Interesting article on NHK today...

[akujunkan]

...about how Village Vanguard will no longer stock "books, manga, or goods with strong antisocial elements such as excessive depictions of sexuality, or murder or suicide."

Which I guess is good, but honestly I've encountered far more excessive depictions of the above in bona fide bookstores, and in much greater quantity. My main impression of Village Vanguard (where I shopped frequently over the course of five years/two prefectures) was that they were like Spencer Gifts without the slime of Spencer Gifts. Did I stumble upon the only two G-rated VV's in Japan?

That will be all.

Comments

[theosakakoneko.livejournal.com]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO this is horrible. Village Vanguard is one of the few places you can buy Maruo Suehiro or TH magazines in person in Japan. They're like the home of eroguro. The Exciting Bookstore in Osaka was like my favorite place in the universe. I can only imagine this is the type of thing they are referring to...but that's kinda their niche! If they don't sell that anymore...what will be their niche? T_T
I'm surprised at your "Which I guess is good" comment.

[akujunkan.livejournal.com]

The comment is tongue-in-cheek, because it's such a broad category (Quick, why isn't Chushingura "excessive?") and because if it's supposed to be some kind "think of the childrens" measure, the childrens are exposed to sexuality, violence, and suicide all over Japan's media, no matter what VV does or does not sell.

Honestly, part of me wonders whether this either a preemptive response to the Tokyo ban, or has more to do with the fact that Suehiro-type stock doesn't move as quickly in-store as it did before Internet shopping.

[theosakakoneko.livejournal.com]

I'm terribly out of the loop - what is this Tokyo ban?

[akujunkan.livejournal.com]

The Tokyo ban is Bill 156 (http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD%E9%9D%92%E5%B0%91%E5%B9%B4%E3%81%AE%E5%81%A5%E5%85%A8%E3%81%AA%E8%82%B2%E6%88%90%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E6%9D%A1%E4%BE%8B) which could potentially make a very large and heterogeneous swath of manga and anime illegal in the city (and therefore most of Japan). I think it was supposed to be an under-the-rug kinda deal until Kadokawa and nine other publishers announced they were going to boycott this year's International Anime Fair in protest.

[theosakakoneko.livejournal.com]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO