Art, no matter how good it is, has the worst luck with censors. Whether we’re talking film or music, regulators all over the world have come down on the arts more times than anyone could care to count. Manga is no exception to that truth, and right now, a recent ad has drummed up debate over censorship with readers online.
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If you haven’t heard, the situation stems from an ad that Towawa on Monday paid to put in The Nikkei. The newspaper ran the ad as scheduled, but the full-page art drew the ire of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women. The committee issued a letter to the newspaper asking for answers on why such an “unacceptable” ad was printed in the first place.
“April 4th is the first Monday of the year for new employees,” the manga’s publisher told Comic Natalie when asked about the ad’s intentions. “We put up a full-page ad to blow away their anxiety and cheer them up”.”
As you can see above, the ad isn’t raunchy by any means, but its relation toย Towawa on Mondayย is what has netizens debating the merits of censorship. For those who don’t know, the manga began in 2015 under Kiseki Himura and a handful of pin-up pieces.ย Towawa on Mondayย evolved into a fan-service series that follows a high school student named Ai as she travels to school daily on the train. Her large breasts are often emphasized for readers as Towawa’s figure is constantly ogled by workers on the train. So obviously, there are some problems with her depiction.
Now, netizens are taking the ad and its impact on censorship to a new level. One politician in Japan has even gotten in on the whole ordeal! Kenzo Fujisue posted a photo of himself after buying several copies of Himura’s manga in support of the ad. However, others have deemed his support and the support of others as reckless. And as manga continues to grow all over the world, there is no doubt debates like these are only going to become more common.
What do you make of this latest debate? Where do you land on the censorship debate when it comes to manga? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.
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Image courtesy of Peacock
