How do *you* deal with immodesty in the media?

[nesguy]

I’m trying to decide how to deal with occasions of incidental immodesty in some of the entertainment I enjoy. As a man, I’ve had serious struggles with lust in my life, and it’s only been in the last year or so that I’ve begun to temper this sinful part of my life. To help this along, I’ve decided to cut out a lot of the movies and television shows that I used to enjoy, as many of them featured outright nudity and sexual immorality (The Sopranos, Dexter, etc.). I’m also a long-time fan of anime, comic books, and video games, but I’ve had to be much more careful since I relinquished my hold on lustful habits.

Despite my best efforts, sometimes I come across immodesty in the entertainment I choose to enjoy. I’m trying to understand if there’s a categorical difference between this and, say, encountering a Victoria’s Secret ad at my local mall. As two examples of what I’m talking about, let me tell of two recent occurrences:

• I started reading a comics series named Bleach. It’s an action series geared toward teenage boys (admittedly, I should’ve guessed such problems might be categorically forthcoming). Mostly, it involves sword-fights and the main characters trying to outwit their enemies. Unfortunately, ten or so volumes into the series, a minor character is introduced whose bosom hangs out of her outfit in an evocative manner. Later in the series (20 or so volumes later), there’s a similar incident where a female enemy character is brought into the story, and while she’s technically not naked, a bikini probably covers more skin.
• I picked up a video game called Fire Emblem: Awakening. It’s a strategy role-playing game in a medieval setting (akin to playing chess), and while the game has thus far been 99% wholesome, after about six hours of play thus far, an enemy female was briefly introduced with a significant amount of visible cleavage. The game largely involves defending your home kingdom from invasions by brigands and mysterious magical creatures, and thus is fairly benign, yet it troubles me that such material is present in something that I was anticipating to be a nice diversion from these kinds of issues. The game has otherwise been rather uplifting, extolling the virtues of chivalry, seeking peace over war, and being kind to everyone you meet, regardless of who they are or where they come from.
• I’m a big Star Wars fan. As anyone who’s seen the movies knows, the good ol’ Princess runs around in a gold bikini in first half of the last film. While my teenage fantasies are truly long behind me, it’s a moral quandary on how to approach that content in this stage of my life.

Mostly, I’ve taken to avoiding things with blatant instances of immodesty. When I do encounter these things, I’m able to avert my eyes, or in the case of the comics and games, I skim that particular part of the material and don’t dwell on the content. As such, I mostly have avoided instances of lust. Still, I wonder if I’m doing something immoral by even owning material like this. In the case of Bleach, it at least came from the local library, but what should I do about the games and comics that contain objectionable material? Case in point, does a game like Fire Emblem, which I described above, get put on the trash-list for what is, so far, a single instance of immodest attire on a character? Where does one draw the line?

I know that often, lust is the problem of the one who sees, not necessarily of the one who is the object of that lust. I also realize that much of what I’m describing is, at worst, a near occasion of sin for me personally, and certainly not pornographic in nature. I curious what others do in their lives to try and maintain a purity of mind and spirit, and how they deal with what I like to call “incidental immodesty”: the kind that you encounter in this fallen world despite best intentions to avoid it.

 

[StudentMI]

I just try to avoid things that are a temptation. I tend to avoid movies and shows that treat things like sex and violence in a cheap fashion, on principle. I tend to look up information on movies before I watch them, just to know if there is a lot of gore or something like that.

 

[nesguy]

I just wanted to throw in this little tidbit. While Google’ing the game I mentioned, I came across a review written by a fellow Catholic. Sadly, it’s a bit short and doesn’t address the issue I presented in my opening post, but it does give quite a bit more information on the game than I was able to present initially.

catholicvideogamers.blogspot.com/2013/03/fire-emblem-awakening-review.html

 

[RedFox0456]

The only thing I’ve been able to do is cut out these things from my life. That being said - it has had an amazing impact. It’s less that I’ve been able to fight the temptations and more that they haven’t been nearly as strong without a lot of the scenes that have become all too common in many popular shows. Not to be negative about the world today. There are just a lot of things to avoid, at least for me, to live a better life.

