Anime: How Far Will You Go?

[Linksquest]

Alot of Anime these days have many themes and elements that are, lightly put, crude. Sexual innuendo, nudity, and cussing runs amuck. The sad thing is, these themes are usually in the most popular of the anime's and mangas. I am asking you the question: "How far are you willing to go, as a chrsitian, with the anime you watch and the manga that you read?"

[desperado]

i seriously dont know. that is a very deep question. i will think about it

[TheMelodyMaker]

Boy, does that ever sound like much of television in general. If it's filthy, disgusting, and basically sin-riddled, it's popular. If it's clean, sweet and innocent, it gets pulled off the air. To quote some random monarch from history: "We are not amused."

How far will I go? Let me get back to you after watching Hamtaro. ^_~

[Nightshade X]

How pathetic... it's so sad... this is casting an even worse shadow over all anime, good or bad. My mom doesn't like it because of a 10 second teaser clip, of which she saw all of the worst 2 seconds of the clip itself. Most of my favorites are pretty clean (for example: Azumanga Daioh, Tiny Snow Fairy Sugar, Trigun, stuff like that). I mean, there are already a lot of people, fellow Christians included, that think that all anime is automatically either sex-ridden, occultic, needlessly bloody and violent, or all of the above. Just thinking about how this is going to affect their current thinking threatens to give me a major headache.

As far as the question at hand, however, I'm not really sure. I mean, I've definitely drawn a line at anything remotely hentai or ecchi, but as far as everything else goes, I'd really have to examine myself.

[c.t.,girl]

i luv that show! oh yah back to Q, i try not to watch tv in general. nx knows. been good.

[Nightshade X]

[quote="c.t.,girl"]i luv that show! oh yah back to Q, i try not to watch tv in general. nx knows. ]

And I'm very happy for and proud of you. But, please, you should know that you can call me X, but only if you really really want to.

[Roy Mustang]

What turns me off is if there is alot of cussing with the really bad words and nudity that just runs wild.

I say the worst that I have seen is Tenchi OVA. I don't want to bad mouth it and hurt people's feels for the ones that like Tenchi. But I just couldn't stand the OVA's because of all of the nudity in it. Tenchi TV one didn't bug me and I like it, because it was not as bad with the nudity. I just felt that there was really no point in all the nudity that they had in the OVA's.

[desperado]

your right. and im still not sure what ill watch (debating on inyuasha) but i agree fully. the producers are going for shock tv kind of stuff. its about as bad and has the same effect as something i heard that goes on at disney world. in the summer when there are lots of people going the gay and lesbian quarter has a gay day (my freinds mom called and questioned this because they thought they may have been going that day and they didnt want to. to make a long story short she said she would sue if it was that day and disney world backed off and pointed her in the direction of the club) supposedly they do it so the little kids can see male x male and female x female couples kissing and think its normal. it seems a lot of tv producers are trying to get the same thing across but with the same and different stuff then that

[termyt]

A lot of that stuff doesn't bother me in small doses, but everyone I know knows I'm into anime and I often get asked to recommend something. I'm ashamed to recommend some of the titles I really enjoy because of even the small doses of innuendo and nudity.

[Rienna_The_Red]

Well, there are certain things I just WON'T WATCH. Period.
The BS'n'P standards aren't as tight in Japan and consequently weird stuff often slips through the cracks that we in the US are thrown into a panic over.
I dunno.
I'm not going to go near hentai or anything like that, but it seems to me that a lot of "young adult" anime seems to have the peculiar trade-off that for a good story line, your eyes and ears must be assaulted. Now that's certainly not true in EVERY case.
I'm not sure that's one you can really answer from here. There is a limit, but that's something you have to decide for yourself.
Hey if something randomly becomes offensive to you, you can always turn it off. ::shrug::

[awsam007]

i try not to watch tv in general

Me niether. And I also refuse to open the fridge or put on socks.

Come on! You really don't watch TV??? I mean I've heard of people that like to say that, but I've really never met one in real life. I just find that so hard to believe, but if you're serious, more power to ya.

[shooraijin]

Myself, I hardly watch TV either. It's not a moral or conscientious stance; I just don't have any shows on that I really like.

[Linksquest]

Yeah, when i watch tv its usually only to watch a certain show. I mean, i won't channel surf, which i think usually is when you get into trouble.

[Namu]

I definately draw the line when it comes to yaoi/yuri and constant nudity. It all depends on how extreme the rest of the content is otherwise. O_o.

[true_noir_chloe]

T.V. isn't a high priority on my list either. It's usually DVD rentals or joining the kids to watch cartoons like Weekenders or Teen Titans - love these two.

Anyway, I'd have to say I draw the line at overt blasphemy of God, which sometimes you find in demon-oriented shows, hentai, ecchi, shonen-ai. Or, if it's just a really badly done show.

