This video is why I watch this channel. Level headed and rational even when disagreeing with people. Not outrage and clickbait and manufactured drama. Just an honest opinion presented calmly.
I wish more content creators would have open minded discussions like this. It feels genuinely refreshing to see videos like these instead of constant close-minded banter I see elsewhere.
It's a very good chanel and this video tackles a very controversial topic in a mature, well researched, and intelligent way. Even if you disagree, you have to admit he did a great job addressing things.
It's frustrating, honestly. It's THE anime that got me into anime. I am glad I was unaware when I watched it, because otherwise, I'd have missed out on a story that truly touched my soul. It's hard to set it apart from the controversy, and I understand both sides.
It’s important to have these difficult discussions! While I’ve never watched kenshin, and don’t feel inclined to get into it bc of what I know now, I still appreciated hearing the information you provided in this video. You can tell you did your research. Hopefully the comments stay humane for our sanity lol.
What a fascinating deep dive into the context around Nobuhiro Watuski and the culture of Japan at the time and before. I'm an anime old head familiar with his history and even I learned some details I didn't know. Glad you guys took the time to really get into this in a long form situation.
Kenshin really helped me out in my teenage years. It was something me and my dad really bonded over. So I have really good memories of it. I will be watching the new one despite what happened with the creator. I don’t condone what he did but I do believe in redemption and I do believe that if you truly want to repent it depends on how you live going forward. I truly hope that what he puts out continues to help other people and he himself can give that back to society to atone for what happened.
I wasn’t even aware of the controversy until I found your video, but I’m so grateful I heard it from you first. Thank you for providing so much context, information, and for making your opinion known without pressuring anyone in any way. This was excellent and heartbreaking, but well worth learning about. Thank you.
I remember watching this on cartoon network as a kid after school. I never knew what it was called and why it stopped airing. Thank you for taking the time to share this and give a well rounded perspective.
It’s stopped airing cause it was done with the TV arcs, as back then there was the OVAs like reflections and Trust and Betrayal and that wasn’t meant for kids at that time watching Toonami
You guys deserve more subs. seriously. The theme and art of the thumbnails, videos, and channel as whole; the direct introduction to every series, the detail of its history and future, the edits of the videos- every video I’ve seen I’ve actually watched all the through. Keep going!
First manga i ever owned. I'm not someone that idolizes authors or any prominent figure. They are just like you and me. But learning about his crimes felt like such a betrayal
Not saying that you’re conflating Animated Lolicon with actual CP but I do want to make sure ppl aren’t considering them as the same. Theres a huge difference between abusing real children and something that is safe, sane, consentual with all adults. I do think loli (and shouta) should be retired as a trope and that it shouldn’t people something people (especially real children) can just run into in the anime community. Did lolicon become the thing it is because of pedos? Probably, and there are many lolicon who are not pedos because it is just a fantasy. There are also many reasons why someone may partake in this content including irl abuse survivors themsleves. Shaming this kink can also lead to abuse among participants as has happened in kinkster communities. (Not to mention what is considered to be CP can vary based on cultural practices). Needless to say I am applying a general western lens. Bottomline is, legality does not dictate what is ethical. Just cuz it wasn’t illegal in Japan for many years doesn’t mean we have to accept it, especially when it happened to recently. I love kenshin but I can’t justify supporting the author in anyway. edit: the transformative justice piece is tricky, especially considering western culture is very punishment happy and I don’t consider that helpful, I’m ‘fine’ with the mangaka’s punishment as thats not my cultural swim lane and also don’t feel bad boycotting the rest of his work as thats part of the penance and shame involved with his punishment.
I really appreciate you had the balls to actually talk about this in a nuanced way and providing much needed context. Everyone seems to be either ignoring the existence of the new show or dunking on it either because of a valid bias against Watsuki or because they are blinded by nostalgia and consider que original anime perfect when it wasn't. I love this story, and I hate the fact that Watsuki is what he is, but what can I do? I owe a lot to this story (including meeting my wife). So I'm supporting the new anime, despite the fact the author is a creep. I hope he does atone for real, because his sentence was a joke. I respect people who don't want to watch the series anymore, but I expect people to respect my decision to watch it too.
Exactly. Nobody sane human being is going to burn their full collection of Kenshin Manga and Collectibles over something like this. If people need to signal virtue this strongly, they should just keep it to themselves and let people enjoy what they want to enjoy.
I wish I could continue to love it the same, but for me personally it will be impossible to watch the anime again without thinking of what he did. I’ll remember it fondly, and I won’t ever hate it because it really is a story about goodness, but I think this is the death of Rurouni Kenshin for me.
