It's not my thing, but in the endless variety of comic artists' styles, it's very common in Japan to have cutesy representations of characters which to western eyes makes them look "younger". It's an art style. Look at "chibi" stuff for an even more extreme example. Also keep in mind that this story was run in a comic magazine aimed at kids, not one of the adult comics like Big Spirits or Morning or whatever. And although there is crossover in the larger magazines, comics in Japan are pretty clearly defined in their audience-targeting. Dengeki Daioh is the same magazine that ran Gurren Lagann, for example. So you've got characters who look like teenagers in a comic AIMED at teenagers. This isn't something I'd hang on my wall or put on my shelf now, but I wouldn't have felt lecherous reading it when I was 15. When I was, you know, the target audience.
None of the Chibi stuff I've ever seen has them depicted as a pre-pubecsent girl with nothing but a thin belt covering her nipples, a thin belt covering her crotch, and some weird bondage device around her neck. Yes, that's another image from the manga I came across. But hey, no nudity right.
See, I get this. I get that it's a popular art style within a certain culture, I still think that the whole style in general is disturbing. I don't think that just because of it's context that it can ever be ok to sexualise an image of a young girl (or boy for that matter). I am not suggesting that as a 15 year old that you would feel lecherous looking at that imagery, but not everyone has the innocent worldview of a 15 year old. I think that using 'cutesy' images in a sexual manner is diluting our natural aversion to the sexual objectification of children. As the PP said, he was looking at the cover where very young girls were shown in suggestive and provocative clothing, while wearing very scanty outfits. How can we send and enforce the message that it's not ok and not healthy to view a child sexually, if we allow these sorts of images? How is that we would recoil in disgust at the thought of a 12 year old being held in a 'bondage device' but we can shrug off the illustrated image of such simply because it's an 'art form'? I blame images like these (not JUST images like these, but they contribute for sure) to the escalation of justification of statutory rape. So many accused will consider themselves a victim, they seem to have this idea that young girls are sexually mature and that having sex with a young person is ok, as long as the young person themselves say it's ok. It's not. At 15 or younger I would definitely not have been able to emotionally process a sexual relationship, even if I thought I understood what such would entail. I believe in firm messages being sent that underage girls are NOT sexually available, they are not sexual beings and they are unable to BE sexual beings. Cutesy and sexy are two words that should NEVER be synonymous.
Lots of kids comics over there have a lot worse. A lot of them DO feature nudity. And you see that image you're talking about? Yeah, it's bad. But what I'm saying is that that is as bad as it gets. And what you see on that first page of your search is everything objectionable in the entire course of the comic and its related merchandise. That's everything. Because, yeah, those are the parts people felt like scanning. As I said in my first post, I thought it was going to be much worse. I didn't expect the few things I saw in the thread to have been everything. They were the same images used in the TF Wiki, who must have thought they were -- while bizarre and off-putting -- safe enough for general consumption. When I looked at their synopsis, I assumed that they, as a website aimed at all ages, were protecting their audience from the worst. But no. That WAS the worst. And all OF it. This is really a lot more than I was expecting to defend this. And it's not even something I care about. It's just that something irks me about groupthink. Fair enough. But it wasn't aimed at nor intended for an older audience. Although I don't know how far I can realistically take that argument when the same could be said for the cartoon, comics and toys that brought all of us here in the first place. I agree with that completely. I wouldn't argue otherwise.
First, can I say thank you for your respectful discussion, without personal attacks or eye rolling. It's refreshing to hear someone articulate their personal view without resorting to strawman arguments. Second, I think that you see these images as being innocent because you understand the art style and have removed yourself from the sexualisation somewhat. You accept it for what it is. I am not well educated or familiar with Manga/anime art etc. I also feel this way about western sexualisation of young images also. I don't think it's an issue that is exclusive to japanese art. Western pornography, for example is full of school uniforms, pig tails, lolly pops and trampolines. Then there is the concept of child beauty pageants etc.
Oh that's as bad as it gets, oh, that's ok then. It's OK officer, it's fine that I have pictures of these these underage girls in scenes of semi nudity and provocative situations because that's as bad as it gets. Sheesh!
lol Yeah that wouldn't fly. But what I mean is that yeah, you have 3 or 4 panels like that, the 3 or 4 you've just seen, and then the rest of the comic is not that. And again, it's not meant for you as a grown person. You aren't the Dengeki Daioh target audience. And we can start a list of kids comics with "semi nudity" and provocative situations starting at stuff like Ranma 1/2, and work our way down. The list will be 10 pages long and probably feature at least one or two things that, whoops, you've watched/read.
At the end of the day, those images are distasteful to the majority of people in the western world. Yes they are not the target audience, but they will see them. Like I said earlier in the thread, I'm very glad that my friends who know I am a Transformers collector aren't aware of the existence of Kiss Players. Hopefully it will always remain us collectors dirty little secret. Certainly I would hope to never, ever see a movie made of it, especially if that movie was based on the radio plays which a brief bit of research tells me Atari (who the OP wanted played by 15 year old Chloe Moretz) ends up naked in several times.
I do find this pic of Atari Possesed by Starscream (and the caption from tfwiki.net) funny "Not his finest moment, but possibly his most fabulous."
Good grief! Are those her panties? Ok, just threw up a little in my mouth She looks like a girl scout......
I recently bought another Autorooper, I had forgotten the creepy ass cover with Kremzeek coming out from under the [supposedly] woman's [though she looks to be twelve] skirt. My once proud Bineltech line reduced to preverted Japanese fantasies.
Yeah, okay. Well I hope you don't ever run into any Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma 1/2, Urusei Yatsura, Inu Yasha), Nagai Go (Mazinger Z, Devilman, Shuten Doji) or even Shotaro Ishinomori (Kamen Rider, Inazuman). Because girls' underwear hasn't been an uncommon sight in kids comics since the late 1960s.
I don't think I want to run into any of those.....again, it's NOT the underwear, it's the fact that the underwear appears to be coming off in a suggestive way on a girl who looks young enough to still be in a 'gro-bra'(as opposed to a real bra because she has yet to complete puberty). I am really not trying to offend or insult anyone who is into this sort of art, horses for courses and all that.
Rumiko Takahasi, Nagai Go, and Shotaro Ishinomori are three of the most well-known, well-loved cartoonists who ever lived. They have each created iconic works translated into dozens of languages with fans of all ages around the world (Hell, my wife grew up watching Nagai Go cartoons in Italy). Which puts them in an entirely different league than whoever it was who did Kiss Players. But the point stands.
This is not art... This is just creepy. Literary Escort Services Edit: Though some of the facts seem a little biased. Alternators held its own in sales. It was the cost of brand name vehicles and mold reuse that kinda killed the line as much as anything. Still the artwork speaks for itself.
I am sure they are fine artists within their chosen genre, however, if they draw images of girls who look 12 in suggestive and provocative poses while being scantily clad I know their art won't appeal to me. They obviously appeal to many others though, if they are very well known and well-loved, but just not to me. If they draw images of things OTHER than young looking girls in sexy scenarios then I may very well be interested in their art....Glimpses of underwear are fine, my own daughter swings upside down on the monkey bars while wearing a dress.....it happens *shrug* but the inference that the underwear is being removed (for any reason besides pooping or weeing or giving birth) is just not something that sits well with me.
