Censorship in Japan
Eroge Volume 7 that went on sale on the 24th of this month had to be recalled because there were 9 images which were not censored.
The censored images in question can be seen at the official site for Volume 7 here as confirmed by Hentai Gamer.
The girls in the game are....
...actually quite cute ^^;
This is the first I've heard of an eroge being recalled for failing to censor a few images.
News and more pics at Akibaos, trailer for the game below.
UPDATE: Just "stumbled" onto the CG pack for this game which includes the uncensored images at Hong Fire - for the curious mind out there.
And for those who are wondering why eroge is censored...
Unless you are a pure individual, you probably know that Japanese porn is censored. Male and female genitalia are censored using a mosaic blur. If you watch Japanese porn expecting to see the female crotch area, you will likely see something like this instead:
Why is this so? Why does Japan, one of the largest markets for pornography in the world, force film makers to censor their films?
Porn was first seriously restricted in Japan in the Meiji Era, when materials deemed “injurious to public morals” were banned. After Japan’s defeat in WW2, American occupation authorities changed many of Japan’s laws to guarantee freedom of speech and expression. Sadly, the occupation authorities decided that the pre-existing law regarding pornography didn’t need to be changed. It has remained in effect to this day.
While the 60 years after World War II saw the acceptance of uncensored pornography as freedom of expression in the West, Japan continued to consider it “injurious to public morals.” One still cannot legally buy a movie featuring fully visible hardcore action.
In recent years it seems that the definition of “injurious to public morals” has been relaxed. Ten years ago, pubic hair was censored: now it is not. Last year, the American film Kinsey was allowed to air in Japanese theaters uncensored. The scene in which Dr. Kinsey is giving a slideshow of penis/vagina picture made history as the first ever scene showing human genitalia allowed by the censors.
Read the rest of that at Japan Probe.
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former Emperor of Britannia
http://reflectiarx.wordpress.com/
No words came out of my mouth after reading that quote statement.
Time to check the CG pack.
frustrated hikikomori + dual core persona guidance counsellor
http://karusnote.blogspot.com
My first experience with "japanese regulated porn", I was a bit disappointed because of the mosaic blur. It somewhat diminished the "wonder" of it. Maybe that will also be the case with eroge if I'm going to play one and Volume 7 looks interesting. Now with the eroge in the verge of banning and maybe a hot item in Japanese News in media today, I say I should be content with the censorship thinking it should help eroge business run a little much longer. I'm afraid that the media sensationalism will kill the eroge business.
Lurker, and part time super-villian.
http://burfordus.wordpress.com
Mmmmmmmmmmmm, uncensored.
Graphic Design student | Receptionist | Otaku
http://sukidesho.blogspot.com/
^^; It's an understandable situation, banning the images which have no blurs. Since that protects the industry but.. tends to disappoint the consumers.
I could short of sight here but, this seems to not be *as* blurred (NSFW)
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k142/suki-gin/aekacap11.png
Lurker, and part time super-villian.
http://burfordus.wordpress.com
Mmmmmmm, adventurous.
Graphic Design student | Receptionist | Otaku
http://sukidesho.blogspot.com/
Lolols, indeed >.<
The timing in that scene was brilliant too... music, text and images ^^
Lurker, and part time super-villian.
http://burfordus.wordpress.com
Whats the name of the game? Might have to check out these 'eroges' for myself ^^
student
Its Yume Miru Kitsuri and is on sale in english
Graphic Design student | Receptionist | Otaku
http://sukidesho.blogspot.com/
Lolos, thanks ^^
Was about to type the same thing.
Lurker, and part time super-villian.
http://burfordus.wordpress.com
Thanks very much guys and girls.
Japanese Pussy
http://www.jp-pussy.com
Thanks I plan to buy it too .. looks exciting
Pokemon master
http://thecococafe.wordpress.com/
That was released outside of Japan though, so the CGs were uncensored.
http://pantsukudasai.deviantart.com/
Although I don't know much about the previously mentioned game, I do know about the rules for the eroge/animes.
If an eroge/anime gets exported to the US/etc, they can release it without censorship, in accordance to US censorship laws.
The majority of any 'hentai' anime or eroges you might have seen were probably licensed in the US or another country without said censorship laws. Although there are a small percentage of online distributed items that were leaked from the inside.
