Ask John: Are Moetan & Strike Witches Viable in America?

Question:
Are Moetan and Strike Witches unlicensable due to their “loli” content? Any chance that they could get a R1 DVD release?

Answer:
I don’t wish to make light of legitimate concerns about the appropriateness and influence of provocative artistic material, but as someone with a liberal perspective on such material, I do have to admit that I sometimes think that Americans are bit over-eager to criticize anything with the appearance of impropriety, regardless of whether or not it’s actually immoral. There should be a difference between attacking material which is offensive, and blindly criticizing material that seems like it might possibly contain offensive content. Japan and America have vastly different cultural standards for the acceptable boundaries of creative and artistic expression. Mainstream animated productions like Moetan and Strike Witches get produced routinely in Japan while similar productions would be absolutely unthinkable in America. But the fact that American animation studios would never be able to produce this sort of animation doesn’t mean that animation fetishizing young girls isn’t entirely unacceptable in America. Largely, the viability of Lolicon themed Japanese art in America depends upon specific circumstances rather than broad, consistently applied principles.

As many American manga and anime fans know, the domestic release of the Kodomo no Jikan manga was canceled following public outrage over perceived offensive content within the story. This American rejection included wide protestation from critics and consumers that weren’t even familiar with the comic. However, many American fans are also aware that the entire Strike Witches television series was successfully distributed to Internet viewers in America, albeit the show was distributed domestically in a censored version. It’s also necessary to point out the fact that the Kite OVA series, which includes brief scenes of underage sex, is widely available completely uncut and uncensored on American DVD. And despite claims that she’s over 18, the “Magic Woman M” (Mahou Shoujo Meruru) erotic anime series starring a very young looking protagonist was also commercially distributed on uncut and uncensored American DVD. These discrepancies suggest that the viability of Lolicon material in America depends upon its format and distribution. The Kodomo no Jikan manga was to be distributed nationwide in major bookstores where consumers could easily browse the pages. Strike Witches and adult anime aren’t as easily accessible – interested viewers have to make a conscious effort to view them. And in the case of Kite, protagonist Sawa doesn’t look like an obvious child nor does the DVD cover promote the title as erotica.

I think that it’s also interesting and relevant to make note of the fact that the fully uncensored versions of Strike Witches and Moetan were too risque even for mainstream Japan. The Japanese television broadcast of Strike Witches was the same censored version that Americans had online access to. Only the Japanese DVD release includes graphic nudity. A select regional Japanese television broadcast of the Moetan anime was fully uncensored, but the episodes broadcast by most Japanese networks, and even the Japanese commercial DVD release are slightly censored. So Americans should have realistic expectations. We shouldn’t expect to see mainstream American distribution of anime which even Japan’s more permissible culture deemed too risque for similar distribution.

The banishment of the Kodomo no Jikan manga series from America, and by name association alone probably its anime adaptation also, signifies that America is certainly not as accepting of Lolita fetish comics and animation as Japan. But that doesn’t mean that Lolita fetish manga and anime are entirely unacceptable or inviable in America. FUNimation has already announced DVD release plans for a number of the Gonzo produced anime series to have been previously distributed online. And FUNimation has already dipped its toes into distributing magical girl anime with the Sasami ~ Magic Girl Club television series. The acquisitions of titles including Shigurui and Mnemosyne also demonstrate that FUNimation isn’t opposed to distributing anime that features graphic nudity. Allow me to clarify that I’m not predicting that FUNimation will acquire DVD distribution rights to Strike Witches. I’m merely stating that in light of previous circumstances, FUNimation seems the most probable domestic DVD distributor for the title. Given the fact that the censored version of Strike Witches has already had a successful American release, I don’t see it as impossible for the uncensored version to receive an American DVD release.

The Moetan television series has plenty of sexual innuendo, but, in fact, it actually contains less graphic nudity than Strike Witches. If Strike Witches is a morally viable American DVD release, Moetan certainly should be as well. But note that there’s a vast difference between a title which is philosophically acceptable for American DVD release and a title that’s commercially viable for American DVD release. I do think American consumers will eventually have an opportunity to purchase uncensored domestic Strike Witches DVDs, but I’m not so confident about Moetan, not because I think the show is too provocative for American release, but rather because the show has too little market potential in America. Thus far, Kodomo no Jikan is the only Japanese title to have been practically barred from American release due to its association with pedophile themes while numerous other anime and manga titles – some with more prevalent Lolicon content – have successfully reached America. So despite the fervent American debate over Japanese Lolicon manga and anime, evidence suggests that most mainstream loli manga and anime is “licensible” for American release.