"John W." wrote:

> Eric Takabayashi wrote:
> > "John W." wrote:
> >
> > > Now you know darn well when someone says Anime they're not talking
> > > about Anpanman.
> >
> > No, you tell me. What does anime mean? When talking about tv anime in
> > Japan, it is mostly for kids, though one should not generalize anime
> as
> > kid's programming (or porn). I don't know where to see tentacle porn
> on
> > free tv, and there would still be shows for children featuring child
> and
> > teen heroes and heroines, even if there weren't perverts also
> interested
> > in them.
> >
> I suppose there are two issues: one is that adults are fascinated in an
> industry that was originally geared towards children. This has led to
> the creation of movies and comics that look a lot like those targeting
> kids but in fact are aimed at adults. Yet kids are naturally attracted
> to them, so they want to watch them.

What are people talking about when they say anime? What are you talking
about? When I used to look at TV Guide's weekly ratings, I used to see
Sazae-san as THE number one program of the week. When Japanese TV
occasionally shows a special featuring the top 100 anime or anime scenes,
it features mostly children's stories like Dog of Flanders and Heidi
(including Sailor Moon and other magic girl genre), and science fiction
stuff like Gundam or Space Cruiser Yamato, not porn.

Yes, kids are tempted by adult things like alcohol, tobacco, rated R
movies and porn, which is not to say I agree that "kids are naturally
attracted" to anime meant for a more mature audience. Which is why adults
need to monitor what kids are interested in or what they are doing, and to
control it, if necessary.

> I also like a lot of Japanese shows; I think Doraemon is a hoot, and
> the older Chikyusan (sp) is also something I enjoy watching. But a
> parent has to know when to draw the line and parents have a
> responsibility to make their children well rounded.

Exactly. Allowing a child to become a zombie in front of the TV with anime
containing undesirable elements is not different from or worse than,
allowing them unrestricted viewing of other shows with undesirable
elements. Preventing my preschool children from watching vulgar programs
popular among teens such as London Boots and other variety shows, is much
more important than not allowing them to watch some magic girl show
intended for preschool girls, featuring the trials and tribulations of
adolescent girls (the current series happens to be called Pretty Cure: Max
Heart).

> > That is the fault of parents, not the Japanese, if they do not know
> of the
> > depth or range of Japanese anime or manga, and do not monitor or
> control
> > their children's television viewing habits.
>
> Yes. "Japanese" parents. Also the fault of the entertainment industry
> and the government for not regulating the industry. Japanese are
> responsible for what happens in Japan.

No, the reason Japanese animation has become wildly popular in the US, is
due to the efforts of "American" promoters, producers or broadcasters, and
the lack of prevention on the part of "American" parents.

You don't understand how much responsibility you are placing on Japanese,
for what you see in the US, do you?