大学生
http://justaskeikaku.net23.net
lol glad I grabbed the torrent before they repost a censored version on hongfire XD
Pre-U Student
http://wakuwakusuru.zeroclipse.net
I think you will still be able to find it on torrent sites. They won't bring in down that quickly. Besides, if people seed them, you can't really stop it.
SOMEONE GET THOSE UNCENSORED PICS NOW!!
I honestly doubt people who bought the game are going to get a patch to have the pics censored...
Pseudo-Graphic Designer, 触手 wrangler, H-Man
http://lightningsabre.blogspot.com/
Reminded me of All Star Batman and Robin #10 that was recently recalled because one of the swear words they used wasn't censored properly. It had to be recalled, but some of it was sold already so it was being sold on eBay for quite a bit ^^;
Nekophilia
CGCG!! I hope its not censored?
JR. College Student
http://npc.talkingincircles.net/
Wow some of these images are begging to be my new wallpaper.
Engineering Student
http://www.flickr.com/photos/turkguy19/
heh, thats exactly what I thought when I was going through the CGs ^_^
Wannabe Jack-of-all-trades
http://h8gwb.deviantart.com
Of course, my kneejerk first thought was "ZOMGz! Where can I get these IMAGES!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Then I remembered I still have two H games on my comp right now that I still haven't played through. I wonder if restraint is a rarity amoungst otaku?
Well, worse case, one of the original release's images will eventually find itself on the webz. It's not like anybody who bought it already is gonna send it back in for the recall.
Customer: "Yes, I would like to return this hentai game. It contains too much pornography."
Clerck: "Eh? Nande?"
university film student | ecchikid | the Archivist
http://www.vimeo.com/longhim
...Worst case? Something like that is *assumed*. xD Heck, Danny's update already has it.
Wannabe Jack-of-all-trades
http://h8gwb.deviantart.com
Well, I meant worst case for me, if all restraint fails. Not that it matters, as I alredy noticed the update and *downloads* right after my post.
I think I also meant the original disc image (for backing up a purchased copy, uh, yep...), but I have to constantly remind myself that I CAN'T READ JAPANESE.
(Orz, wished i could edit posts to fix mistakes. i hope this blog is not under jurisdiction of grammar police.)
US Navy Sailor
http://punynari.wordpress.com/
Getting now, though I'll have to look at it later. From the pic preview on Hongfire, this looks like it will be....good to say the least. Ahem.
As for uncensored or not. Usually I don't mind that much because the censors have been as little as possible to keep from getting in trouble. Though, naturally, I do prefer them uncensored.
Avid figma collector
http://yuuichikun.wordpress.com/
Just went through the CG set. While the uncensored versions are nothing to write home about, they ARE uncensored. And this isn't true of the whole CG set, only certain images, seemingly at random seem to be uncensored. As for censorship in general, I personally don't see the point. I mean, if a game is popular enough, it'll probably get imported, uncensored, then all one has to do is import the uncensored version and bam, you get uncensored CG AND get to learn a new language. But then again, I don't live in Japan and don't understand the culture completely, so I won't pass any judgment on them because of something so trivial.
Engineer-wannabe
http://sora-k.deviantart.com/
but really,the "black stripes" censor on a doujinshi is meaningless @_@
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/
I like the tiny white line censor strips that cover a few millimeters myself!
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/
Feel sad that I didn't get one of the pre re-call copies even though I'd never heard of this game - it almost makes it feel like a super limited edition collector's item now ^^
Downloading the HCG set...
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/
Got the set -
Nice ones, altho fast forwarding through the many images to find the uncensored ones made my eyes spin :D
Uncensored loli, yummmy! ^^
Lazyass human
http://nipah.wordpress.com
Uncensored is good... so RL FTW :P
Mad scientist
If you want the censor laws to make eroge games like real life, then the other solution would be to make glasses to blur out ecchi locations. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody invents something like that someday. :P
(wouldn't this make medical conditions go unnoticed? I mean if you aren't allowed to see your own dolphin)
Student and full-time otaku
Tsk....That's so lame. Like building a car and not putting on wheels...
NEET part-time - Technical Support Officer - Network security engineer
http://burugureibi.blogspot.com/
THIS
THIS IS WHAT MAKES JAPAN CRAP
Pre-U Student
http://wakuwakusuru.zeroclipse.net
No, it is what makes them "creative" and immaginative in this industry if you get what I mean.
