Ask John: Why is Shoujo Anime More Heavily Edited than Shonen Anime?

Question:
Why, when it comes to shoujo [girls’ anime] being dubbed (Sailormoon) is it always more edited that shounen [boys’ anime]? I mean, Sailormoon is my fav. anime! and DiC and CWI just had to be sexist and change it all like the bakas [idiots] they are! That IS being sexist isn’t it? And what is wrong with the phrase “Make up!”? Forget them, I bought subs.

Answer:
I know that this question has been addressed before in both the “Ask John” column and in the AnimeNation forum, but I believe that this is an interesting and important topic worthy of being discussed again. The differences in American television broadcast editing of anime for girls versus anime for boys goes a long way toward to identifying characteristics of American pop culture, and is a reflection of the state of anime in America.

Virtually all anime broadcast on American television gets edited, but it does seem as though shoujo anime usually fares worse than shonen anime. The early seasons of Dragonball were very heavily edited, but shows like Tenchi Muyo, Gundam W, The Big O, Outlaw Star and Blue Sub No. 6 made it onto television relatively unscathed. On the other hand, Sailormoon, Escaflowne and Card Captor Sakura have all been heavily edited. The foremost reason behind this treatment is network demographics. According to traditional financial reasoning, girls may watch cartoons, but they don’t buy toys based on cartoons. Boys buy action figures and toys based on cartoons, so boys’ cartoons are more profitable. But marketing only to boys ignores the entire female market, so the strategy with the greatest commercial potential is to market shows that appeal to both male and female audiences.

We must remember that anime is not American. Although anime may seem like second nature to us die-hard fans, the average American is not used to the idea of cartoons with a continuing story and realistic, evolving characterizations and real-life conflicts and emotional challenges. The average American has never heard of a cartoon for girls that may also appeal to boys. Therefore, rather than simply broadcast a foreign show that was designed to appeal to both male and female audiences, networks tailor these shows to the “average” viewer by removing the most overt feminine aspects and adding a heavy-handed male aspect to them. As I’ve stated before, it’s easier to change the animation to suit the viewers than it is to convince the viewers to change their attitudes and preconceptions. Thus, homosexual females and androgynous characters in Sailormoon get their ambiguity forcibly clarified; Card Captor Sakura has its characterizations drastically altered and most of its character development excised to be more accessible to boys; and the first episode of Escaflowne is removed to eliminate the romantic overtones from the show.

On the other hand, in a move that mirrors American social values, sex and anything vaguely sexual is removed before violence is edited. It’s all right to show teen boys threatening to kill themselves and those around them on Gundam Wing, but not acceptable to show boys in love with girls or other boys in Escaflowne or Card Captor Sakura. It’s acceptable to make outlaws, terrorists and criminals main characters of “cartoons” for boys, but unacceptable to broadcast non-offensive, innocent character development, romance and adventure in “cartoons” for girls all because such things in boys shows earn ratings and profit, while elements like kindness, caring and love in “cartoons” simply don’t turn a profit.

I applaud your choice to buy subtitled versions. You’ve done the right thing. Refusing to watch or buy Sailormoon at all would simply result in broadcasters dumping the show. Buy supporting a subtitled version, you’re using your money to make a quantifiable statement that you want to see the show the way it was meant to be seen. If you, and all of your friends, continue asking for and buying subtitled versions, hopefully eventually some executive somewhere is going to notice that there’s profit to be made in leaving Japanese anime Japanese. That’s when we’ll begin to see uncut shoujo anime come to America. It really is up to us- you and me- to make it happen.