American Anime Censorship

     Since this country was founded, we have had a set of unalienable rights that our constitution guarantees us to as Americans. One of the most important rights that is mentioned in our constitution is the right to free speech. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the

Censorship has evolved over time in America, from TV, books, and even the internet. America has prohibited specific things from citizen’s beliefs. The role that censorship plays in America is taken from personal beliefs, such as voting for certain things to be banned from books, TV, internet, and articles. This allows and denies things that are used for public use, due to personal preferences on things that are appropriate and inappropriate for public users.

Children are also drawn to more mature programs in order to make them feel older and more mature by watching them, which is why the swearing and nudity need to be cut out. I support this view mainly because of an experience I had when I was about five years old. I snuck into the TV room without my parents knowing, and when I was flipping through the channels, I stopped on a channel that was showing the movie Die Hard. Just from watching a short segment of that movie, I quickly learned the “f” word and said it in class the next day. This initial view on censorship is significant because it can prevent children, who are the most influenced by TV, from practicing what they see. They will not learn these words or actions at an early age, like I did, and therefore will not get into trouble in school or teach them to other children. The downside to this stance is that it violates the right of freedom of speech.

Manga and anime are a huge part in American and the Japanese culture. Anime and Manga were once used for war, propaganda, and recruitment, but is now used for entertainment and leisure. Anime was not just created by one man but by many working together. Anime has had a long line of history causing it to become more and more loved throughout the years. It not only caused Japan a great deal of money and working jobs but it also influenced more people to see the brighter things in life. Manga was not only just important in anime’s history but it was the cause of it. The time line of huge success in anime started in 1914 with the first manga being created.

Animation has a variety of differences between Japanese culture and the culture of the United States. While animation is usually made for the sole purpose of entertainment for children in the United States, Japanese animation, also known as anime as it is referred to both in Japan and in the West, is a form of media that is enjoyed by people of all ages. Unlike the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and SpongeBob Square pants, both very popular American animations shows in their times, anime focuses more on drama and other non childlike qualities. The differing cultures of the United States and Japan can be considered the main factor to the huge differences in their own respected animation styles.

Of course, when anime first came over to America, it had to be edited to go over well with the popular audience. Television stations would go through and remove excessively violent scenes, alter translations, and even change whole plots just to make the shows more suitable for American audiences, (Ladd & Deneroff, 2009). Of course, it didn’t help that Americans viewed anime in general as children’s cartoons when it wasn’t created to be that way.

In recent years, animated programs have dominated the world of film and TV in both America and Japan. These programs, known as cartoons and anime, are some of the most popular forms of entertainment today. Anime and cartoon shows, such as One Piece and Family Guy, have been running for decades and are very well known among society. Animated films such as Disney’s The Lion King and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away have also thrived and even surpassed animated television shows in some instances. Both American and Japanese animation industries have flourished, and their cartoons and animes continue to grow in popularity. However, similarities and differences between the two soon arise when compared closely; these observations are often what lead fans to prefer one style over the other as well as shape pop culture.

Abrstract: This essay will explore why Americans feel the need to censor Japanese Animation, how the Japanese culture differs from American culture, and how to solve the growing debate of the censorship of Japanese media.

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