Kodomo no Jikan official blog on TV Saitama
The producer for the Kodomo no Jikan anime has written on the official blog about the current situation. He says that he was actually informed on Friday that the anime was in danger of getting removed by TV Saitama, due to the series of recent violent juvenile crimes that took place in Japan.
He feels that there was no way anybody could relate the anime to the recent murders, and is not satisfied with the reason that he has been provided, as he had even censored parts of the anime as the TV station had requested.
He was actually told on Friday that they hadn’t made an official decision on the matter yet and they would give him a proper answer on Tuesday, but they removed the anime from their schedule and removed their links to the kojika website on Friday itself without saying a word. He still hasn’t gotten any official word from TV Saitama yet so he expects that he would get an answer on Tuesday.
The producer also says that it’s actually the 2nd time that an anime that he’s working on gets taken off a TV station. The first time, they actually told him that they took the anime off to protect the pride of the TV station, so he strangely feels that the reason that TV Saitama has given isn’t that bad when he compares the two.
October 8th, 2007 at 7:03 am
You know, this whole thing sounds like the Athenains condeming Christ to death for something Socrates did: irrelevant.
I should have said it in the earlier blog entry, but someone pointed it out, and I agree: what relation is there with real life-loli violence….. and pedo-loli-con ? Oh rather, girls playing on that theme ? I don’t remember KnJ having Higurashi or Nice Boat antics.
Here’s hoping they show Kodomo back on TV. I don’t mind cutting down on some animated violence, but not animated fanservice.
October 8th, 2007 at 9:48 am
There is no voilence at all in KnJ, I can’t even see the connection here. Looks like they are just trying to lie after the Moetan flames.
October 8th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
This is a joke; it appears the situations are unrelated, so why continue the consideration of removing the anime from TV? Some people just have too much time on their hands. I can hardly compare real life drama and violence to that of an anime’s. It’s only intertainment! >_
October 8th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
>>There is no voilence at all in KnJ, I can’t even see the connection here.
There’s no direct connection, but an indirect one is plausible.
To me, the decision seems like a pre-emptive strike with regard to crimes that haven’t happened yet. Thanks to the possible connection between the axe murder and anime, TV execs are uptight.
i.e. What if a child kidnapping/murder were to occur (two years ago, a rash of such crimes happened, so this must be relatively fresh in people’s minds), with media/police/lawyers insinuating that the perpetrator became uncontrollable after watching lolicon anime? By pulling shows like Kodomo no Jikan, TV Saitama would have nothing to worry about. Only stations airing such series could be blamed or viewed with suspicion.
On premise alone, Kodomo no Jikan particularly stands out as a product aimed at lolicons, so as far as execs are concerned, it’ll have a target painted on its back.
October 8th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
I guess… A pedophilic product that’s just too pedophilic. And Saitama wanting nothing to do with it.
You know… Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hayao Miyzaki had been saying something against this for a long time. :P
October 8th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
-> Bill
Like I said, it’s like condeming Christ for something Socrates did. Both of them become martyrs for indirect and potentially irrelevant things to each other. KnJ may have a target painted on its back, but it will be a victim of a censorship regime that removes anything in the way of a good name, even something that is not immediately guilty.
There’s a large difference between murder and pedophilia; one can be prevented and detected, the other can’t. Anyone can be a murderer, as shown throughout many examples, and even anime. Pedophiles, so far, however, tend to be of a distinct type raised in distinct factors.
Maybe KnJ may be a victim because such a move could be seen as a ‘preventive’ measure. But, whereas murderers can’t be prevented, but pedophiles can, I really cannot see why any censorship can be advocated for School Boat (did I just say that ?) or KnJ. And, if certain anime has to be removed in the light of good taste, then don’t be extreme and remove everything on the poor trump of ‘good taste’.
October 9th, 2007 at 6:13 am
Here’s a question for you: can’t they sue the TV station? Yes, I understand this ain’t America, but can they really do something like that? Or maybe ban that TV for future shows… hmmm