4Kids Entertainment now currently being delisted from the NY Stock Exchange.

[Dancingweapon]

And for the love of god, it certainly doesn't make the Japanese culturally superior in some fashion.

Thanks you Raes. You don't have to watch the 'butchered' anime go buy it or even download it online, there's plenty of sites that will let you.

 

[JP]

In response to all the "it's called 4kids for a reason" kinda posts....

Then why take animes that weren't made FOR KIDS in the first place and then feel like you should edit (butcher) them for stupid kids? I mean, sure Japan lets their kids watch the stuff even if it wasn't their primary audience, but they also don't have anal retentive annoying ass parents that get on a high horse and don't think rationally at all.

And I still don't get why people get offended by that shit, all the characters in one piece look stupid as hell and are proportioned like they aren't even real... who gives a shit about that black kid with big lips? Stop assuming racism (though the Japanese are pretty racist) when you can't prove it is. Our country is getting too fucking PC

All in all, I'm for their demise -_-

It's not that we're calling racism, it's just the fact that it is racist even if they didn't do it purposely. Whether people think its racist or not, that should just be something they think about when they make characters. "Hmmm. Maybe someone might find this offensive and we're going to get shit for it in the near future." That's like me posting a racist joke on QCDN and expect no one it's aimed at to take offense and just be cool with it.

Tristam you seriously are on the losing side of this battle and apparently don't know it yet.

Why does everyone think discussions are a competition? This is an opinion based thing and there is no winners or losers. Just because me, TG, DW, and whoever else think that the censoring is appropriate doesn't mean we are right or that the people who oppose it is right. There is no winning side here.

"I don't like cheesecake." "Well buddy, you seriously are on the losing side of this battle and apparently don't know it yet. Everyone likes Cheesecake, it's impossible not to."

 

[Hexx]

LOL this conversation brings this to mind:

 

[Dancingweapon]

It's not even like there is a side here. It won't change, they will always edit the shit out of things being aired at children. They want to make money, they don't want the hassle of some jumped up parent trying to sue them.

Think about it. If you owned this company, you would want to keep it as clean as possible and not tarnish it's name. You guys should all know how protective people get over their children viewing things on the television. We have different ideals to Japan and as western countries we may have to filter some things out of tv shows to not offend anyone.

I know when I saw Tom smoking in that episode of Tom and Jerry when I was 8, all I wanted was to try a cigarette for the longest time ever. Children are VERY easily influenced by what they see. I'm personally glad they removed the smoking scenes from Tom and Jerry (and there was quite a few of them) as it may have been acceptable when that cartoon aired but it's not anymore. The same idea applies to anime, what may be acceptable in Japan won't fly so well over here. Deal with it.

 

[Hexx]

I dunno, I agree with points on both sides. My problem is that they bought exclusivity to these anime, instead of just buying rights to it, but still allowing other companies to make faithful reproductions (sans censorship etc) that will make the fanboys happy? Both sides can have their cake and eat it too in this case I think.

 

[Ecks]

Believe it or not Tom and Jerry, as well as Bugs Bunny and friends were actually not originally cartoons created for kids. Oh hey, lets not forget about that Flintstones commercial for Winston Cigarettes. MMmm they go down so smooth.

It's just that as time progressed kids began to watch these shows and they became children's cartoons.

There are anime's that aim for a children audience and they're usually easy to spot due to a colorful and simple animation style and more "cartoony" looking characters. *cough* Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! *cough* Not to mention their simple story lines and character development.

And Trist, I won't lie. I enjoyed the first Pokemon movie, but it was a real movie and not an elongated television episode like all the other movies were. (I have younger brothers, hence have sat through some of them) It also came about while Pokemon was probably still in it's prime, it was still cool but not an overused cash cow like it is today.

One Piece was never meant to be for kids, it's not a children's anime. I guess someone just saw the animation style and decided it was cartoony enough looking that little kids would like it, too bad they never really actually watched the show or they would have known it's not a kiddy story.