In the free time I have from cutting out a lot of these things, I’ve been reading a lot about faith and the Church. You could give that a try. I was amazed at how enthralled I became while reading some of the books.

 

[Matt90]

In the case of Bleach, it at least came from the local library, but what should I do about the games and comics that contain objectionable material? Case in point, does a game like Fire Emblem, which I described above, get put on the trash-list for what is, so far, a single instance of immodest attire on a character? Where does one draw the line?

I know that often, lust is the problem of the one who sees, not necessarily of the one who is the object of that lust. I also realize that much of what I’m describing is, at worst, a near occasion of sin for me personally, and certainly not pornographic in nature. I curious what others do in their lives to try and maintain a purity of mind and spirit, and how they deal with what I like to call “incidental immodesty”: the kind that you encounter in this fallen world despite best intentions to avoid it.

As you said it can be quite a subjective thing in terms of what instances of immodesty prove to be an issue for you personally. Fortunately, I don’t have the challenges you listed facing, though as an avid fan of anime, manga, and video games on an array of consoles, I am very much aware of what you are talking about. There’s usually no good reason for the scantily clad characters and almost unnaturally large breasts to be included in the given medium other than to draw in prospective individuals to buy the product. The instances you suggested tend to be more prevalent in games/manga/anime/whatever that emerge from an Eastern market. If the brief instances you mentioned prove to be a problem then simply steer clear for now until you it is no longer a problem.

Though it is worth noting there are plenty of anime/manga/video games in similar genres and styles that while not explicitly Catholic or Christian do not engage in the tropes usually becoming of female characters. If you would like some recommendations I would be happy to list some.

In this scenario though, as I said, I think it is most important for you to examine your own conscience and to be aware of the extent of temptation and just how tempting it is in each example. If the fleeting moments in Fire Emblem seem to you to be a “bit too much”, then ditch it. While an excellent RPG, if it is proving to be a moral issue, it simply isn’t worth it. The same goes for Bleach, and whatever else you are interested in.

Regards
Matt

 

[po18guy]

Shun the media. You will be much happier in the long run.

 

[George_Stegmeir]

I’m trying to decide how to deal with occasions of incidental immodesty in some of the entertainment I enjoy. As a man, I’ve had serious struggles with lust in my life, and it’s only been in the last year or so that I’ve begun to temper this sinful part of my life. To help this along, I’ve decided to cut out a lot of the movies and television shows that I used to enjoy, as many of them featured outright nudity and sexual immorality (The Sopranos, Dexter, etc.). I’m also a long-time fan of anime, comic books, and video games, but I’ve had to be much more careful since I relinquished my hold on lustful habits.

Despite my best efforts, sometimes I come across immodesty in the entertainment I choose to enjoy. I’m trying to understand if there’s a categorical difference between this and, say, encountering a Victoria’s Secret ad at my local mall. As two examples of what I’m talking about, let me tell of two recent occurrences:

• I started reading a comics series named Bleach. It’s an action series geared toward teenage boys (admittedly, I should’ve guessed such problems might be categorically forthcoming). Mostly, it involves sword-fights and the main characters trying to outwit their enemies. Unfortunately, ten or so volumes into the series, a minor character is introduced whose bosom hangs out of her outfit in an evocative manner. Later in the series (20 or so volumes later), there’s a similar incident where a female enemy character is brought into the story, and while she’s technically not naked, a bikini probably covers more skin.
• I picked up a video game called Fire Emblem: Awakening. It’s a strategy role-playing game in a medieval setting (akin to playing chess), and while the game has thus far been 99% wholesome, after about six hours of play thus far, an enemy female was briefly introduced with a significant amount of visible cleavage. The game largely involves defending your home kingdom from invasions by brigands and mysterious magical creatures, and thus is fairly benign, yet it troubles me that such material is present in something that I was anticipating to be a nice diversion from these kinds of issues. The game has otherwise been rather uplifting, extolling the virtues of chivalry, seeking peace over war, and being kind to everyone you meet, regardless of who they are or where they come from.
• I’m a big Star Wars fan. As anyone who’s seen the movies knows, the good ol’ Princess runs around in a gold bikini in first half of the last film. While my teenage fantasies are truly long behind me, it’s a moral quandary on how to approach that content in this stage of my life.

