Moral Differences

Saiya-jin · Post by **Saiya-jin** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:41 pm

I know there are many differences between American and Japanese culture, but I just wanted to know why there is nudity in the series? I remember seeing something about toilet humor, but I think that would just be for seeing a little kids butt. But, I don't know about you, I don't really wanna see a grown mans butt or even a little kids crotch(GT Intro). I just wanna hear what you guys think about this.

masenko · Post by **masenko** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:48 pm

Children in Japan are slightly more mature than in the US and their entertainment deals with more adult like situations. It's not a matter of what is morally right, it's what is entertaining to certain age groups. FUNi markets Dragon Ball towards a younger audience and the original audience by using both edited and unedited formats. It's not that they find it morally wrong to show nudity but they realize that many parents would consider cartoon nudity to be inappropiate. Japan's animation has always been edgier than America and it will more or less remain that way.

Jerseymilk · Post by **Jerseymilk** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:52 pm

It's just nudity. Plain and simple. Other than the scenes with Roshi and Buruma, the scenes with nudity in DB are nothing more than situations where the characters happen to be naked. America has this problem:nudity is always related to sex in some way. Many other cultures view nudity as just a naked body. We weren't born with clothes on after all.

It's not that children are more mature in Japan. I certainly don't think kids that go around playing a well known game where the sole purpose is to poke someone in the butt with their finger equals maturity. It's just that Japan views nudity differently. Basically to them it doesn't have the sexual associations and thusly the sinful connotations to it.

Saiya-jin · Post by **Saiya-jin** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 4:55 pm

Jerseymilk wrote:It's just nudity. Plain and simple. Other than the scenes with Roshi and Buruma, the scenes with nudity in DB are nothing more than situations where the characters happen to be naked. America has this problem:nudity is always related to sex in some way. Many other cultures view nudity as just a naked body. We weren't born with clothes on after all.

Yeah, I get that. Most people automatically relate any kind of Nudity to Pornography or sex. I guess it is just a maturity thing.

Blitzen · Post by **Blitzen** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:50 pm

The ammount of nudity/little boy penis you can get away with in prime-time programming or even movies (see Taro the Dragon Boy, for example, a 1979 Toei movie which um... just watch it) has decreased quite a bit in recent times. It's a bit of a misconception that Japanese children are somehow more mature than American ones because their cartoons are edgier. Parents simply trust both creators of the show and their kids not to do anything stupid, and they don't, because it's not villified to such an insane level. If anything, it's because Japanese parents don't start up 1,000 and one different "organizations" to "protect their children", but as I said, things do change.

One example I can think of with a Shonen Jump property receiving a fair deal of heat over was the original theatrical version of the Fist of the North Star movie. Unlike every other release of the film, which had gore and such censored by large "blurs" (the frame and such is smeared), it had pretty intense violence. Like I mean, really insane. One scene where Rei (I think?) dismembers Generic Thug #22837193 by slicing his fingers through his face showed the thugs face coming open, his eyes popping out, his brain spewing out, lalala. Gorgeous stuff, which was all advertised as basically a childrens film.

Then theres the obvious, non Shonen Jump example of Evanglion but you all know about that.

Chaos Saiyajin · Post by **Chaos Saiyajin** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:57 pm

I've really never understood what's so wrong with a naked body...I mean, we've all got 'em, no matter if we are male or female. I guess it just shows the cultural differences between east and west...

I say...more Bulma fan service!

masenko · Post by **masenko** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 6:58 pm

A difference in culture is all this really is. I'm sure there are things in American entertainment that would be censored someway in Japan.

Bejiita · Post by **Bejiita** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:25 pm

If a company in the UK dubbed DBZ their wouldn't be that many nudity problems, it's not thaty much of a big deal here.

I saw baby's sucking tits at 4pm, way before the watershed.

Dark Vegeta-Sama · Post by **Dark Vegeta-Sama** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:55 pm

What exactly is 'immoral' about nudity?

America needs to stop automatically associating it with sex and grow up.