 

[Raesvelg]

Actually, yes, they were. American cartoons were always intended for kids, it's simply the definition of what is acceptable children's programming has changed substantially over the years.

Edit: let me amend this somewhat; some of the animated shorts that were originally intended to be shown in theaters were more of an all-audiences sort of programming.

And yes, there are a wide variety of animes that were originally intended for the young adult audience that were subsequently acquired and retargeted, so to speak, by domestic distribution companies.

In fact, that's more-or-less how domestic anime distro got started, with shows like "Space Battleship Yamato" being rewritten and subsequently released in the US as "Starblazers". Perhaps most famous of all of that generation of repackaged shows was "Robotech", since it was three distinct series, hacked apart and forced together by good 'ol Uncle Carl.

And yes, most of the older shows that get retargeted are effectively butchered. My personal favorite was how they dealt with the alcohol abuse in Space Battleship Yamato; the bottles became "fresh spring water", or "a new motion-sickness remedy", and so on.

It's important to note, though, that the kids who watch these shows, as a general rule, have no idea that the shows have been butchered from their original format. It's only the pre-existing anime fans who look at the shows and weep the bitter tears of the jilted fanboy.

And it is those fanboys who are perfectly free to choose not to buy the repackaged product, and to write nasty letters to the distro company about how much they suck.

 

[Elemmire]

It's not that we're calling racism, it's just the fact that it is racist even if they didn't do it purposely. Whether people think its racist or not, that should just be something they think about when they make characters. "Hmmm. Maybe someone might find this offensive and we're going to get shit for it in the near future." That's like me posting a racist joke on QCDN and expect no one it's aimed at to take offense and just be cool with it.

So you're saying... it might never have been intended as racism.. but because SOME PEOPLE think it is even if it wasn't, then it clearly is racist? So I can basically say anything is racist as long as I think it is and that makes it racist? So confusingly stupid.

Actually, yes, they were. American cartoons were always intended for kids, it's simply the definition of what is acceptable children's programming has changed substantially over the years.

Edit: let me amend this somewhat; some of the animated shorts that were originally intended to be shown in theaters were more of an all-audiences sort of programming.

And yes, there are a wide variety of animes that were originally intended for the young adult audience that were subsequently acquired and retargeted, so to speak, by domestic distribution companies.

In fact, that's more-or-less how domestic anime distro got started, with shows like "Space Battleship Yamato" being rewritten and subsequently released in the US as "Starblazers". Perhaps most famous of all of that generation of repackaged shows was "Robotech", since it was three distinct series, hacked apart and forced together by good 'ol Uncle Carl.

And yes, most of the older shows that get retargeted are effectively butchered. My personal favorite was how they dealt with the alcohol abuse in Space Battleship Yamato; the bottles became "fresh spring water", or "a new motion-sickness remedy", and so on.

It's important to note, though, that the kids who watch these shows, as a general rule, have no idea that the shows have been butchered from their original format. It's only the pre-existing anime fans who look at the shows and weep the bitter tears of the jilted fanboy.

And it is those fanboys who are perfectly free to choose not to buy the repackaged product, and to write nasty letters to the distro company about how much they suck.

I thought the old bugs bunny and stuff cartoons were played before movies that adults went to see and, thus, were always intended to be for adults o.o I mean, bugs bunny cartoons and others have some pretty creepy or mature things in them if you ever see them in their original form. Oh well *shrugs*

 

[Dancingweapon]

So you're saying... it might never have been intended as racism.. but because SOME PEOPLE think it is even if it wasn't, then it clearly is racist? So I can basically say anything is racist as long as I think it is and that makes it racist? So confusingly stupid.

Except a lot of people find blackface racist, it's associated with slavery and most things black people went though 'back in the day'

"blackface minstrels played a significant role in cementing and proliferating racist images, attitudes and perceptions worldwide, and also in popularizing and mainstreaming black culture. In some quarters, the caricatures that were the legacy of blackface persist to the present day and are a cause of ongoing controversy."