Mad scientist
I once saw a screendump from Japanese TV (according to the text to the picture, it was aired, but I'm not sure about that). They had pixelated the dolphins, whoever they didn't do anything about the two male dogs, who had jumped up on two naked men and did... well you can imagine (or hopefully you can't :P ).
The message and reason why it was forwarded from person to person was to tell that Japan has weird cersor laws.
Personally I say that we all know what a dolphin looks like (or else it's about time to learn that). It would make a whole lot more sense to censor really weird stuff with humans and animals (and whatever) since the censor law should be to remove "materials deemed “injurious to public morals”".
Having said that I agree on censor laws to protect the public morals. However I disagree with how Japan decided to execute this and I also disagree with how it's treated in western countries.
C. Engineering Student
http://otaku.baywords.com
Censorship is lame. I think I recently read somewhere that the Japanese government was also thinking of possibly removing "illustrations" from the list of having to be censored. I could be imagining it though.
Mad scientist
It could be wishful thinking. However it might also be due to the fact that 2D girls have become an export merchantdise and that they realise that exports could increase without censoring. Maybe they fear that some other country will start to produce a whole lot of 2D girls for worldwide customers and hurt Japanese exports that way.
Thinking about exporting 2D girls... It has to be a really good thing for a country to export as it will not rely on imports to be produced (at least not in the same way as say the car or computer industry)
C. Engineering Student
http://otaku.baywords.com
in terms of exporting, they already uncensor stuff.
Wannabe Jack-of-all-trades
http://h8gwb.deviantart.com
Yes! I need Tsukihime! WE NEED TSUKIHIME!!!!! The MirrorMoon fansub does nothing for me!!! (lies.) Although, Amorous Professor Cherry is awegasm.
Student / gamer
yeah, kinda surprising that the exports are uncensored when the domestics are censored, lol
http://sparklingzone.blog124.fc2.com/
Yeah, H-games and anime are drawn unscensored originally, and when an overseas release happens, they let the liscensors use the unscensored masters. There are some rare cases though where the original unscensored materials are not available, and they just leave the mosaic on and don't bother trying to redraw them. It's usually noted in the product description or on the box if that is the case.
a guy who cares (sort of...)
I hate censorship in all its forms but sometimes I understand why are Japanese are not keen on changing the law. Japanese mastered to perfection creating a useless job positions like for example on gas stations, one guy fills your tank, other cleans your windows another guy gets the cash and another guy watch the other three whether or not they bow properly at the end. The same goes to porn industry, there are guys who do the mosaic and the guys who check whether or not the former did their job properly. If censorship law was gone, what would they do... ?
Student
http://kankeishorui.wordpress.com
How can we possibly find this good if this were to censor good stuffs? Well, at least I will find some uncensored stuffs.
student
looks nice i think i should check it out
Dropping computers, starting all over again at Journalism
http://xspblog.com
Yep, censoring completely ruins the mood for me.
On the other side, if it wasn't for it, I'd be spending so much time and money on ero stuff, I'd probably be ruined by now.
Eroges would be fun for me, JAVs would be worth buying and watching, there would be tons of very high quality hentai that I'd like to get... and so on.
So, in a way, I'm kinda thankful for censoring. But I still wonder how much of a money influx a sudden ban on censoring would get to japanese hentai/adult industry...
Student, Otaku, She-Geek(Sheek lol)
http://meimi132.wordpress.com/
Ooooo..... they be cute. Might look into getting the CG pack cos they be cute!!
Video Reviewer of Anime Figures, Mecha and Merch (youtube.com/user/Actar576295)
http://actar.wordpress.com
I give up. Where is our society headed with censorship anyway? The DVD issue is just too much.
Anyways, they do indeed look cute.
Mechanical Engineering student
http://sabekujikaneda.multiply.com/
I still don't see the reason with censoring pornography. The acts done in a pornographic video can already be questioned as "injurious to public morals" -_-
Mad scientist
So basically you say the censoring should be placed on acts rather than dolphins? I totally agree on that one.
I read in the newspaper that some country (Norway I think) changed a porn ban to censoring "due to popular demand". It actually made some sense with their restiction. I think it was kind of like this:
-adults only
-max one man and one woman
-all acts should be done of their own free will (no pressure or rape)
-I think it said something about "regular" or whatever... at least not bizare fetishes
People can always agree or disagree on the rules but somehow I think this is more in the line of understandable censoring rather than "everything goes as long as all dolphins are blurred"
anime/cosplay events organizer
http://www.cosplay.ph
and you guys think that japan is not a conservative country lol
Student Otaku (ITM Student) and ACG NA Staff
http://koiaichaku.com/
I wouldn't mind non censor pics...It'll be cool to see some...
