NHK's broadcasting and censorship policies

[Lulu]

I found a little section on the Tsubasa ~RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE~ page of the Japanese Wikipedia called "Problem regarding NHK's expression restriction", and even though I know you must take everything said on Wikipedia with a pinch of salt, since it's by no means 100% official, I thought it would be interesting for everyone to see what it says. Translated by lovely clarinetkoko from the tsubasarc LJ comm:

Problem regarding NHK's expression restriction

Because NHK is a public broadcast, to present educational and safe programs, the expression restrictions are extremely strict, and this anime is not an exception. In this anime, expressions such as the wounds caused by fierce fights written in the original work are cut, and critiques that 'it's not tension-packed at all' are flying about. Again, there are critiques that, compared to 'Card Captor Sakura' which was also aired on NHK, the story and graphics are inferior. Regarding the expression restriction, not only are violent scenes being cut, but things that violate the law such as gambling and drinking, uneducational scenes, or depictions of monsters that may scare kids, the fact that Syaoran can not see through one eye are all hidden.

Since CLAMP draws foul and beauty completely differently, sticking to their own aesthetics through their work, it is often they draw cruel and sentimental murdering scenes, and they hate mangas filled with only fine words. Because of this, in 2005 September release 'Puff' Okawa had commented about the production avoiding ugly scenes called violence, we can see that CLAMP themselves are unhappy from their interviews. Again, it is revealed from the official fanbook's special talk that from the middle of the first series to the second series, they will be changing the expressions slightly.

Again, the fact that they changed 'Koryo-koku' to 'Nayutaya-koku, 'Amenosa' to 'Miteshu' is because in Korea history 'Koryo' and 'Amenosa' do exist, and considering recent anti-Korea situation, it is said that using the original works names without modification would not be welcomed.

And with this, I personally say goodbye to my hopes of seeing Tokyo animated ^^u

[Jeannette]

Oh, thanks for the info. xd I'd wondered about why they'd changed the names from Amentosa (wasn't it Amentosa not Amenosa?) to Mitenshu, etc. By the recent anti-Korea bit, I'm thinking they mean either when China, Korea, etc. got really upset because of the Japanese history textbooks that completely whitewashed the atrocities Japan committed against China and Korea during World War Two (there were massive demonstrations, and pretty violent ones too) or the whole deal with the nuclear arms and North Korea.

I'm sure they will actually animate Tokyo, simply because they can't skip it in terms of storyline. It just won't be good. ><

Edit: it actually is Amenosa. xd

[Capella]

I wouldn't be surprised if that were true. It would certainly explain an awful lot. I really wondered why they'd changed the Koryo names. Though really, "uneducational"? Since when has Tsubasa ever been educational in any respect?

Oh, thanks for the info. xd I'd wondered about why they'd changed the names from Amentosa (wasn't it Amentosa not Amenosa?) to Mitenshu, etc. By the recent anti-Korea bit, I'm thinking they mean either when China, Korea, etc. got really upset because of the Japanese history textbooks that completely whitewashed the atrocities Japan committed against China and Korea during World War Two (there were massive demonstrations, and pretty violent ones too) or the whole deal with the nuclear arms and North Korea.

I'm sure they will actually animate Tokyo, simply because they can't skip it in terms of storyline. It just won't be good. ><

I remember it being "Amenosa". And yeah, they can't take out Tokyo without permanently disassociating the anime from the manga plot, so they'll just have to censor it extremely.

[Meowzy]

Well, that explains a lot.
I'm glad CLAMP is unhappy about it all. And it's nice to see that it isn't all Beetrain's fault.

[sanlyn]

Tsubasa is airing in NHK-E ( E= Education) with a kid's timeslot.  They need to tone down the sensitive theme like yaoi, violence to fit the audiences.

Of course it would be a  different story, if TRC aired in BS2 (pay channel of NHK network) instead of NHK-E.  Most NHK production anime with adult theme aired in BS2 like Kyou Kara Maou, 12 Kingdoms.

[Faye-chan]

I was sure that CLAMP was unhappy about the Tsubasa anime, they did such a beautiful work and it has been destroyed by.. educational channel, cuts and commerciality >___<

And with this, I personally say goodbye to my hopes of seeing Tokyo animated ^^u

I think they'll animate it, but awfully, with a lot of cuts etc. >>

[dark_persian]

Until now, I didn't realize there was such a thing as 'Japanese Censorship'!! I'm used to seeing anime butchered after it reaches the western broadcasting regulations.

