Japanese manga demoralized?

[SnEptUne]

Being more clean doesn't necessarily mean that the films were completely/significantly less devoid of any sexual content. At least, I didn't mean it that way. It would be silly to say that there was no pornography in the 30s or ppl didn't portray sex in the entertainment industry. Sexuality is always there: it's the nature of how it's presented that has changed, IMO. I would observe that the graphic level of it has increased....pointlessly too in many instances. Of course, pls consider that a personal opinion. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-sex or some wrinkled up prude. But sometimes, we really don't need to see the whole act played out in order to get the message "Oh btw, just so you know, they had sex. Yup, they really did. See? See? Can't you see that they went all the way? OK, maybe we need to remove more clothes to convince the audience that our characters had sex. Gotta get the message though, you know."

I agree. However, my point isn't that violence and sex should be censored. It is the opposite. People should understand what is right and wrong and be responsible for their action, which is why my high school English course requires student to read fiction books that involves rape scenes and fornication realistically (i.e. the stress of being a single mother in young age, the emotional turmoil thereafter, etc...)

But there is a definite trend from the media. In around the 50's, there is this big notion where romantic love is happiness and eloping is starting to become glorized in media. Maybe ignorant is a bliss, but as time goes by, media became more concerned about earning money than being responsible. And today, the media has became so regressed that morally questionable media can be seen on TV easily by kids, with guidance.

Even if the acknowledgment of this trend may be denied in the U.S., I believe this to be true in some Asian countries (excluding Japan). A good part of the entertainment scene for Hong Kong, Chinese, Taiwanese and Indian films are getting a bit more fleshy (for the lack of a better term).

This trend is definitely most evident in the U.S. China, although becoming more open, is still very reserved about what can be shown on the media. But government can only do so much, especially when bribery becomes norm. Hong Kong and Taiwan, on the other hand, got most of the influences from Japan, which my points back to the topic. It is not religion differences as mentioned before, it is more about the changes of social value.

[AsianBlossom]

Yeah, that'd be great.

[Alexander]

It's really an interesting question about censorship, my own faith, and at what point we set a limit for material.

I will fully admit there's plenty of material in the world I can't stand, and some things that make me question what was in the writer's/designer's minds when they created it. Manhunt 2 is just one of many.

And yes, I do firmly believe it is the parents responsibility and eventually our own to decide what we put inside our minds.

So, for the content situation, if there's too much of it in a certain place or in a book I'm reading then I'll simply leave. Nothing more to it then that.

[SnEptUne]

It seems like my post got deleted. Anyway, in my previous post, I mentioned that it wasn't the difference in religion as the other poster has pointed out. In the 30's, fornication was really unacceptable to the society, not just in western culture, but also in many part of the world. But then, we begin to see the trend of romantic stories in media when colour TV is out. Many of such stories glorify romantic love and sewing the seed of what come to be today's social value. Although love can be holy and sacred, "it" can be possessive and destructive.

Even if the acknowledgment of this trend may be denied in the U.S., I believe this to be true in some Asian countries (excluding Japan). A good part of the entertainment scene for Hong Kong, Chinese, Taiwanese and Indian films are getting a bit more fleshy (for the lack of a better term).

China is still very conservative about what can be shown on the media, but government can only do so much in such large country. Hong Kong and Taiwan is heavily influenced by Japanese culture, which is why we see so many people wearing short skirts over there. Recently, in the past 10 years, China is going through a similar state where people began to dress "inapropriately".

Although censorship may help to reduce the decay of humanity, it does not solve the issue. It is like on a boat, the ocean will claim those who has fallen. Censorship is like building a big fence so that people will not fell over. But what of those who has fallen? We can only see from afar in the moral high ground? We are told that we shouldn't go near the edge because it is dangerous, but isn't it better if we are taught how to swim in the ocean? Even if we slipped and fell, we know how to get back and help those who has fallen.

That's why in my high school, we are required to read novel that involves rape scenes and fornication realistically, so that we can understand the emotional turmoil of a single mother.

[AsianBlossom]

Pretty much. Although was can be possessive and destructive is not love--it's lust. That's the selfish part that doesn't take into account the feelings or the other person and only treats them like an object. (Note: not applying this to anyone who has been posting in the general lust prayer thread...this is about those people who don't want to change their ways and see nothing wrong with what they are doing)

It's somehow been able to disguise itself until the guise of "love" and, like you said, somehow became today's social "value," if you could call it a value at all.

[SnEptUne]

Pretty much. Although was can be possessive and destructive is not love--it's lust. That's the selfish part that doesn't take into account the feelings or the other person and only treats them like an object. (Note: not applying this to anyone who has been posting in the general lust prayer thread...this is about those people who don't want to change their ways and see nothing wrong with what they are doing)

It's somehow been able to disguise itself until the guise of "love" and, like you said, somehow became today's social "value," if you could call it a value at all.

I agree. However, lust is not the only cause. Envy, jealousy, and possessiveness does not always sprout from lust. It isn't unusual to see someone getting envy/jealous of their best friend because he/she got a good grade or helped begger on the street, or becoming possessive when he/she find a new best friend.

[AsianBlossom]

I just read my post again and realized that the first sentence doesn't make sense.

Besides, I think you just added a bunch of stuff I didn't see before.

Yes, there are other factors, but I was just pointing out that lust cannot by definition really be called "love," since it is pretty much devoid of what love truly is: complete selflessness in regards to another person. After all, if we love someone, wouldn't we do anything for that person (within reason, that is...)?

[CAAOutkast]

Porno and Hentai are bad for Everybody,Nuff Said!

[Ashley]

So what was the point of grave-digging this thing like whoa?

[kat-su-chan]

China is still very conservative about what can be shown on the media, but government can only do so much in such large country. Hong Kong and Taiwan is heavily influenced by Japanese culture, which is why we see so many people wearing short skirts over there. Recently, in the past 10 years, China is going through a similar state where people began to dress "inapropriately".
That's why in my high school, we are required to read novel that involves rape scenes and fornication realistically, so that we can understand the emotional turmoil of a single mother.

first of all...(haha i always start with ahem first of all)
China's a communist country. that's why they are censored. Also, it is a large country and the population is insane but I gaurentee not even 1/4 of that population has access to TV or internet, let alone hacking the system or getting beyond it.
Also, as far as high school....in my grade 10 civics class we watched the burning bed, a real old movie about abuse towards women for educational purposes of course. Our principal came in and then promptly turned it off (of course we finished it the next day but thats besides the point) I wish that if I had read "The Wars"by timothy findley or "A complicated Kindness" at that point (grade 12 english reading) I could have said oh! but!
have you read the wars? do you know there is rape, homosexuality (and an explicit 3 or 4 page sex scene in a brothel (or whore house)). Or how about a complicated kindness where the protagonist spends her time getting high, smoking, dropping out of school, having sex, swearing obscenely..."etc. etc. etc.

Do these things really teach us? I don't know about that...
Are they real life, or realistic - yes in some instances but are they appropriate? are they a matter of awareness, like abusive husbands or spouses? No...
not to mention, we often have 'drinking and driving' talks with the whole school, and show MADD - mothers against drunk driving - presentations which basically share these horrible stories about alcohol and death and losing children meanwhile there is absolutely NO "you shouldn't drink" instead it's "when you drink"...Is that for the purpose of 'reaching kids who will inevitably drink?' or is it just a matter of letting them?
I don't know, but things like this really get to me. Either way, they are immoral, and they are wrong. They SHOULD be condemned...

what does everyone else think? =\