Be looking at that CG pack...when I have time...
Hikikomori in the making
http://supermariabros.deviantart.com/
I always thought that the blurs was for you to use your own imagination LOL
Mad scientist
Sometimes a censored image combined with imagination can be a whole lot better than an uncensored image. This mayb vary from person to person depending on the imaginative skills of the person :)
Eroge blogger
http://omochikaeri.wordpress.com/
Indeed. Some of the uncensored CGs in that pack just look like they forgot to add the mosaic. Interesting to see how they originally were before they are censored though.
I should go play this when I have time...
C. Engineering Student
http://otaku.baywords.com
I'm not sure about that, as it seems that each character has at least one uncensored.
Student
Yep, I have hear about the somewhat strange Japanese censoring laws and how some people earn money removing censoring and selling the items on black markets.
Student
http://konadora.wordpress.com
I was always wondering why they censored when it's kind of obvious what's behind the blur. Now I know :D
Office Administrator
http://aquilla429.co.uk
I don't play eroge or read hentai doujins or anything so while the censorship thing does not bother me personally, I can see why it would spoil things for some people.
Mad scientist
I once saw some "deblurring" software that would restore the original picture. It would need more or less ideal pictures to do it perfectly but it generally produced something way better than the blurred image. However it was just a description of the software but it totally lacked any information on how to get it or it's name or whatever.... for all I know it could have been a joke but in theory it is possible to start recovering images like that, specially if they used some sort of digital filter to blur the image (which is the easiest and cheapest solution since it only takes a normal computer to do within reasonable time).
If anybody knows how to get software like this, then enlighten us :)
Physical Therapist
http://www.flyingpussyfoot.com
That Software was once mentioned in the GTO Manga where Onizuka wanted some of his censored pic uncensored by the computer genie so i guess this exists?
Mad scientist
It's for real, at least in theory. I have a pretty good idea on how it should work. However I don't care enough to spend the many hours required to code this in a way that would produce good results.
I just got a new rather cool idea. The software would need to get the image and then save the cleared image. This sucks if you want to fix something like an eroge game. Instead it would be cool to add it to the graphic driver so you can just deblur the entire screen nomatter what game/movie or whatever you watch. The problem is that this would take a lot of CPU power so to get around that you should get the development graphics card from open graphics ( www.opengraphics.org ) and code a deblur module for it. Since you code the FPGA chip you basically code whatever hardware you want and you can get whatever feature you want without adding a load on the CPU.
The result: a graphics card that has a "deblur" mode that deblurs everything on the fly. You can watch your favorite movie (this includes movies played by the DVD drive!), favorite game or just browsing images and it will all be deblurred without a slowdown. I guess it wouldn't be as fast at 3D hardware acceleration as normal graphics cards, but we have to start somewhere and this is certainly technically possible.
Mad scientist
No replies...
Is that because nobody understood what I wrote or because nobody read it?
The main idea: building a graphics card that removes censoring on the fly (and it's a realistic plan too).
Damn I really hate when I end up writing something technically and it just goes over the head of the readers.... it happens once in a while :(
Physical Therapist
http://www.flyingpussyfoot.com
Well wouldnt i blur the unblurred parts then? Or am i on the wrong path?
Mad scientist
That's a perfectly valid issue. If the deblur breaks the rest of the picture (or breaks it too much) then some sort of "censor detection" feature will be needed. Just looking for a sharp edge containing something where the colours are blurred (no sharp edges) should do the trick.... I hope :)
Physical Therapist
http://www.flyingpussyfoot.com
If youd be able to program something like this your a rich man^^
Sounds like that may work
Mad scientist
a rich man you say?... I guess taking a closer look wouldn't hurt. I only have two concerns in this project: first I need to figure out how to deblur the blur and then I need to find time to actually do this. Surprisingly I'm not concerned about the need to do this in realtime.
Special offer just to DC veteran members: preorder now and the price will only be a single figure :D
Mad scientist
I looked at this and finding a good way to reblur appears to be tricky. Looks like you have to know which algorithm that was used for blurring (including parameters) and you can revert it using time consuming algorithms. Looks like this will take too long to do in real time (and some algorithms will not work at all). Also I have no idea how to make the code figure out how to figure out which algorithm that was used.