Mostly, I’ve taken to avoiding things with blatant instances of immodesty. When I do encounter these things, I’m able to avert my eyes, or in the case of the comics and games, I skim that particular part of the material and don’t dwell on the content. As such, I mostly have avoided instances of lust. Still, I wonder if I’m doing something immoral by even owning material like this. In the case of Bleach, it at least came from the local library, but what should I do about the games and comics that contain objectionable material? Case in point, does a game like Fire Emblem, which I described above, get put on the trash-list for what is, so far, a single instance of immodest attire on a character? Where does one draw the line?

I know that often, lust is the problem of the one who sees, not necessarily of the one who is the object of that lust. I also realize that much of what I’m describing is, at worst, a near occasion of sin for me personally, and certainly not pornographic in nature. I curious what others do in their lives to try and maintain a purity of mind and spirit, and how they deal with what I like to call “incidental immodesty”: the kind that you encounter in this fallen world despite best intentions to avoid it.

Just out of curiosity, how old are you?

 

[silentfactor80]

I’m trying to decide how to deal with occasions of incidental immodesty in some of the entertainment I enjoy. As a man, I’ve had serious struggles with lust in my life, and it’s only been in the last year or so that I’ve begun to temper this sinful part of my life. To help this along, I’ve decided to cut out a lot of the movies and television shows that I used to enjoy, as many of them featured outright nudity and sexual immorality (The Sopranos, Dexter, etc.). I’m also a long-time fan of anime, comic books, and video games, but I’ve had to be much more careful since I relinquished my hold on lustful habits.

Despite my best efforts, sometimes I come across immodesty in the entertainment I choose to enjoy. I’m trying to understand if there’s a categorical difference between this and, say, encountering a Victoria’s Secret ad at my local mall. As two examples of what I’m talking about, let me tell of two recent occurrences:

• I started reading a comics series named Bleach. It’s an action series geared toward teenage boys (admittedly, I should’ve guessed such problems might be categorically forthcoming). Mostly, it involves sword-fights and the main characters trying to outwit their enemies. Unfortunately, ten or so volumes into the series, a minor character is introduced whose bosom hangs out of her outfit in an evocative manner. Later in the series (20 or so volumes later), there’s a similar incident where a female enemy character is brought into the story, and while she’s technically not naked, a bikini probably covers more skin.
• I picked up a video game called Fire Emblem: Awakening. It’s a strategy role-playing game in a medieval setting (akin to playing chess), and while the game has thus far been 99% wholesome, after about six hours of play thus far, an enemy female was briefly introduced with a significant amount of visible cleavage. The game largely involves defending your home kingdom from invasions by brigands and mysterious magical creatures, and thus is fairly benign, yet it troubles me that such material is present in something that I was anticipating to be a nice diversion from these kinds of issues. The game has otherwise been rather uplifting, extolling the virtues of chivalry, seeking peace over war, and being kind to everyone you meet, regardless of who they are or where they come from.
• I’m a big Star Wars fan. As anyone who’s seen the movies knows, the good ol’ Princess runs around in a gold bikini in first half of the last film. While my teenage fantasies are truly long behind me, it’s a moral quandary on how to approach that content in this stage of my life.

Mostly, I’ve taken to avoiding things with blatant instances of immodesty. When I do encounter these things, I’m able to avert my eyes, or in the case of the comics and games, I skim that particular part of the material and don’t dwell on the content. As such, I mostly have avoided instances of lust. Still, I wonder if I’m doing something immoral by even owning material like this. In the case of Bleach, it at least came from the local library, but what should I do about the games and comics that contain objectionable material? Case in point, does a game like Fire Emblem, which I described above, get put on the trash-list for what is, so far, a single instance of immodest attire on a character? Where does one draw the line?

I know that often, lust is the problem of the one who sees, not necessarily of the one who is the object of that lust. I also realize that much of what I’m describing is, at worst, a near occasion of sin for me personally, and certainly not pornographic in nature. I curious what others do in their lives to try and maintain a purity of mind and spirit, and how they deal with what I like to call “incidental immodesty”: the kind that you encounter in this fallen world despite best intentions to avoid it.