But it does make you wonder how CLAMP could have signed Tsubasa away to BeeTrain in the first place. They must have been informed about what company would eventually be broadcasting it... Perhaps they were unaware of just how tight the resitrictions would be and just how badly their creation would be destroyed.

Of course, this whole thing is all about money! CLAMP is so hugely popular, any broadcasting company knows that if they have one of their manga made into an anime and aired on their channel, the ratings will be fantastic.
Never mind that any normal person would read Tsubasa and think, "No, that's not for children. With all the shonen ai, gore, horror and emotional intencity it's definately not an anime that a children's educational channel should be after."
But no doubt NHK-E's outlook is, "Who cares how much we have to cut, warp, dumb-down and change Tsubasa?! All long as the end result is something we can play on our channel!!"

Clearly NHK-E and BeeTrain have no respect for CLAMP, their style of storytelling or their fans. They're just after the money TRC will bring in for them. That makes me really angry to hear but I like to believe that the Tokyo arc is CLAMP's personal "Up yours!!" to them both!! 

[ishiyaki]

aaa...Gomen nasai Lulu, I talked about this topic in another one thanks for your information...I tried to register to CrosseDestinies Foro, but I can't...why?

[bie liao]

In my opinion, you can't animate the Tokyo arc and edit the gore out.  Then its just skipping from the library to wherever they go next.  Tokyo has been nostop gore/blood/angst/plot/angst/blood.

But its TSUBASA.  Its great stuff to read, and we want it that way, but if they're editing things like names...I find it hard to believe they're going to follow the plotline well enough for fans who only watch the anime to follow.

[Sailor Yue-chan]

season 1 went thru fairly last year follwing the censorship rules, but season 2 is complete garbage. the craptatuclar animatores and the character rape ALONE.

2 factors play into that too, 1 BT got a new director for TRC for season 2. and 2 CLAMP didnt work along side the team. season 2 could have and SHOULD have been played out much better. ifthey had simply played teh arcs MORE than 3 episodes, and included the country of idols arc, they would have made more anime plot then filler.
(only 10/26 episodes go to plot? thats a really low ratio quota <_<
 last year it was 24/26 plot. 2 fillers, one being pointlyess and plot-rape[bringing back dead people] the "strength and kindness ep was pretty decent. (mostly due to the kurofai antics and fai giving an EVIL look ^^;

as for me, right now. i REFUSE to watch te anime until they resume the actual plot

n my opinion, you can't animate the Tokyo arc and edit the gore out.  Then its just skipping from the lirbary to wherever they go next.  Tokyo has been nostop gore/blood/angst/plot/angst/blood.

they could if they took the time and care, which brigns to point that tokyo wont eb animated till next year.

Show content

1 yasha cried blood...then FAi should be alowd to cry blood.
2 if ripping someone's arm off is too much, then give them a half nelson...(stupid really, but still)
3 nothing too scary about sakura stopping breathing really. theycould work around that making it exedingly shallow, but still. nothing too scary about that.
4 kamui slice-and-dicing syaoran.... they could heep that, but jsut remove the part whare kamui slashes his throat
5 sword thru real syao's leg...god...i cant think of a way they could work arond that. real syao HAS to be injured and disabled from that point...but i dont really know how....
6 (forgot this one) kamui putting an arow in OURsyao's leg....well the arrow went almost thru his leg in the manga...they could have him be pinned, with a graze, but thst rather dumb really <_<
7 cutting of wrists to make a vampire...theres no way around that one. nor kamui scratching fuuma's face in ch 128

there are many other points that could reach a probelm with the censorship polocy etc, but their fairly minor and shouldnt have too much problems.

dont kill me for my opinions in there,,,thats just how i see how things could be worked around the rules.

[bie liao]

Show content

1 yasha cried blood...then FAi should be alowd to cry blood.

A statue crying blood is different from one of the main characters getting his eye ripped out.  I know that CLAMP doesn't draw the actual gaping hole in Fai's face, but there's really no censored way to rip an eyeball out.  You either do it or you don't. 

I think they could censor it so that it met requirements.  It would just be so far off from the original that it wouldn't be Tsubasa anymore.

[Capella]

Show content

A statue crying blood is different from one of the main characters getting his eye ripped out.  I know that CLAMP doesn't draw the actual gaping hole in Fai's face, but there's really no censored way to rip an eyeball out.  You either do it or you don't. 

Show content

It's not just the statue's tears - when Ashura wounds Yasha, Yasha holds his hand over his eye and a fair amount of blood seeps out between his fingers. They could show Fai lying on the ground bleeding from his face in a similar fashion - they wouldn't need to show the actual wound.