By: Sailor Blue
It has finally happened. I was actually pissed off enough to write an article for the Lemure Files. Please bear with me as I continue. What has made me so mad my teeth are clenched and my fists are balled up? Simple: Hentai, or more specifically, Sailormoon Hentai.
What exactly is Hentai? A person unfamiliar with this word might ask. To my understanding, Hentai roughly translates to describe someone or something perverted. On the Internet it usually describes animated pornography, either being in picture form or animated movies (a person could think of it as X-rated movies or pictures).
Now that has been cleared up, I will try and get to my point (O_o" scary, isn't it?). I recently visited the SMU Web Forum and noticed a post entitled "I Need A Opinion". The person wanted an opinion of a picture, asking if the picture he had posted would be considered Hentai. Yes, he did post a warning at the top of the picture, saying that it might be offensive to some. I scrolled down, and low and behold, there was a picture of a Ami, half nude. My first thought, "Gods, she isn't that flat chested." After that, I became real angry. The picture did not look real; in fact it appeared tampered with. The shadowing of the body and head was off; not to mention that the skirt Ami was pictured in was nothing that she would normally wear (in my opinion). My last thought: This is Hentai.
I approached one of the Administrators of SMU (I know that they cannot do anything about the Forum, but I believed that the Administrator in question could talk to the guy who had posted the picture in the first place, and get him to stop posting "questionable" pictures). His answer to me: "This picture is not considered Hentai." His main reason for that response was to point out the fact that I am American and that to the Japanese culture where Sailormoon was born, the picture would not be offensive. He also the mentioned that the picture did not appear to be tampered with, when I brought up my questions concerning that aspect. It seems that the naked eye cannot be "trusted" when judging if pictures have been altered.
Well, damn it, I don't care. The picture was and is offensive to me. And so are the other pictures out there on the web, which show the Sailor Senshi in all manners of undress. Does this make me a prude? No, I don't think so. Do you know why? I respect, yes RESPECT Sailormoon and everyone else in the anime. Would Ami-chan pose for a picture without a shirt on? Hell no! A picture like that only tarnishes Ami-chan and the entire credibility of Sailormoon, especially in North America. This picture was posted in a G-rated Forum, where the average visitor is 11-16. And yes, parents monitor the Forum and chatroom in SMU. What does this do for Sailormoon? It cheapens Usagi-chan and what she stands for. A parent sees that, and Sailormoon becomes a cheap and dirty show in his or her mind.
Now that everyone thinks of me as the prude that I'm sounding like, I would like to point out that I have been watching japanimation for a number of years now, and yes, I'm used to seeing the female and male nude body, sexual scenes and situations. But that's fine with me, because I know what to expect with the more adult anime. I do not think that Sailormoon was meant to be an adult (and I mean adult in an explicit and sexual way) anime show. Sailormoon represents love of friends, trust, and more importantly- heart. Please do not let Hentai or even questionable pictures and fan fics blemish what the show and Usagi-chan herself means to many of us. ~_~
Comments on this article can be sent to:
Sailor Blue.
