dick gets hard, goes in vagina, makes baby. they would know that at the very least. and with how many adults are, they have no idea what can happen because of sex, like disease transmission, and in some, rare cases, that it can even lead to a baby.

    Comment by Anonymous
    16:01 11/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    You bring up a good point, Alidan, but it is a flat out lie that we don't have enough food to feed the entire world. You have no idea how much food daily we waste as a country, simply because it can't be transported to whomever it needs, or because it spoils and doesn't fit standards, even if it's still very edible. Most big grocery stores have to throw out boxes and boxes of fruit and vegetables almost daily in order to maintain fresh product, when that nutrition from one store along could very easily give very good food to an entire soup kitchen which could effectively feed the homeless of that region for a week.

    It is a complete lie. It's so easy to make excess food that we pay farmers NOT to make extra food. That's how easy it is. And that's just us, and we even export food for the rest of the world still. The problem is the dictators and politics, among several other things that all basically stem from stinginess and arrogance. The other problem is transport, but even that can be handled if we truly cared enough.

    As for the CP statement, I spoke of 2D loli, in case that wasn't obvious. I tried to specify it initially, but maybe I wasn't clear enough. The history of Japan's CP legalization, I'd actually like to further research to find out how it was allowed initially to begin with, and what specifically changed it, whether it was internal, foreign pressure, or both, or even something else I may not recognized.

    And without going into further detail, I agree with you in general that kids, as soon as they ask the question, should be told about the positives and negatives, in simple, understandable terms, about sex and its presence in our lives. As they get smarter by the 10-12 range, I also believe the risks should be mentioned before they start reaching the stage where they begin questioning themselves and everything else. That way they will already have a baseline of risk understanding underneath the questions.

    Avatar of alidan
    Comment by alidan
    18:07 13/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    Anonymous
    16:01

    i know, however you over estimate foods lasting ability. the time that it would take the food to arrive, checked, than be shipped over, any food that isnt at 100% would most likely rot to the point even THEY wouldn't eat it.

    now sellby dates and expiration dates RARELY need to be consumed by that date. but some need to be, and when shipping food over seas through a bureaucratic way, takes FAR more time than anyone would anticipate.

    you should also look into that farming statistic, it seams a little off. now i know that some food we pay farmers regardless of how much they make, as in even making to much. and some things we pay them to make even though they will not sell. but its honestly the first time i heard of them being payed not to make food. i'm assuming it true though, but only certain markets, as in things that are easy to over produce, but under needed.

    and i know its about drawn loli, and not real, but the real probably has a correlation with the drawn, its a reason i gave for why there is so much loli.

    Comment by Anonymous
    17:22 03/07/2012 # ! Neutral (0)

    "Comment by HouseLife
    14:12 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    @ Anon 13:01 and 12:35

    Guess what. People like you are the reason pedophilia is propagating at all right now"

    Wait, it is a gas cloud? An infection? Something like HIV?

    I don't think propagating is the right word to use here, it just brings wrong images to mind...

    Avatar of Max51
    Comment by Max51
    09:29 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    this is actually the best idea to come with... if the publishers decide what manga's to produce we can still get some regular oppai just not something too much... basically we will get the normal fan service from manga like evangelion, kampher or others... if they made the whole ban to begin with forced voluntary (meaning the publishing ethics convention making the people who volunteer for it to do it) then it would have stopped the major banning on those publishers unless the convention is doing the same thing the ban did, which it shouldn't since the convention is clearly saying 13 or younger and not 18 or younger then it should fair well. All it seems obvious that it would fair well if other publishing companies are volunteering for it.

    Comment by Anonymous
    09:44 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    Most people oppose the word "cunt" too....so should Henry Miller be banned? He uses is hundreds of times in his "Tropic" books.

    Comment by Dark Mage
    09:53 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    I don't think the Industry will follow through they have too much to loose.
    At most I'd expect them to use the youngest looking 13 year old example they can find as use that as the benchmark.

    Comment by GodMan
    05:23 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    The annoying part is that its volantary, maybe. These companies are probably being pressure by ishithara's goons, Japan is losing their culture not only anime-wise but in other old ways... T-T

    Avatar of Gogetters
    Comment by Gogetters
    05:48 10/04/2011 # ! Good (+0.4)

    I seriously hope this will cause the mangaka to screw the publishers and start doing their work online!

