How Japan’s ‘BBC’ is rewriting its role in the Second World War

[Josquius]

Which statement are you referring to?  That the Rape of Nanjing didn't happen, or that Japan was tricked into WWII by America?

Neither, I'm just speaking generally.

Wait, Tyr thinks it's inappropriate for Britons to fondly remember the empire?  All of the sudden that throws everything he's been saying into doubt.

I don't no. That was an example of an acceptable argument on one hide with the utterly unacceptable speaking well of the Nazis on the other.

[grumbler]

Sorry Grumbler. I give you a reply or two out of common decency applying to all but I don't like the arguing for arguings sake game.

That's okay.  You had stopped making actual arguments several exchanges ago, anyway; as you say, you were just arguing for arguments' sake. 

We can just agree to agree that I am correct. 

[jimmy olsen]

The whole point  I was making is that these are the views of a fringe group. Right wing politicians however feel compelled to claim to hold them to a greater or lesser extent in order to beat the other right wingers to the fringe group vote. There's a general understanding that these aren't views that any of them hold particularly close to their heart and they don't have to actually do much about them. If a right wing politician were to come out and speak against such views then he would cause a rift in his party at best, more likely just ruin his own career.

If a politician say he believes X, then appoints other people to positions of authority that believe X, who then go on to spread propaganda favoring that view to the nation via public broadcasting, then it's fair to suspect that perhaps that politician really does hold that view close to his heart.

[Admiral Yi]

Neither, I'm just speaking generally.

No specific statements that get reported match your general description.

[Agelastus]

Okay, I had to look and see if this was a real thing.  Ugh.  Why do a bunch of them have cat ears?  Does that also let them fly?

They are witches, and they need magical power to fly and fight.  When they use magical power, they grow animal tails and ears.  When they stop using such powers, the animal features disappear.  Don't ask me why.  That's just the way it is in the story 

Did they set out on making a record for anime fetishes touched upon a single production?

Also, China seems to have been obliterated in their version of the world:

That's an early map, one that I actually wish they still used.

The creators appear to have had second thoughts about exactly how much damage the Neuroi have done to Earth's continents over the years.

See this thread for the map at the top, and about half-way down for the screenshot from the series that confirms that the new map is, at the least, canon for the continents.

http://www.helma.us/sw/res/2188.html

[Yes, I quite like Strike Witches myself; there's a damn good story and setting underneath the fan-service, Unfortunately the fan-service itself does reach genuinely obnoxious levels for a western audience.]

[Tonitrus]

[Yes, I quite like Strike Witches myself; there's a damn good story and setting underneath the fan-service, Unfortunately the fan-service itself does reach genuinely obnoxious levels for a western audience.]

For being so liberated...why do we hate gratuitous T&A so much in the West. 

[Monoriu]

[Yes, I quite like Strike Witches myself; there's a damn good story and setting underneath the fan-service, Unfortunately the fan-service itself does reach genuinely obnoxious levels for a western audience.]

For being so liberated...why do we hate gratuitous T&A so much in the West. 

In Japan and East Asia, anime is for all ages.  I get the feeling that many consider anime to be kids only in the west, and kids aren't supposed to see half naked girls.

One genuine problem with Strike Witches is that many of the heroines are underage (which is normal for an anime).  The youngest one is 12 if I remember correctly.  The majority of them also showed their nipples.  So it can easily be construed as child pornography.  But really, the context is important.  There are practically no male characters, and all the nudity is shown in the context of playful female friendship. 

[celedhring]

Actually I think the relative downfall of anime in the West (and the reason we don't see so much of the stuff getting a proper release here) is that it's no longer considered for kids and the market for adult/young adult animation is very small.

[Monoriu]

Actually I think the relative downfall of anime in the West (and the reason we don't see so much of the stuff getting a proper release here) is that it's no longer considered for kids and the market for adult/young adult animation is very small.

This is another thing that puzzles me.  Why do people need "a proper release" in the broadband and fiber optics internet age?  Most of the anime that I've seen have never been "properly released" in HK/China.  I see lots of fan subtitle groups doing English subtitles for anime shows.  There are so many competiting Chinese subtitle groups that do the translation for free, that I generally can see an anime episode fully subtitled about 4-12 hours after it has been aired in Japan. 

I can understand if some people insist in seeing a show dubbed in English or whatever language they prefer.  I myself never went back to dubbed shows ever since I heard the original Japanese voice performance. 

[celedhring]

Actually I think the relative downfall of anime in the West (and the reason we don't see so much of the stuff getting a proper release here) is that it's no longer considered for kids and the market for adult/young adult animation is very small.

This is another thing that puzzles me.  Why do people need "a proper release" in the broadband and fiber optics internet age?  Most of the anime that I've seen have never been "properly released" in HK/China.  I see lots of fan subtitle groups doing English subtitles for anime shows.  There are so many competiting Chinese subtitle groups that do the translation for free, that I generally can see an anime episode fully subtitled about 4-12 hours after it has been aired in Japan. 

I can understand if some people insist in seeing a show dubbed in English or whatever language they prefer.  I myself never went back to dubbed shows ever since I heard the original Japanese voice performance.

"Proper release" = not having to resort to torrents.

[garbon]

One genuine problem with Strike Witches is that many of the heroines are underage (which is normal for an anime).  The youngest one is 12 if I remember correctly.  The majority of them also showed their nipples.  So it can easily be construed as child pornography.  But really, the context is important.  There are practically no male characters, and all the nudity is shown in the context of playful female friendship. 

I'm confused. You spoke earlier about fanservice but then are now saying it is just playful female friendship - so there's no issue with animating characters who are supposed to be young?

[Sheilbh]

There are practically no male characters, and all the nudity is shown in the context of playful female friendship.

[Monoriu]

One genuine problem with Strike Witches is that many of the heroines are underage (which is normal for an anime).  The youngest one is 12 if I remember correctly.  The majority of them also showed their nipples.  So it can easily be construed as child pornography.  But really, the context is important.  There are practically no male characters, and all the nudity is shown in the context of playful female friendship. 

I'm confused. You spoke earlier about fanservice but then are now saying it is just playful female friendship - so there's no issue with animating characters who are supposed to be young?

I don't get the confusion, probably because I am used to it.  Fanservice is a very wide term that covers not just nudity, but showing scenes and shots of females (even males) wearing skimpy clothing or in...compromised positions for no plot related reason.  The context can be anything, including playful female friendship.  Strike Witches goes a bit further than most non-hentai anime shows by actually showing half-naked girls.  Even so, the context is not obnoxious.  Whether it is ok to animate young characters depends on individual taste obviously.   

[Monoriu]

There are practically no male characters, and all the nudity is shown in the context of playful female friendship.

Part of the implications of Tokyo hosting the Olympics in 2020 is that they need to clean up.  I've seen giant wall posters showing young teenagers in very skimpy clothng out in the open streets in Tokyo.  That's considered ok there, but they know full well that many tourists will be uncomfortable seeing what they consider as child pornography. 

[Capetan Mihali]

There are practically no male characters, and all the nudity is shown in the context of playful female friendship.