Ask John: Is Uncut Night Shift Nurses the Beginning of a Trend?

Question:
Why was the new Yakin Byoutou (Night Shift Nurse) DVD released uncut when CPM cited the original cuts as being legal issues? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for uncut and uncensored anime. I’m just curious if this means that other potentially “illegal” shows dealing with sadism, feces, and other controversial topics (shows like Koroshiya Ichi, Waver, and Maniax) may also be considered “legal” in today’s marketplace.

Answer:
CPM originally released Yakin Byouto episodes 1-3 in America in a heavily censored format because a handful of major cities in America have anti-obscenity laws that could be brought against this particular title. CPM was simply protecting itself by playing it safe, releasing a censored version rather than a potentially controversially uncut version. Due to strong consumer demand, CPM obviously decided to take their chances and release the second DVD volume uncut, hoping that no one will take them to court trying to have the DVD proven legally obscene. In both cases, the release format was simply a matter of playing the odds. With the former release CPM decided to be better safe than sorry. With the second release, they clearly decided to go all out and deal with any controversy that arises when it happens, if it happens. There’s probably little to really worry about, though. NuTech has been releasing adult anime titles in America for years, many of which that are very nearly as disgusting as Yakin Byouto, and NuTech has never encountered any major repercussions.

The exact legality of highly offensive anime titles like Yakin Byouto, Aile Maniax, Bondage Game, and Koroshiya Ichi Episode Zero (Waver isn’t particularly any more offensive than the Shusaku series that’s been available in America for quite some time) shouldn’t really come into question. The legal definition of obscenity has three requirements: prurience in respect to community standards, offensive sexual conduct, and lack of serious artistic or literary merit. The sort of anime we’re talking about may match the first two characteristics of legal obscenity, but the artistic and political and cultural significance that can be interpreted from these works clears makes them not legally obscene. The fact that Central Park Media has chosen to release Yakin Byouto parts 4 & 5 uncut, and Media Blasters is preparing to release the live action version of Ichi the Killer may both be signs that American culture is expanding its acceptance of transgressive, taboo shattering Japanese language film. In certain respects I can’t wholeheartedly call films like Koroshiya Ichi and Yakin Byouto “good,” but I can say that I’m glad to see them coming to America uncut because these imports, regardless of whether or not they are the vanguards of a new wave of imports, will expand American awareness of contemporary Japanese pop-culture art and force a re-evaluation of typical American expectations for both live action and animated film.