Warning about manga to parents and teachers

[edwest2]

They are small and thick, usually black and white books that are quite popular. However, there is profanity used in some otherwise good manga books. But there is a particular category of manga I would like to point out. It is called Yaoi (or yow-ee). It is gay porn and it is being sold in the US. There are also quite a few pornographic manga that feature straight characters.

Read what your kids are reading. The Japanese, generally, have a different view of morality than Westerners. And I mean no disrespect to Japanese persons.

Hope this helps,
Ed

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Better warning: Stop treating manga and anime the same way you treat kiddie cartoons and comics.

 

[Nom_the_Wise]

Why? *Why *did I know that when I saw edwest2 giving a warning about manga, that Lost Wanderer would be the *first *(1st) post under him!



I’m actually very concerned about this, however. My nephew reads “Bleach” and I know that because I’ve been concerned for a long time that when he tells me “I read novels” that he wasn’t reading what I thought he was reading. He was reading “Bleach.” Okay, great, so he has learned how to read *in the direction *that the Japanese read, but hasn’t learned Japanese. If only he would learn Japanese and become a translator!

The thing is, there are lots of animae (Hentai) that’s pornographic, and I’ve been worried that my nephew has been getting away with murder, as his mother will not look past the “cartoon” facade of the books he gets.

So Lost Wanderer, **you **can tell us which manga are *clearly *not conducive to fragile and influential Catholic minds. I have seen some good manga (what is the plural for manga?) and I’ve seen some porn (There are several “erotic” series that are easily viewable ***through Netflix *** I watched one. My six-year-old could have easily watched one until they switched to the all children version of Netflix)

So let’s not jump down edwest2’s throat right away. I *know *there is something to this, but I don’t always get the time to search things out.

 

[DarkLight]

Unfortunately there’s really no good way that I know of to tell what’s good and what’s not, other than by looking over it. It’s sort of like asking “how do I tell which novels are appropriate for my kids and which aren’t?” There’s really no universal criterion that can let you know the difference without someone reviewing it. Anything labelled yuri, yaoi, or hentai should be avoided though.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Why? *Why *did I know that when I saw edwest2 giving a warning about manga, that Lost Wanderer would be the *first *(1st) post under him!

Oh but sir, I am only one of the many secretly hiding in these forums. Rest assured, we are here… and we are many. Afufufufufufu… >BD silhouette of certain other members appear behind him

So Lost Wanderer, **you **can tell us which manga are *clearly *not conducive to fragile and influential Catholic minds. I have seen some good manga (what is the plural for manga?) and I’ve seen some porn (There are several “erotic” series that are easily viewable ***through Netflix *** I watched one. My six-year-old could have easily watched one until they switched to the all children version of Netflix)

So let’s not jump down edwest2’s throat right away. I *know *there is something to this, but I don’t always get the time to search things out.

Well before I put on my otaku-hat… plays tune

Level of maturity is definitely a factor when it comes suggesting titles. However, what most parents and teachers (as well as Ed here) fail to grasp is that it is in fact, due part to misconceptions. There are still many who are under the false delusion that a medium should only be child-friendly or family friendly because they say it is. Mind you, I generally HATE family-friendly stuff. Much of the Disney classics have struggled to pull this off in my eyes (and it’s not always successful). The thing I like about anime is that it can be mature enough to cast off such restraints and just show things as they are. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the hard life of a hired killer in some supernatural magician’s war or the awkward life of a school boy who suddenly has girls crushing on him left and right. It at least blatantly screams out “Not for teh childrenz!”

It’s good that your nephew’s mother has gotten over that phase. However, it just doesn’t stop there. To a more mature mind, even the naughty stuff is mixed with something with value. I know several titles that have their ecchi moments but that is not enough for me to turn my nose and say “Shameless!” (like a certain character I know).

Finally, I would just like to say that even the really awful stuff have given me something to reflect upon. Like porn, hentai and yaoi have their cliches. Such cliches indicate the sheer mindlessness of such elements. I find it ridiculous and hilarious really.

 

[Dale_M]

Better warning: Stop treating manga and anime the same way you treat kiddie cartoons and comics.

Well, yes, of course. When I first heard of manga, via a *Chicago Tribune *article some 25-30 years ago, the reporting made clear that this was not material for children. I don’t know if that message got lost somewhere along the way, but it shouldn’t have. Manga is not like Archie Comics.

Unfortunately there’s really no good way that I know of to tell what’s good and what’s not, other than by looking over it. It’s sort of like asking “how do I tell which novels are appropriate for my kids and which aren’t?” There’s really no universal criterion that can let you know the difference without someone reviewing it.