    Avatar of Naoli
    Comment by Naoli
    10:35 11/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    not every one have the means of paying online

    unless you expect they to allow ppl to view their work that they suppose to make a living off of for free

    Avatar of Yourtime
    Comment by Yourtime
    05:56 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    no sense make no sense.

    Avatar of 3rdEye
    Comment by 3rdEye
    05:07 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    Going by where the anime industry was heading these days, it's anything but unexpected.
    Good bye to the lolis, Japan will soon become Hollywood #2.

    Comment by Anonymous
    07:10 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    I doubt it. I think that the manga makers will just move onto online distribution and give the finger to this ratings board.... Or simply make their OWN ratings board for loli companies.

    Comment by SpectatorMode
    05:10 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    So much lame in such a short amount of time

    Avatar of dMITIC
    Comment by dMITIC
    05:13 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    they just keep destroying their own industry

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:15 10/04/2011 # ! Good (+0.7)

    Why did Ishihara survive the earthquake? He should have died.

    Comment by Anonymous

    all of japan should have sunk it seems
    what survived is becoming more unsightly by the day
    a god damn nest of moral faggotry

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:15 10/04/2011 # ! Drivel (-0.8)

    Under 13? THANK GOD. I can still publish my story when I'll become a mangaka later!

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:19 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    My Head is full of FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:20 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    And RAGE!!!!!!!!

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:57 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    And MURDER!!!!!

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:06 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    KILL MAIM BURN KILL MAIM BURN!!!!!!!!

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:17 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    BLEED THEM COLD AND OFFER THEIR SOULS ON THE ALTER!!!!

    Comment by Anonymous
    06:36 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    SHOW THESE FOOLS THEY WORSHIP NOTHING MORE THAN A CORPSE ON A THRONE!

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:20 10/04/2011 # ! Good (+0.8)

    First they came for the lolis,
    and I didn't speak out because I didn't care so much for the lolis.

    Then they came for the milfs,
    and it stung because I was rather fond of milfs.

    Then they came for the schoolgirls,
    and I seethed with anger.

    Then they came for me
    but by then I already had a gun.

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:23 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    wait, are there loli hentai manga titles which are seinen instead of adult only? cos even as a fan i find that wrong...

    Avatar of starsplash
    Comment by starsplash
    05:27 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    You can call it restriction or restraint all you want. In the end, this manga ban is a ban.

    Avatar of Wertyxious
    Comment by Wertyxious
    05:30 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Do those people have any other purpose in life other than banning stuff?
    Ban this, ban that! Let's see what else can we ban...

    Avatar of Hayate
    Comment by Hayate
    07:33 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    thou shall not fap no longer...

    Avatar of Naoli
    Comment by Naoli
    10:43 11/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    ban life or reality

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:34 10/04/2011 # ! Good (+0.6)

    wow..
    more ban proposal..

    i predict after this, even hentai of 18 year old character will be banned..

    followed by banning of action blood containing manga, saying its harmful for kids..

    then, ban the manga itself saying that manga/anime/games is not suitable for brain development..

    everybody in Japan must have no time to relax, study and working overtime.. for a "self restrain" basis..

    suicide rate will increase, any Japanese government wondering why is it happening..

    after that, nobody cares about Japan anymore..

    i see a dark future..

    Comment by Anonymous
    05:40 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    What does that mean? I am little lost here. It moves non-adult loli manga to adult section? Or does it affects h-lolimanga? Would someone explain purpose of this "ban" to me, please?

    Avatar of Kalroth
    Comment by Kalroth
    05:45 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    The ban is only on girls under 13? That's not so bad for me personally but I know a few ppl who will be completely irate over this. Now if they said no girls under 18 I'd flip my shit!

    Avatar of Ryan Saotome
    Comment by Ryan Saotome
    06:36 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (0)

    They'll just make more high school shows with girls that have loli bodies, like Lucky Star.

    Comment by Anonymous
    10:20 10/04/2011 # ! Neutral (+0.2)

    Don't worry, that's next on their list to ban.

    That's why you have to fight ALL attempts to ban books, movies, tv shows, etc... eventually they WILL ban something you want to watch/read.

    It's pitiful how quickly Japan is destroying their entertainment industry.






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