Learn to see as God sees as best you can. Think about the woman’s actions instead of her dress. Imagine if she was your wife and on TV like that. How would you feel that your immeasurably valuable wife can do no better than to profit off of her sexuality that was meant as a gift for you?

Or you can take my approach and accept that most women are either open or closet feminists (man haters) and would probably rather see you “go to heaven ASAP.” When you realize half the population thinks so lowly of you they don’t look very attractive anymore. They expect you to see their dignity but they could careless about yours.

 

[Matt90]

Or you can take my approach and accept that most women are either open or closet feminists (man haters) and would probably rather see you “go to heaven ASAP.” When you realize half the population thinks so lowly of you they don’t look very attractive anymore. They expect you to see their dignity but they could careless about yours.

Not only is this view unhelpful but borderline sad, it is also incorrect. Not all women hate men, and furthermore feminism does not equate to “man-hating”

 

[Linusthe2nd]

I’m trying to decide how to deal with occasions of incidental immodesty in some of the entertainment I enjoy. As a man, I’ve had serious struggles with lust in my life, and it’s only been in the last year or so that I’ve begun to temper this sinful part of my life. To help this along, I’ve decided to cut out a lot of the movies and television shows that I used to enjoy, as many of them featured outright nudity and sexual immorality (The Sopranos, Dexter, etc.). I’m also a long-time fan of anime, comic books, and video games, but I’ve had to be much more careful since I relinquished my hold on lustful habits.

Despite my best efforts, sometimes I come across immodesty in the entertainment I choose to enjoy. I’m trying to understand if there’s a categorical difference between this and, say, encountering a Victoria’s Secret ad at my local mall. As two examples of what I’m talking about, let me tell of two recent occurrences:

• I started reading a comics series named Bleach. It’s an action series geared toward teenage boys (admittedly, I should’ve guessed such problems might be categorically forthcoming). Mostly, it involves sword-fights and the main characters trying to outwit their enemies. Unfortunately, ten or so volumes into the series, a minor character is introduced whose bosom hangs out of her outfit in an evocative manner. Later in the series (20 or so volumes later), there’s a similar incident where a female enemy character is brought into the story, and while she’s technically not naked, a bikini probably covers more skin.
• I picked up a video game called Fire Emblem: Awakening. It’s a strategy role-playing game in a medieval setting (akin to playing chess), and while the game has thus far been 99% wholesome, after about six hours of play thus far, an enemy female was briefly introduced with a significant amount of visible cleavage. The game largely involves defending your home kingdom from invasions by brigands and mysterious magical creatures, and thus is fairly benign, yet it troubles me that such material is present in something that I was anticipating to be a nice diversion from these kinds of issues. The game has otherwise been rather uplifting, extolling the virtues of chivalry, seeking peace over war, and being kind to everyone you meet, regardless of who they are or where they come from.
• I’m a big Star Wars fan. As anyone who’s seen the movies knows, the good ol’ Princess runs around in a gold bikini in first half of the last film. While my teenage fantasies are truly long behind me, it’s a moral quandary on how to approach that content in this stage of my life.

Mostly, I’ve taken to avoiding things with blatant instances of immodesty. When I do encounter these things, I’m able to avert my eyes, or in the case of the comics and games, I skim that particular part of the material and don’t dwell on the content. As such, I mostly have avoided instances of lust. Still, I wonder if I’m doing something immoral by even owning material like this. In the case of Bleach, it at least came from the local library, but what should I do about the games and comics that contain objectionable material? Case in point, does a game like Fire Emblem, which I described above, get put on the trash-list for what is, so far, a single instance of immodest attire on a character? Where does one draw the line?

I know that often, lust is the problem of the one who sees, not necessarily of the one who is the object of that lust. I also realize that much of what I’m describing is, at worst, a near occasion of sin for me personally, and certainly not pornographic in nature. I curious what others do in their lives to try and maintain a purity of mind and spirit, and how they deal with what I like to call “incidental immodesty”: the kind that you encounter in this fallen world despite best intentions to avoid it.