Absolutely. There is no substitute for parental monitoring and guidance.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Well, yes, of course. When I first heard of manga, via a *Chicago Tribune *article some 25-30 years ago, the reporting made clear that this was not material for children. I don’t know if that message got lost somewhere along the way, but it shouldn’t have. Manga is not like Archie Comics.

You’d be surprised how often I noticed that the same adults who fail at that distinction also happen to be either baby boomers or anyone who suffers excess nostalgia for the fifties.

 

[Nimzovik]

Interesting… Pekapon is now ripe for conquest! Kero kero kero kero kero kero kero kero kero kero kero kero kero kero kero kero…

 

[Dakota_Roberts]

They are small and thick, usually black and white books that are quite popular. However, there is profanity used in some otherwise good manga books. But there is a particular category of manga I would like to point out. It is called Yaoi (or yow-ee). It is gay porn and it is being sold in the US. There are also quite a few pornographic manga that feature straight characters.

Read what your kids are reading. The Japanese, generally, have a different view of morality than Westerners. And I mean no disrespect to Japanese persons.

Hope this helps,
Ed

Yaoi is male-male erotica catering to a female audience, yuri is female-female erotica catering to a male audience. Hentai is porn.

I personally prefer manhua (Chinese manga), it tends to be relatively free of sexual content (PG-13 rating generally). One I find hilarious is 1/2 prince, you can read it here, author is fine with translations being posted.

 

[Crescentinus]

Oh but sir, I am only one of the many secretly hiding in these forums. Rest assured, we are here… and we are many. Afufufufufufu… >BD silhouette of certain other members appear behind him

Well before I put on my otaku-hat… plays tune

Level of maturity is definitely a factor when it comes suggesting titles. However, what most parents and teachers (as well as Ed here) fail to grasp is that it is in fact, due part to misconceptions. There are still many who are under the false delusion that a medium should only be child-friendly or family friendly because they say it is. Mind you, I generally HATE family-friendly stuff. Much of the Disney classics have struggled to pull this off in my eyes (and it’s not always successful). The thing I like about anime is that it can be mature enough to cast off such restraints and just show things as they are. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the hard life of a hired killer in some supernatural magician’s war or the awkward life of a school boy who suddenly has girls crushing on him left and right. It at least blatantly screams out “Not for teh childrenz!”

It’s good that your nephew’s mother has gotten over that phase. However, it just doesn’t stop there. To a more mature mind, even the naughty stuff is mixed with something with value. I know several titles that have their ecchi moments but that is not enough for me to turn my nose and say “Shameless!” (like a certain character I know).

Finally, I would just like to say that even the really awful stuff have given me something to reflect upon. Like porn, hentai and yaoi have their cliches. Such cliches indicate the sheer mindlessness of such elements. I find it ridiculous and hilarious really.

In reality, the yaoi, yuri, incest, bestiality and hentai genres are more boring than Western adult cartoons these days. There’s a lack of a decent plot in these things and it’s pretty much a bunch of senseless masturbation fodder. Personally, I prefer something better than these idiocies, and I’m an otaku!

 

[Linusthe2nd]

They are small and thick, usually black and white books that are quite popular. However, there is profanity used in some otherwise good manga books. But there is a particular category of manga I would like to point out. It is called Yaoi (or yow-ee). It is gay porn and it is being sold in the US. There are also quite a few pornographic manga that feature straight characters.

Read what your kids are reading. The Japanese, generally, have a different view of morality than Westerners. And I mean no disrespect to Japanese persons.

Hope this helps,
Ed

Thanks for the warning. Pay no attention to the skeptics here, we know what you are talking about. It is said that " you are what you eat." Even more true is " you are what you read. " Public entertainment is full of a 1001 pit falls. Keep on guard.

 

[Seeker1961]

I’m not a parent-but my friends and family who are solve all the media problems pretty easily. Whatever the child wants to read, watch or play-they read, watch or play it first-or they talk to people they trust who have read the books, watched the movies or TV shows or played those games first. That way no book, video game, TV show or movie gets to their kids before they do.

 

[patrick457]

They are small and thick, usually black and white books that are quite popular. However, there is profanity used in some otherwise good manga books. But there is a particular category of manga I would like to point out. It is called Yaoi (or yow-ee). It is gay porn and it is being sold in the US. There are also quite a few pornographic manga that feature straight characters.

Read what your kids are reading. The Japanese, generally, have a different view of morality than Westerners. And I mean no disrespect to Japanese persons.

