Advertising hypocrisy and censorship question

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#1

After reading through some of the mssg threads, I saw that publications like Animerica won’t permit PP to advertise. I haven’t bought Animerica for some time, but I remember them advertising SoftCel animes. What makes adult-based games different from adult anime so that it is permissible for one to advertise but not the other?

Also, I did a search on censorship but couldn’t find the threads that Kumiko alluded to in one of her posts. I love tidbits on Japanese culture [thank you PP for the liner notes in your games and PP (Peter Payne from Jast) for the entertaining cultural prefaces to your J-List updates], so, if possible, I’d love to hear a history of Japanese censorship. If what I’ve heard is correct, the censorship laws were put into effect after WWII as part of the reparations, but I’ve also heard that the laws have recently expired and that Japanese continue to censor their adult material more or less because it is what they’re accustomed to.

I have about a billion other questions that I hope you folks can help me with, but, for everyone else’s sake, I’ll save them for another time.

#2

As a matter of fact, I just got Tokimeki Check-in yesterday and haven’t had a chance to check out the liner notes. Now that I made a fool of myself by asking a question that I reckon I have the answer to at home, I’ll put on my jester’s cap.

And as for Animerica, you can counter their argument by pointing out that the Rightstuf Intl. webpage has a link to adult material as well. (I’m referring to the link on their homepage to a Cool Devices site. Now there’s an anime series that even gets under my skin and makes most bishoujo games look like Sesame Street by comparison.)

(Now that I’ve played devil’s advocate, I hope I can take off my jester’s cap and put on some horns.)

#3

Sharpe, there’s only one flaw in your argument…Critical Mass Video (who translated Cool Devices) is Right Stuf International’s Adult Anime banner. Sort of like Kitty Media being Media Blasters’ Adult line.

#4
quote:
Originally posted by Doug:
Sharpe, there's only one flaw in your argument...Critical Mass Video (who translated Cool Devices) [b]is Right Stuf International's Adult Anime banner. Sort of like Kitty Media being Media Blasters' Adult line.[/b]

Haven't post in aloooong time. [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

However Doug, Kumiko said the reason they are barred from advertising was because their URL led to adult site. Ummm, call me stupid, but Animenation and Rightstuf also have links to adult material and I also saw Jlist there too. Something is fishy here and it not ....

#5

The only thing I can think of that Animerica would use as explanation is that PP sets the page up as adult oriented with the entrance page–you know, the “You must be 18 to enter” disclaimer. The only way I could see of getting around this would be to have access to a text-only or all-ages page that would eliminate the adult graphics–and there are a lot of nice, non-adult graphics used here–or, to be more thorough, you could limit such a page to non-adult material, like T-shirts and some of the game merchandise. Such a page could be accessed at the disclaimer with a message such as “If you are under 18 or do not want to see adult-oriented content, click here.” Such a page would be a pain in the butt, but if it would allow you to advertise in mainstream anime magazines, maybe it’d be worth the effort. And since an all-ages page would be relatively small, I wouldn’t think it’d take up too much time to create (but I also don’t know much about webpage design, so I could be dead wrong).

On a side note, since Hogi Bear brought up J-List, I might as well ask another question. How are J-List, Jast, and PP associated? Peter Payne works for both Jast and J-List and seems to have some sway at PP as well (e.g., he’s one of the mssgboard’s moderators). Just curious.

[This message has been edited by Sharpe (edited 11-30-2001).]

#6

I kinda agree with sharpe about making the website more non-adult looking. Just because pp is selling 18+ products doesn’t mean you have to show ballantly explicit images with genitals showing etc…I think showing just “cheesecake” shots would be sufficient.

However, I don’t know how you can make the downloads (movies) non-H if they are H to begin with. Perhaps by one goes to the downloads page then you see a 18 warning message or something…

You know, I too did read Animerica mag briefly at Borders a week or so ago. Phantom was advertised, and surprisingly, so does Jlist (even though it’s a smaller-sized ad). Hell, Jlist has a 18+ warning thing on their splash page too, don’t they? So that’s why I think sharpe’s idea might work, or take out the explicit images. Seriously, if you look at pp’s back packaging (sorry, I only have Xchange as reference), there are no explicit images too, and I don’t think they are needed if you are to sell it (but cheesecake shots would help).

And another thing…I may be wrong on this but I have noticed that many (if not all) of the H-anime videos that make it to bestbuy etc etc have the rating of “NR” (not rated). I don’t know if this is done to make the video “barely legal” so to speak (at least you are not saying explicitly that it’s adult). Kinda clever/sneaky in my opinion.

#7

Speaking of Animerica, have they stopped reviewing adult titles? The only one I seen them review lately is "Buttobi CPU/I Dream of Mimi".

#8

Now my question is…is it possible to not use those any rating systems like ESRB or MPAA at all and just write something on your own like “for mature audiences only” on your packaging?

#9

When Megatech was still in business they had their own rating system.

NR-13: Not recommended for anyone under 13 years of age.

NR-18: Not Recommended for anyone under 18 years of age.

Something like that could work, but ESRB is pretty much the standard everyone goes by now. If we could get the product into the big chain software stores (Wal-Mart, CompUSA, Best Buy etc.) then you’d have to resubmit the titles that were not given to the ESRB in the first place.

I definitely recommend setting up a mostly non-adult type site. You would still need a Warning stating that the products are for Adults Only though.

#10
quote:
Originally posted by Kumiko Kamiyama:
It's possible... companies change their directions and policies over time, and we have heard that there is some concern with them internally about the mature aspects of the art form. That won't win them any more respect as actually representing the art form itself, of course. Perhaps they might be willing to start a mature magazine if there was enough demand shown.


Its a shame they won't a)add more magazine content to Pulp or b)do a cross between Maxim and Animerica.

#11