Get rid of the T.V. and the internet too if that bothers you, read only good books, avoid all occasions of sin, practice custody of the eyes/ears at all times, get a decent hobby, read the lives of the Saints, get a regular prayer life going, receive the Sacraments often, especailly confession. Be a man ! Linus2nd

 

[silentfactor80]

Not only is this view unhelpful but borderline sad, it is also incorrect. Not all women hate men, and furthermore feminism does not equate to “man-hating”

Feminism is in practice the hatred of men. It has varying degrees with some not as bad as others but at the end of the day its all about man = bad woman = good. They can can define it however they want but feminists have not shown 1 act of kindness to man. You know people by their deeds, not their words. Words are cheap and BS sounds sweet. On the contrary feminists have pretty much relegated men to never being able to talk about the issues that men face.

Here is an example:
warrenfarrellblog.com/warren-farrell/151/

My method may be sad and unorthodox but it works.

 

[Matt90]

Feminism is in practice the hatred of men. It has varying degrees with some not as bad as others but at the end of the day its all about man = bad woman = good. They can can define it however they want but feminists have not shown 1 act of kindness to man. You know people by their deeds, not their words. Words are cheap and BS sounds sweet. On the contrary feminists have pretty much relegated men to never being able to talk about the issues that men face.

Here is an example:
warrenfarrellblog.com/warren-farrell/151/

While this is probably bordering on off-topic, I respectfully disagree. Feminism is simply a broad term which relates to a series of ideologies and beliefs manifested in various movements throughout history which sought to reduce the oppression of women in a variety of spheres, including issues relating to employment and salary, the right to vote etc. More recently feminism is probably most obviously associated with the debate regarding abortion etc. As with many movements and wider social forces in history, it has not always been a force for good (the current abortion movement is in my view a good example), as is the example of militant/extremist feminism which is akin to what I believe you are referring to, which exploits what is generally a good thing.

I do agree with you that there are certain issues men face which are not discussed as openly as they need to be, though I am not convinced that this is a result of the feminist movement on the whole.

Thank you for providing the link, I had not heard of Warren Farrell before.

EDIT: Ah yes I have, I thought his name rang a bell. Thank you again!

Regards
Matt

 

[Layp3rs0n]

To the OP, I used to also be big into anime, but really a LOT of it borders on being pr0n. I really reccomend avoiding almost all of it.

 

[nesguy]

Indeed, I have had to pass over a number of anime in genres I usually enjoy because they were much to risqué regarding the women’s clothing in the show. With a few exceptions, I’ve taken to watching more family-friendly fare, like Chi’s Sweet Home, Pokemon, Gundam, and a few others. It’s just highly disappointing when I find a new one I enjoy and these elements turn up.

I’ve even had to carefully moderate the places I get my news from. I’ll be looking for updates on foreign affairs, and end up running into blurbs about some starlet’s latest wardrobe malfunction. It can be incredibly frustrating when I’m just trying to keep current on politics or the economy to have that stuff plastered all over the front pages.

 

[Kamaduck]

To the OP- You seem to like a lot of the same stuff I do. I’m a girl, so my advice may not be useful, but I’ll give you my thoughts on the subject.

How you deal with each individual instance of immodesty will depend on several factors. Most importantly- is the material a near occasion of sin for you? Does it represent a temptation for you, so that you risk sin by enjoying it? If so, you would do best to avoid it, at least when you are weak. However, not every instance of immodesty is this.

If you are reasonably sure the material will not directly lead you to sin, you’ll have to make more of a judgement call. It’s not immoral for you to own these materials if they do not lead you to sin (provided we’re still talking about “incidental immodesty”, as you call it, and not porn).

Since you asked for personal techniques- I am fairly careful about the media I enjoy, but I still come across temptations. When something bad comes my way, especially in something that is otherwise wholesome, I first try to ignore it. If that doesn’t work, I turn off the anime, close the book, quit the game- whatever. I say a prayer and ask God to guard my thoughts. For the next few days, I turn to a different work, one I am 100% sure will not have any sexual content whatsoever. (They are rare, but I save them for times like this.) Once my brain has been “rinsed out”, I ask myself whether I want to finish the problematic work. Usually, the answer is yes- but with the knowledge that I might have to stop again. Occasionally, the answer is “I absolutely can’t watch this now, but maybe I will be stronger in a few years and be able to watch it for the things it gets right. I’ll set it aside for now.” And sometimes, I decide I will never watch it at all.