Whereas you saying "random thing x is racist" probably only you or a small amount of people find it so. This is why they cut blackface out of shows especially children shows.

 

[JP]

So you're saying... it might never have been intended as racism.. but because SOME PEOPLE think it is even if it wasn't, then it clearly is racist? So I can basically say anything is racist as long as I think it is and that makes it racist? So confusingly stupid.

I'm saying that they may of made a blackface character without realizing it. So later on when they get shit for it, they might go "oh I'm sorry lets change that." Or since Japan is classified as pretty much the most racist country, it may be purposely and they still get shit for it. I'm not saying because I and others THINK it's racist. It's because it IS racist. Do your research on blackface and you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

[motley]

That boondocks show is racist.... oh wait, its made by a black guy so its ok

 

[Xalioniaf]

The Boondocks is aired with the intent of offending as many people as humanly possible.

 

[Elemmire]

I'm saying that they may of made a blackface character without realizing it. So later on when they get shit for it, they might go "oh I'm sorry lets change that." Or since Japan is classified as pretty much the most racist country, it may be purposely and they still get shit for it. I'm not saying because I and others THINK it's racist. It's because it IS racist. Do your research on blackface and you'll see what I'm talking about.

I dunno, it might have been offensive in the 30s and would be now but who cares in an anime? Where the drawing is all terribly proportioned and stupid looking anyways?

 

[Tristam Green]

That boondocks show is racist.... oh wait, its made by a black guy so its ok

You clearly haven't read the newspaper comic then.

The Boondocks is aired with the intent of offending as many people as humanly possible.

I can imagine you have...

I dunno, it might have been offensive in the 30s and would be now but who cares in an anime? Where the drawing is all terribly proportioned and stupid looking anyways?

Now you're just trying to overrationalize.

 

[Elemmire]

I still don't think it's as big of a deal as people are making it out to be in terms of the black character. hell, I think people get way too over sensitive to a lot of shit these days :|

 

[Strid]

That boondocks show is racist.... oh wait, its made by a black guy so its ok

/thread

 

[Xalioniaf]

Apparently practicing ignorance is popular.

 

[jyakotsu]

I dunno, it might have been offensive in the 30s and would be now but who cares in an anime? Where the drawing is all terribly proportioned and stupid looking anyways?

So if 4kids airs blackface instead of whiteface and receive about 200 suits against them for racism... Do you mind if they send you the bills? Because obviously it isn't that big of a deal to air blacks with huge white lips in scrub attire(in America)

I'll tell you fact in hand that many animes are created with the intent to be racist. I for one am thankful that 4kids edited alot of the anime they aired. Alot of japanese anime was created with the intent and sole purpose of being racist as humor, because with all respect many japanese are either scared of certain races or think less of many others.

 

[Stine]

I dunno, it might have been offensive in the 30s and would be now but who cares in an anime? Where the drawing is all terribly proportioned and stupid looking anyways?

When Pokemon first came to the US people complained enough about Jynx until the character's colors were changed in the game and in the anime. Carole Boston Weatherford (African American author and critic) complained about both Jynx and Mr. Popo in Dragon Ball Z. The Dragon Ball managa involved a reduction of the size of his lips. Evidently barely a decade ago people still had a problem with it and I'll guarantee that they still do. Still not convinced? Go to cnn.com and type "blackface" in the search bar.

http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/newforms/
The article that I posted just shows what "blackface" and "jim crow" mean to people even now. People do still care about it today and the anime companies do get crap about it. Just because it doesn't offend you personally doesn't mean that it doesn't offend the people that it is mocking. Every anime company has changed something when it translates an anime into English not just 4Kids.

 

[Dancingweapon]

I still don't think it's as big of a deal as people are making it out to be in terms of the black character. hell, I think people get way too over sensitive to a lot of shit these days :|

I think you need to put yourself in someone elses shoes.