I can pretty much handle anything else. The Spirit pretty much warns me when something is so bad I shouldn't watch it (in real life I have seen much worse). I also have to watch somethings I might not want to for discussion purposes with my kids. Rather than saying, "no, it's bad," I always watch it and then we have discussions as to "why" it was bad. Now, some are just blatant. Like I'd never watch "The Last Temptation of Christ," because that was just based on a total blasphemous lie, so why even bother.

I have to also comment on how this thread was started - the original question, "How far will you go?" and I think only Nightshade X touched on it. I think the first question on this thread was stated in a defensive way; such as, anime is bad right off the bat. I think you should have reconsidered how you started this; but, if you meant to catch our attention, it definitely did that. ~_^ *hehe*

[TroutNinja]

Another comment might be that.. In japanese there seems to be only one word used for cursing.. Yet when it's brought over here for either TV or Manga, they feel the need to show that by using our wonderful four letter words --; It seems to me that japanese is a very respectful language, and the only real insults are insults of lack of respect or other things. This is getting off of the subject however. I would draw my line at nudity... of any kind. Usually it isn't really needed =_= Fanservice also goes along that line, even though I can handle a certain amount of it.

I'll give an example of something that I find to be a good example of what an anime should be... >_> <_< One Piece! No, not the watered down Yarr me mateys American SJ version, or the odd version that FoxBox is putting out. The real, unadapted Japanese One Piece. ^^ Language is somewhat of a problem sometimes, if they translated it directly. But it keeps itself clean for the majority.

[Hitokiri]

I watch t.v. to a certain extent. I will watch Fox News at time like O-Rielly Factor or Hannity and Colmes.

Usually my viewing amounts to Teen Tiatans (on occassion), The Simpsons, Futurama, The Family Guy, and the assorted cartoon goodies. I also watch at times some Discovery Stuff or History channel things. So I usually watch decent stuff and if not then its out.

As for anime, the farthest I will go for fan service/nudity/sexual innuendos is when they actually show the sex on screen. As for sex off screen, it depends really. Usually I don't like it and find it unesscary but doesn't mak eme not watch the anime as a whole. I just skip it (like Evangelion).

Nudity is a touchy subject as well. If it's full-frontal, explicit its out. But i do have some anime that has very little nudity thats not notacable. I either skip it or just do back to drawing (which I usually do when I watch anime)

Cussing is nothing bad for me. I dont like it so I turn it to subbed (heelsing for instance)

Violence doesnt get me unless it's like guts splatter, heads sawed off slowly, really bad stuff. The most violent anime I've seen is Hellsing and Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal.

So I'm pretty loose with my viewing. I have a big grip on reality and I just don't let the material effect me. I have a sense of whats right and wrong in a anime that my parents turst me with.

[Shao Feng-Li]

Nudity*, sex, gore, and explicit language. All it is, is ungodly.

*That depends a little. If it's an adult, then no.

*Edit* Maybe I shouyld rephrase... I stop before the above.

[The-Case]

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things"
---Philippians 4:8

I hate to be a bible thumper, and I'm certainly not perfect, but I think the starting question is worded somewhat incorrectly. The question, I believe, is not "how close to the line can we get?" but "how close to God we can get?" Do you see what I'm saying? Instead of seeing how much "unacceptable material" we can handle, or even what to deem as "unacceptable, we should ask ourselves if what we're letting into our minds is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, praiseworthy, and (most of all) glorifying to God.

I don't believe all anime is bad, in fact I love the art style, and anime movies are among my favorites. The style lends itself to such great emotion and dramatics! But think of your anime movies like regular movies that you might go watch in the theater. I, personally, don't watch movies I know will have nudity in them or horrible language, even if I REALLY want to watch it. Like "The Butterfly Effect": That kind of thing is just so interesting to me! The way that one small thing in the past can effect so greatly the future that we know and all that. That someone would make a movie about that concept just made me want to run out to the Carmike right then! But I never saw it because of the crap they put in with that great idea.

A rat poison is 99.9% good food. 99.9%! That's what makes it look and smell so inticing to the rat. But even though the basis of the food is good, it's 0.01% poison, and that 0.01% kills the rat.

I say all this because I've been there. I've struggled with this very thing. I just ask everyone, myself included, to really look into the nature of what they watch and listen to because our eyes and ears are doorways to our mind and so then to ourselves.

Just wanted to share my heart...

::insert the sound of two pennies hitting the floor::

[Mave]

First off, I don't watch TV except for the occasional 'Everybody Loves Raymond' or when my boyfriend watches EPSN.

Next, "how far will Mave go?"