Immodesty isn’t going anywhere- and even without it, there will always be temptation. I think it’s important not to dwell on it. Think about things that are pure, just, right, true, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It can be another work, a prayer, an activity- whatever engages you and fills your mind with better things.

I must say, it’s good to see a guy who seriously wants to do the right thing. Most of the time, such outfits really annoy me. I was really mad about the art in Awakening, but I still intend to buy it. Fire Emblem is usually a great series, particularly with regards to female characters. While I expect Awakening’s gameplay to be excellent, it’s awful that they had to sexualize the manakete (and the manakete didn’t even get the worst of it ). Every game has one or two females showing a bit too much skin, but manakete are supposed to be childlike and innocent! Why, nintendo? Why did you do this? :crying:

Anyways- if you tell me which genres you like, I can try to think of some anime that are good “rinsing” material. I’m not up to the task for games, and as I said, these works are rare. But I can try, if you want. You could also think of an interesting activity to do yourself, or find a prayer to say when this happens. When you do find something both excellent and innocent, treasure it!

EDIT: just realized you didn’t actually talk about anime, just manga. Since I don’t read much manga, I can’t help with specific works. I do still recommend the same technique, though. Get yourself interested in something really pure that doesn’t tempt you.

 

[nesguy]

Thank you for the encouraging words, Kamaduck. I found your ideas to be very helpful, and I’m going to look for ways to implement them. If you have some suggestions on some good “rinsing” anime, I’d be all ears!

I’m actually glad to hear that the other Fire Emblem games do well with keeping the women properly dressed. Awakening is my first time playing this series. I actually looked into the getting the artbook, but after doing a little research, it seems there’s a fair bit more of the immodesty on display than I’ve come across in the game.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

Unless you’re going to become a monk, you’re going to have to get set to deal with temptations, immodesty, immorality, etc. Considering that one is likely to encounter cleavage daily, even at Mass, I would say this is one area where you’re going to need to learn to control yourself, and, if you can’t, you should seek the counsel of a Priest.

There’s a tremendous difference between, say, viewing incidental cleavage in a game and, let’s say, playing a game in which one steals cars,kills innocents and beats up prostitutes, etc.

 

[nesguy]

Unless you’re going to become a monk, you’re going to have to get set to deal with temptations, immodesty, immorality, etc. Considering that one is likely to encounter cleavage daily, even at Mass, I would say this is one area where you’re going to need to learn to control yourself, and, if you can’t, you should seek the counsel of a Priest.

There’s a tremendous difference between, say, viewing incidental cleavage in a game and, let’s say, playing a game in which one steals cars,kills innocents and beats up prostitutes, etc.

Well, I do not intend to become a monk. As I mentioned in my first post, one of the things I’m trying to understand is if there’s a difference between encountering immodesty in public versus owning things that contain immodesty. I do not “own” the daily cleavage I see at the store, the park, or even at Mass.

I will say, though, that I was thinking about the exact game you reference earlier today, and in what way would I approach games with other elements that are sinful. I freely admit that there are likely to be many games with content that would be mortally sinful in real life, but being as they are merely games, I don’t consider them to be intrinsically evil unless they specifically promote such ways of life (and I’m not really sure about the game you refer to, as I think the latest installments are certainly well over the line). What I find troubling about immodestly specifically, though, is that is has the potential for causing sin through no actionable part of the game. A game with violence does not cause real world harm, nor does stealing a car in a game deprive anyone of their property. While I do think there are likely better ways to spend your time, content like violence and theft in a game are highly unlikely to cause sin in an average person’s life. Immodest attire might not be an occasion of sin for many men, but I think there’s a significant portion of the male gender that struggles with it.

 

[ironchapman]

Well, I do not intend to become a monk. As I mentioned in my first post, one of the things I’m trying to understand is if there’s a difference between encountering immodesty in public versus owning things that contain immodesty. I do not “own” the daily cleavage I see at the store, the park, or even at Mass.

