My classmate, Chicoine, wrote an insightful piece on censorship of anime in America. I admire the topic chosen, as it is not one I would have thought of on my own. In fact, upon reading their work, I was compelled by their argument and found myself questioning American censorship policies. They bring forward many examples of unnecessary censorship, displaying both visuals and explanations to convey their point to the reader.
She continues explaining that some changes are so slight that the censorship is indeed pointless, such as covering a cow's udders in cartoons. However, even more aggravating is censorship that drastically changes the plot of story line of a work. One instance, in Sailor Moon, is even politically incorrect in its censorship. They edited the gender of a character to cut out homosexuality from the anime, something that should be a nonissue.
Moreover, they point out that parent's who are concerned about what their children are exposed to should simply watch other programs. This seems like an obvious solution that many parents seem to neglect. After all, children don't typically watch adult programs, so why censor a program that was intended to be viewed a certain way?
The author concedes that some censorship to make shows more culturally relatable and enhance understanding makes sense. In doing this, they improve their credibility on the topic. They close with a personal explanation as to how the uncensored versions changed their experience for the better, adding a personal element and connection to the audience. I found the piece influential and by the end, I fully agreed with the argument put forth by the author.