Hope this helps,
Ed

Nitpick from your neighborhood nitpicker: the proper pronunciation of yaoi (やおい) is ‘yah-oy’. (Heck, I originally didn’t know what Anglophone folks were talking about when they spoke of ‘yow-eeh’!) It’s commonly explained as an acronym for yama nashi ochi nashi imi nashi ‘no climax, no denouement, no meaning’. Which is exactly what these apparently are. These are not so much ‘gay porn’, in that what we could call ‘true’ yaoi (or BL - ‘boy’s love’ - as they are known here) is not so much aimed at homosexual men - that’s a different class altogether - but for women. And the classification of ‘porn’ needs to be qualified also: while some works (as well as popular stereotype) does seem to image BL titles as containing sexual content (going by osmosis here since I never read them - and I don’t think I will), in reality it need not have such for them to be classified as such. It could be a ‘pure’ portrayal of a pretty boy in a relationship with another handsome guy (which seems to be really the defining characteristic of BL: you’d be led to think that the world is populated only by handsome young men ) for all we know. Same goes for yuri, only this time replace ‘pretty boy’ with ‘cute girl’. Not that it makes it any more moral, mind you.

 

[patrick457]

In reality, the yaoi, yuri, incest, bestiality and hentai genres are more boring than Western adult cartoons these days. There’s a lack of a decent plot in these things and it’s pretty much a bunch of senseless masturbation fodder. Personally, I prefer something better than these idiocies, and I’m an otaku!

Why would you expect a plot? These aren’t meant to have any semblances of plot or common sense whatsoever. “No climax, no denouement, no meaning” is what yaoi means.

This is really what makes me cry for the state of humanity, let me tell you.

 

[Crescentinus]

Why would you expect a plot? These aren’t meant to have any semblances of plot or common sense whatsoever. “No climax, no denouement, no meaning” is what yaoi means.

This is really what makes me cry for the state of humanity, let me tell you…

Exactly!
You have felt my pain!

 

[patrick457]

Exactly!
You have felt my pain!

Why are there women who think that two handsome guys having a relationship is hot, and men who think two pretty girls in a relationship is hot, do you think?

 

[Crescentinus]

Why are there women who think that two handsome guys having a relationship is hot, and men who think two pretty girls in a relationship is hot, do you think?

There are a plethora of reasons behind that. If I say these reasons here, this thread may get locked. O:

 

[patrick457]

There are a plethora of reasons behind that. If I say these reasons here, this thread may get locked. O:

I’m not going to force you.

P.S. Just to point out another difference for the uninitiated (which I expect is a good deal of people here. Hentai (変態) in Japanese isn’t a term for Japanese porn as it is used in the West. The term originally meant something like ‘metamorphosis’ (as a scientific term) or ‘abnormal(ity)/irregular(ity)’. From the latter sense, the word began to acquire the meaning ‘(sexual) perversion’ (変態性欲 hentai seiyoku; i.e. an ‘abnormal’ sexual obsession). Hentai is an adjective that is mainly used as an insult to describe a ‘weirdo’ or (more commonly) a ‘pervert’; it isn’t really applied to pornographic books or other media here.

 

[Crescentinus]

I’m not going to force you.

P.S. Just to point out another difference for the uninitiated (which I expect is a good deal of people here. Hentai (変態) in Japanese isn’t a term for Japanese porn as it is used in the West. The term originally meant something like ‘metamorphosis’ (as a scientific term) or ‘abnormal(ity)/irregular(ity)’. From the latter sense, the word began to acquire the meaning ‘(sexual) perversion’ (変態性欲 hentai seiyoku; i.e. an ‘abnormal’ sexual obsession). Hentai is an adjective that is mainly used as an insult to describe a ‘weirdo’ or (more commonly) a ‘pervert’; it isn’t really applied to pornographic books or other media here.

It’s not an issue about coercion. I just don’t want this thread to get locked down. o:

And your P.S. part is spot on! I’ll add that there’s “hentaigana” or weird Japanese characters which were phased out by the early 20th century.

 

[patrick457]

It’s not an issue about coercion. I just don’t want this thread to get locked down. o:

I know.

And your P.S. part is spot on! I’ll add that there’s “hentaigana” or weird Japanese characters which were phased out by the early 20th century.

That’s a different term altogether: the hentai in hentaigana is 変体 (means something like ‘variation’; cf. 変体詩 hentaishi ‘unorthodox/unconventional verse’) while the hentai I’ve been talking about is 変態.