I don't think anybody will make this. At least not within the next few years.
Polytechnic Junior, Bronze Lifesaving Trainee, Mech Designer In-training.
http://thehangerbay.wordpress.com/
The tour guide girl is cute... ^_^'
Physical Therapist
http://www.flyingpussyfoot.com
Haha i bet that uncensored version will be worth quite some bucks by now^^
Will the Company face any legal actions?After all they broke a law even tough accindently
Office Administrator
http://aquilla429.co.uk
I was just thinking, who would actually return it? I mean doing a product is all good and well, but they can't FORCE you to return it can they. I'd have kept it if I was one who brought it.
Underdog Artist, Outcast to the Society, Tetsuya Nomura art fan
*nosebleeds* What more if it's uncensored?
Amateur novelist
http://memories-of-eternity.com
Interesting, I've always wondering why Japan (of all places) is forced to censor their H.
SMS隊所属
http://lightofthedawn.wordpress.com
I can predict seeing these 'uncensored' eroge on auction at a high price...
anime, programmer, gfx designer, illustrator ^^
http://denkikoiji.com
lol ^^ uncensored is good ^^ get it as fast as you can !!! lol got my hand on it lol my oh my some good uncensored ones lol i wonder how they missed it or someone intentionally did it lol...trying to get some of there work uncensored lol ^^
Student
http://andreijournal.blogspot.com
*eyebleed*
Whoa that's high exposure.
Hmmmmmmmm.... but it's quite good. XD
But ,still, it's lame, since all it does was show porn.
MS pilot
looks like a little bonus for the fans XD haha
http://jhkplaya888.shiryoukan.com/
I heard the law expired or something, i guess my info was wrong :( Someone should get rid of that law.
product design prop maker
you can down load the uncensored jav from hong kong bit torrents but let me warn you guys....it anit preety down there.....some of them look like they got some std going down there. so better put the tiles back on.
dont mind the tiles too much....i am more of a breast and girly screaming guy...hahaha
MG Impulse no Tamashi
at least they hold something sacred, or more like taboo.
unlike certain countries that have no real culture to begin with, considering the exposure of the genital area in a porno film as taboo doesn't mean it is a backwards practice against freedom of expression.
it is better than hypocrisy in a certain country where an individual can insult other religions under the protection of the 1st amendment but balks at the lampooning of their own faith. or perhaps the fixation with so-called family values yet the bold and unrestrained production of hardcore uncensored porn.
???Confused???
So does Japan even have a sex ed. class?
Student
http://lastpastry.tk
I learn something new each day. Maybe thats what makes japanese so sex-crazed, they never see anything.
Hmmmmmm??
Your local Otaku Cashier.
I've always wondered about porn censorship in Japan, and that explained it. Thanks for the lesson Danny.
Student, part-time slave
http://yakuri.wordpress.com/
I just wonder about those lucky people who bought the uncensored versions... I bet they wouldn't part with it for their lives ^^
The files/pics that are uncensored are:
ev42c01 (NO, NOT UNCENSORED DOLPHIN!)
ev45c01 (uncensored loli, nice & open)
ev52c01
ev55c01 (dude's pubic hair & some juice from the girl, but not much else)
ev57c01 (NOT ANOTHER UNCENSORED DOLPHIN!!)
ev58c01
ev64c01 (I can't wait until this happens to me with a real girl...)
ev69c01 (this too)
ev70c01 (ESPECIALLY THIS)
It took awhile to go through ALL of those to find the uncensored pics. Hope this saves all of you time.
student
http://www.the economy destroyed it.no joke.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
PORN!
anime, programmer, gfx designer, illustrator ^^
http://denkikoiji.com
I shale never part with the one i got !!! never ever !!!! lol ^^ so happy when i got it and it was uncensored ^^
Student~ NIght-surfer~ Sleeper~ otaku-to-be~
http://rezzaeffendi.blogspot.com
got to say~ is that censorship quite ruined their artist artworks~ but dont think that i do not agree about the censorship~ but i'm quite confused after reading the others comments~
90's F1 Afficionate and Anti-Otaku
http://www.livestream.com/f1action
The only part of the body that Japan Law censors it compulsory is...PELVIS!!!