The anime industry has grovellingly conceded that censorship under the firm hand of Tokyo fuhrer Shintaro Ishihara is OK after all – Kadokawa et al. have all humiliatingly folded and agreed to participate in the Tokyo International Anime Fair, all talk of their own “Anime Contents Expo” quietly forgotten.
The roster for TAF 2012 sees all the major publishers back under Ishihara’s heel, and the ACE homepage is blank with no word released about it since the devastating March earthquake Ishihara hailed as “divine retribution” against the corrupt innocents of Japan.
Their craven submission is particularly humiliating given Ishihara’s contemptuous treatment of the industry – “the earthquake serves them right,” “if you don’t like it, don’t come,” “they’ll just come back next year,” “they just have a persecution complex,” “otaku have corrupt DNA,” “mangaka are despicable people,” etc.
As an evidently spineless industry with no influence whatsoever, the success of further bans seems assured.
Meanwhile the Japanese government has been fantasising about Japan creating a cultural export industry on par with its manufacturing industry, and led by the state – quietly ignoring the fact that both regional and national governments are busily attempting to pass bans of all kinds on 2D material, and apparently not grasping the rather more basic realisation that no government has ever had any success in doing anything but strangling its own creative industries.
I checked about and at least one of the companies – Kadokawa Shoten – said that they aren’t actually participating in the TAF despite what the TAF website says. The TAF just haven’t bothered updating their website since the boycott, which wouldn’t surprise me given the earthquake and the possibility of causing a little controversy
I’m willing to bet the same is true for a bunch of the other companies as well, if not all of them. So I wouldn’t be too concerned guys.
ACE forgotten? Mabye not:
“Anime Contents Expo 2012 (ACE 2012) will be held on Saturday and Sunday, March 31 and April 1, 2012, at Makuhari Messe.
The primary purpose of this event is to express gratitude to the fans who have supported ACE.
ACE 2011, previously planned for this past March, was cancelled due to the Great East Japan Earthquake.
After repeated consideration of various issues, the members of the Executive Committee subsequently decided to hold a new event in 2012, primarily as an expression of gratitude to the numerous fans who supported ACE 2011.
This event will give fans the opportunity to enjoy cutting-edge anime and related content through various activities, including on-stage performances and exhibitions. Merchandise will also be available for purchase.
We are working energetically to prepare for the event to ensure it will be the best possible experience for all those attending.
Anime Contents Expo Executive Committee”
http://www.animecontentsexpo.jp/english.html
Just saying,ACE has just been confirmed and the rumors about the companies returning to TAF has been debunked.
Thank goodness! Rage quelled.
Why won’t this geriatric motherfucker just kick the bucket already? Jesus tap-dancing Christ! I had a sister who died of leukemia when she was nineteen. Why is it always rat-fucks like this who live for so fucking long!?!? No wonder the world’s such a fucked-up place!
To-Love-Ru Darkness is still publishing. Ero-Manga are still rampant. Ecchi anime still air on TV. Dozens of ero-anime are released every month. Eroge is still popular amongst otaku.
Where’s your precious little ban now, Artefact? Afraid of losing readers? Afraid that people will get tired of looking at titties and flat chests? Afraid that you’ll be a homeless motherfucker in the future because you’re not getting enough hits?
Grow a fucking beard. This isn’t the news industry. You wanna make up bullshit, go write for CNN, BBS, or whatever. You’ve been going at this crap for more than a year. I bet these people will be glad to hire you. You’ll be able to make up all kinds of bullshit conspiracy theories about whatever kind of subject you think people will get butthurt over.
And to all you asshats who still believe in this crap, you are idiots. This so-called “ban” started in July, and I have yet to see a single goddamned manga, anime, or game banned. If you did not notice this, you are either blind, illiterate, or just downright retarded.