I will say, though, that I was thinking about the exact game you reference earlier today, and in what way would I approach games with other elements that are sinful. I freely admit that there are likely to be many games with content that would be mortally sinful in real life, but being as they are merely games, I don’t consider them to be intrinsically evil unless they specifically promote such ways of life (and I’m not really sure about the game you refer to, as I think the latest installments are certainly well over the line). What I find troubling about immodestly specifically, though, is that is has the potential for causing sin through no actionable part of the game. A game with violence does not cause real world harm, nor does stealing a car in a game deprive anyone of their property. While I do think there are likely better ways to spend your time, content like violence and theft in a game are highly unlikely to cause sin in an average person’s life. Immodest attire might not be an occasion of sin for many men, but I think there’s a significant portion of the male gender that struggles with it.

One thing I ask myself is if immodesty defines the particular work in question. I own plenty of anime, for example, that have a beach episode. I also own movies produced here in the US that have a moment or two of indecency. With that said, the works in question are generally alright on the whole. That’s different from a show or movie that makes its name utilizing indecency.

FWIW, my favorite movie ever, Jean de Florette/Manon des Sources has one full frontal scene in the second half where (adult) Manon (since she is a child in the first half) is bathing. It’s never intended to be lewd, and it only lasts for a few seconds (and it’s hardly a close up shot, either). The basic intent behind the scene is to show how one of the “bad guys” ends up falling for her (he sees her from a tree he’s climbed).

VeritasLuxMea makes some good points, too.

 

[Kamaduck]

Thank you for the encouraging words, Kamaduck. I found your ideas to be very helpful, and I’m going to look for ways to implement them. If you have some suggestions on some good “rinsing” anime, I’d be all ears!

I’m actually glad to hear that the other Fire Emblem games do well with keeping the women properly dressed. Awakening is my first time playing this series. I actually looked into the getting the artbook, but after doing a little research, it seems there’s a fair bit more of the immodesty on display than I’ve come across in the game.

You are very welcome! These are the anime I think you could safely use. However, they won’t be as effective as works you find yourself, so you’ll have to be on the lookout for others! Sadly, most of mine have mainly female casts. I couldn’t think of anything specifically for guys that didn’t contain some immodesty somewhere.

Haibane Renmei- a story about people who resemble angels. They are born in cocoons and have to live in a walled city until their “day of flight” arrives. The story is mostly about the characters, though it deals with themes of forgiveness and guilt. It’s slow, and most of the characters are female, so I’m not sure if you’ll find it interesting. Even if you do, it’s only 13 episodes. I’m pretty sure it’s 100% clean, though. Maybe a bath or something I forgot about, but nothing on a regular basis. You can watch it subbed on Youtube.

Kino’s Journey- a story about a girl who travels the world with a talking motorcycle. Each episode discusses one or more aspects of human nature, offering more questions than answers. There is blood and violence at times, but nothing sexual that I recall. Sadly, I can’t tell you where to find this one online. Maybe your library has it?

Chihayafuru- I can’t guarantee absolute innocence, since I haven’t finished it (it’s ongoing, anyway), but this is my current rinsing anime. It has been 100% clean so far, and is very sweet. It’s a show about high school students who play competitive karuta (a japanese card game based on old poetry). It’s not as mature as Kino and Haibane Renmei, but if you want something heartwarming, you can try it. It’s free on crunchyroll.

Yotsuba&!- this is a manga only. Like Chihayafuru, I haven’t finished it, so I can’t say for sure. However, it’s considered one of the most innocent and cute things one can read. It’s about an excitable four-year-old who is still learning about the world, and her reactions are hilarious. Not sure where you can read it, but it’s fairly popular, so I bet some library has it around.

Digimon Adventure and Digimon Tamers- these are children’s shows, but I thought I’d recommend them since you mentioned pokemon at one point. They’re similar to pokemon in terms of premise, but there’s more saving the world and the writing is better. I think some of the digimon end up looking like people and wearing somewhat less than they should, but those battles make up very little of the overall runtimes. They are both excellent for children’s shows (especially Tamers). You can watch them on crunchyroll for free.

That’s all I can think of, but hopefully you can use one of those until you find something more specifically suited to yourself.

I’m also going to agree with Veritas, too. While distractions are very helpful in times of weakness, you can’t deal with this by avoiding all immodesty- you wouldn’t be able to go anywhere or watch much of anything! Controlling your thoughts and learning to think of women as people first, fellow children of God, is the only real solution. Stay strong, and God be with you!