Nudity: In general, I cringe at it, necessary or not. (Ex:Transformation of Kazuya of Fruit Basket back into the human nude form, Fuuko of Flame of Recca has some of her clothes torn off while fighting with a perverted jerk). I tolerate half-naked guys but a guy who is completely naked for whatever reason, freaks me out (Ex. Shinji of EVA).

Fanservicey: Anything beyond Faye Valentine of Cowboy Bebop is a big NO. I only tolerated her coz everything else in Bebop was cool. I vehemently hate panties shots (Aika....URGH), suggestive poses (Utena), and ultra tight revealing clothes/unbelievable female bodies (GetBackers *manga*).

Homosexuality: I only tolerate this a little bit more if it's not the focus of the story such as HanaKimi. But anything officially ai-shonen/yaoi/yuri is out such as Gravitation or Fake.

Violence: For some reason, I generally do not tolerate it such as Berserk and Hellsing. I still read Blade of Immortal though. Guess it depends on how necessary and tastefully it's done.

Certain fantasy stuff: I'm quite intolerant towards vampires, zombies, and werewolves.

Explicit language: I'm OK with this.

[Lunis]

As of yet, I've gone as far as Inuyasha. And I'm still kinda nervous about it, because I haven't seen much of it.

[Yojimbo]

I'll use Ninja Scroll as an example of an anime that goes "too far." It has explicit nudity, scenes of rape, wanton cursing, buckets of blood, decapitations of appendages. It doesn't really get much worse than that other than full on violent hentai. I was ignorant for the most part about it's content when I first watched it years ago. But like I said explicit nudity, sex, extreme violence, and cursing randomly don't work for me.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I wouldn't go any further than Gunsmith Cats. Not knowing what I was getting myself into I've seen a bit of Akira (too violent), End of Evangelion on TV (disturbing, violent, didn't understand it) and one 3X3 eyes video from the library (violent, disturbing).
I don't mind some violence in my anime, but not excessive. I don't like swearing, satanic themes, sexaul themes anything like that. So I won't watch it. But even Noir and Last Exile have some swearing, but it is very minimal by anime standards.

[Heart of Sword]

I will watch NO hentai/ecchi/yaoi.

I do not watch sex. Nudity is different, but it depends on if it (the nudity) was suggestive or not.

I do not want to hear a swear every sentence.

Occult depends. I won't watch Shaman King, but I'll watch Inuyasha...

[christianfriend]

I only watch inu yasha...wich is kinda for older people...but its funny!! And I dont read/watch anything like that!!

[c-girl]

*shrug* Sometimes I don't mind. As long as it doesn't show that stuff too much.

[Hitokiri]

when thiers a sexual or nudity scenes, I usually push the fast foward button on the controller. But usually I draw when I watch anime so then when I know thiers a scene which contains nudity and such, I just draw.

...but then again I do need to view all these things since I review anime...

[Kat Walker]

Violence: I'm pretty good with blood and horror, although I'm not particularly fond of having to see flailing body parts and gushing fluids. I can stomach violence and similar grotesque things as long as it isn't taken to ridiculous, mindless extremes.

Sexual Content: No henati whatsoever. Same goes for ecchi and fanservice-y stuff, I won't watch anything that looks like the plot exists simply for the main character to get laid. >_>; If however, there's panty shot or two in an otherwise respectable anime, I can deal with it. As for yaoi/yuri, I won't watch any title that revolves around those themes. If all of a sudden a good series decides to throw in some gay supporting characters (Sailormoon, for example) I wouldn't consider it a big deal as long as it was not in completely bad taste.

Nudity: Brief transformation nudity I can stomach. Clothes pointlessly ripping off, jiggling chests, and graphic bodily functions....spare me please. >_<

Occult: Fantasy creatures like elves, dragons, and unicorns, sure. Wizards, magic talismans, and superpowers, okay. Demonic protagonists, incestual angels, and rapist ogres....no. I'll watch stuff with moderate real-life occultic undertones as long as they're the bad guys. Witch Hunter Robin, I suppose, would fall into this category. I'm also ok with monster movies (werewolf/vampire flicks) if they're not too...ostentacious.

[Sam*ron]

Thats a good question, I will have to ponder on that for a while.

*Thinks to hard and brain pops* Oh, dang...

[Lunis]

[quote="Kat Walker"]Violence: I'm pretty good with blood and horror, although I'm not particularly fond of having to see flailing body parts and gushing fluids. I can stomach violence and similar grotesque things as long as it isn't taken to ridiculous, mindless extremes.

Sexual Content: No henati whatsoever. Same goes for ecchi and fanservice-y stuff, I won't watch anything that looks like the plot exists simply for the main character to get laid. >_>] Wow, you pretty much voiced my opinions exactly! Thanks for saying it for me! I'm so bad with words... ^_^; Hehe.