This actually applies to any government around the world except Japan where there slightly more lenient about content.
To start off, the US in 2004 deemed Negima as a child pornography "magazine" or "comic book." It was in a CNN article, and not sure if many remembered this. As a result, a bill was presented in Congress to ban ALL anime and manga within the US, not including personal imports though. The bill did not pass because Congress didn't really care and anime is not really that big of a thing at the time.
Next in 2006/2007 in China and Taiwan, the Death Note cases. Just as the Death Note manga was ending publication there, both China and Taiwan decide to ban the manga not only from school (which was the first step though), but from the entire country. The reason was because they did not want children influenced by such a dark themed show emphasizing death.
QUOTE (Dalriada @ Jul 03 2008, 07:33 AM)QUOTE
When people tries to convince the government about the fact that anime isn't all about that, they just don't want to hear about it, sure the government aires some anime here (mostly pokemon) and some other ones, but only a few and allot has to happen for those to air here
But most of all anime aren't being aired here, you can buy they in some stores, but those stores are mostly in the bigger cities.
Since when the government decides what's aired on TV ?
I mean, I realize it can happen for some news, but not for entertainment.
Well, to be honest, we had some politicians speaking against animes in the early 90's.
When Hokuto no Ken/Fist of the North Star was broadcasted in a children show.
I can't say the politicians were wrong.
Except those particular problems about violence or sex (especially underage sex. And I mean underage according to the European laws, not 'less than 18'), I'm not aware of politicians interering with animes (it would be quite illegal anyway, in my opinion. For the sake of the competition).
The government has always had control of what's aired on TV. School Days was cancelled and so was Higurashi in Japan because of real-life incidents that depicted scenarios from the two shows. US same thing. Look at Naruto where the blood was completely editted out. Look at Yu Yu Hakusho and Kenshin. Same thing. In China, the banning of Death Note manga and anime. All in all government can control the media. That's how it manipulates the views of many audiences. Of course though they have some limitations, but when it comes to things like anime, since governments (especially those outside of Japan) perceive them as nothing more than cartoons, they have full authority of what content should not be shown.
I'm not sure about elsewhere, but it's a general stereotype not only by the government but by oblivious and ignorant audiences who perceive anime as nothing more than either as childish cartoons, porn, or excessive and unnecessary violence. I got that a lot in the past being the only person in my entire grade who liked anime to its fullest extent, in fact just liking anime at all, and I still get it now, but not as much.
All in all, it's just really going to take time for people to get hooked on it. Maybe not this generation, but the next probably. Because as more anime is exported from Japan, the increasing popularity (but also the death of fansubs
, which I'd rather not have ).
Also, I think this ANN image sums everything up about this thread and what I just said
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/anime-news-nina/2008-07-02