Rocketman · Post by **Rocketman** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 12:48 am

Dark Vegeta-Sama wrote:What exactly is 'immoral' about nudity?

America needs to stop automatically associating it with sex and grow up.

What's so wrong about nudity? I'll tell you.

US Obesity at an All-Time High, that's what's wrong with it.

Dayspring · Post by **Dayspring** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 12:59 am

Rocketman wrote:
Dark Vegeta-Sama wrote:What exactly is 'immoral' about nudity?

America needs to stop automatically associating it with sex and grow up.
What's so wrong about nudity? I'll tell you.

US Obesity at an All-Time High, that's what's wrong with it.

I'm so lost. Was that supposed to be an insult to overweight Americans? If so, where the fuck did that come from?

Dark Vegeta-Sama · Post by **Dark Vegeta-Sama** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:10 am

Rocketman wrote:
Dark Vegeta-Sama wrote:What exactly is 'immoral' about nudity?

America needs to stop automatically associating it with sex and grow up.
What's so wrong about nudity? I'll tell you.

US Obesity at an All-Time High, that's what's wrong with it.

Okay.

That made me laugh, I'll admit.

Anyway, not that I want to see animated characters naked, I just think that North America needs to get over its fear of nudity in general. It doesn't need to automatically be related to sex; it's how we're brought in to this world, after all.

The Mole · Post by **The Mole** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:16 am

Children wouldn't care about nudity. Hell, little kids are running around naked almost all the time where I live, and absolutly no one cares.

Saiya-jin · Post by **Saiya-jin** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 8:54 am

I don't find anything wrong with it either. Maybe I should go back and time and Tell the first humans not to wear clothes, and for God's sake, DON'T EAT THE APPLE!!

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:05 am

Saiya-jin wrote:I don't find anything wrong with it either. Maybe I should go back and time and Tell the first humans not to wear clothes, and for God's sake, DON'T EAT THE APPLE!!

"For God's sake." That's witty. Was that on purpose?

Anyway, I agree with the general consensus here. It's just cultural differences.

HP · Post by HP » Fri Feb 24, 2006 11:44 am

For me the most controversial aspect of DB is not nudity, as it's portrated very natural and innocently. It is the violence. Piccolo ripping off his arm or Freeza piercing Krillin with his horn... Graphical scenes like that.
That's why I can't consider DB a tottaly suitable for children show.
Those related with "extreme" violence aspects, are the ones I think it's aceptable to apply some censorship! Despite censorship not pleasing me at all as a DB fan.

Saiya-jin · Post by **Saiya-jin** » Fri Feb 24, 2006 12:48 pm

SSj Kaboom wrote: "For God's sake." That's witty. Was that on purpose?

Yeah, it was.(Tree of Knowledge)

But anyway, yeah the show is really violent. I was suprised when I first found it was a kid show. It seems it would be for teenage boys. After all, blood and gore is what drives the average teenage boy.*snicker*

Chaos Saiyajin · Post by **Chaos Saiyajin** » Sat Feb 25, 2006 11:33 am

Saiya-jin wrote:I don't find anything wrong with it either. Maybe I should go back and time and Tell the first humans not to wear clothes, and for God's sake, DON'T EAT THE APPLE!!

Oh God...

I said that on purpose too...If you didn't catch it...or something...

Dominator · Post by **Dominator** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:01 pm

The Mole wrote:Children wouldn't care about nudity. Hell, little kids are running around naked almost all the time where I live, and absolutly no one cares.

*Insert joke about Michael Jackson here*

Saiya-jin wrote:I don't find anything wrong with it either. Maybe I should go back and time and Tell the first humans not to wear clothes, and for God's sake, DON'T EAT THE APPLE!!

Why, did God even put the snake and the tree there if there was bound to be a fuck-up?

Lol, this thread is the optimome of odd (is optimome even a word?)

SpaceKappa · Post by **SpaceKappa** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 2:00 pm

I think you mean to say "epitome."