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March 2000
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A father purchased a pack of comics for his 4-year-old son, only to be horrified by what he described as "borderline soft porn" images." |
Meanwhile, in Dallas, complaints were made about the content of the hugely popular Dragon Ball Z comics. A father purchased a pack of these comics for his 4-year-old son at Toys 'R' Us, only to be horrified by what he described as "borderline soft porn" images of "naked boys and girls" in the comic. He complained to Toys 'R' Us management and the local authorities.
The man's son was a fan of the animated Dragon Ball Z television show which airs every afternoon on Cartoon Network. The show is based on the Japanese comic series created by Akira Toriyama in 1985. Dragon Ball Z has gone on to become one of the most popular comics in the world, and its spin-off videos and television shows have a rapidly expanding global audience.
Like
the comic, the Dragon Ball Z television show is produced in Japan
and aimed primarily at boys ages 10 to 17. However, the television show
is edited before broadcast in the States to tone down violence and sexual
elements. Toriyama is unwilling to have his original comic work "edited"
in a similar manner for US publication.
Daniel Cocanougher of the Fort Worth-based Funimation Productions, which produces the show in the United States, describes the sexual content of the series as "innocent behavior that hints at sexuality. This poses no problem for Japanese audiences, whereas in the United States we seem to not want to discuss it at all."
Dr. Susan Napier, associate professor of Asian studies at the University of Texas in Austin, agrees. "There is just a wider tolerance for sexuality in Japan," she said. "It usually is played out humorously and perhaps titillating in a mild way. It's just a difference in cultural sensibilities."
The boy's father remains unconvinced. "I don't want it to be to the point that when I'm at Toys 'R' Us I have to put everything through a porn-scanner." Toys 'R' Us management apparently agrees: in mid-November, Toys 'R' Us pulled all Dragon Ball Z comics from its shelves nationwide.
NEXT: Police Take Aim at Anime "Menace" >>
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