I really appreciate you talking about this topic with facts and explanations. Many tend to only have a surface level understanding of Japan, it’s what is portrayed in public, while hiding many social and political issues. It’s great to have a video go so in depth about the underlying problems.
Yeah I think the outside perspective of westerners often blinds us to the deeply fucked elements of Japanese society. Like until fairly recently rape and murder had 15 year statute of limitations. So there are dozens if not hundreds of rapists, murderers etc. that just get away with it. Like they could confess and nothing would happen.
I'm glad that y'all made this video. I never really got into Rurouni Kenshin when I was younger, and I don't really feel comfortable getting into it now, but I think this kind of context is necessary. I can tell that certain parts of this made you very uncomfortable, but your level-headed presentation was the best way to present that context. Thank you for doing this.
He created Rurouni Kenshin but he sold the rights of the anime over a decade ago and thus regardless of what a pervert he was behind close doors I never knew the guy I only knew Kenshin his creation and there has never been anything perverted in Kenshin and it's been one of the most amazing anime's of all times. Just like in hollywood they say a lot of the artist are pedos and evil but people go watch the movies and have nothing to do with their works. I just wanna say I love rurouni kenshin ! and i'm glad the remark is here in 2023!
This is a very important issue and that you are being very level headed in talking about makes this video a necessary watch. I really hope more people get to watch this. Great work!
Rurouni Kenshin was one of my first anime (I have a vivid memory of the episode where Kenshin arrives in Kyoto), and was thus one of the first manga I ever purchased. I have a lot of mixed feelings about allowing myself to enjoy Kenshin with all of this. I'm watching the remake for the nostalgia, and I won't give away my books, but his crime will forever color my view of the series, and I think that stain is part of the punishment Watsuki will be living with for the rest of his life.
I'm enjoying the new anime so far, but the music doesn't hit as hard as the 90s anime so far. The soundtrack of the original anime was so iconic. Hopefully this new one will live up in the sound department eventually.
Ik yall have done some videos about Rurouni Kenshin previously. Love the content yall make mike and I hope this is a great prelude to a beautiful video about the series!
Congratulations on doing this video: It’s BY FAR the most Comprehensive In-Depth explanation of the Situation I have ever seen. It’s really centered-minded and Factual exposition. Quality content. I hope everyone watches this video to get all the facts and views in this matter. 👍
Great video, subscribed. I loved Kenshin, still do, but I'll also be forever heartbroken by Watsuki. You gave me a new perspective on the whole situation and while it won't heal the heartbreak, it puts me more at ease with the discomfort I felt in having such a formative story stained by this whole ordeal. I'm looking forward to your Kenshin videos. It feels good to see someone talk about Kenshin positively while not looking away or dismissing the whole situation.
Im happy you actually went into the history. I grew up loving anime, japanese video games, and Japanese pop culture and because of this, I can both relate and disconnect from a lot of the humor that might be seen as offensive in the US. For a lack of a better term, the perversion (light-hearted or obvious) often seen in a lot of these mediums is something I consume and enjoy specifically when it comes from a Japanese perspective, is animated, and when done in a way that I feel isn't too self-indulgent but rather just leaning into the culture. I've also done a lot of research regarding Japanese history and I've come to understand the relationship history and culture has played in modern Japan and how cultural norms are depicted in media. And so I don't justify some of the awful things that Nobuhiro Watsuki many others participate in, I understand where it comes from. And I've always maintained that the country and the culture that exists in the country has failed him just as much as it's failed. Anyone else who have those preferences? Not that we don't have autonomy and not that every Japanese man has the same preferences, but there's something much larger at play culturally that one is likely to become subjected to growing up in Japan. And so I appreciate the context that you've given. I guess I feel sorry for him more than I hate him and at the end of the day I still absolutely still love what he's created.
I had vaguely heard of this, thank you for the deep dive not just into what happened with the mangaka but with the culture. Learned a lot here. Great video 👌
Its always best for people to have a non biased opinion, when taking everything into consideration we can be left with a better understanding of human nature as a whole, and allowing someone the opportunity to at least redeem themselves, in the end is what we would want for ourselves.
Great take on this particular subject. I dont think this could have been conveyed better. The education on the background and the different views was fantastic. Thanks for this. Continue to be great my friend. You are doing the work of the ppl that is drastically understated by most.
It takes a lot of courage to go in depth and explain avenues about the context of the author, society, rapid culture shift,etc. many of us are simply ignorant of. Thank you so much Bonsai Pop!!!
It’s really unfortunate when the creator of something you like or love turns out to be a monster and I totally get people who can’t separate the art from the artist but in the case of Watsuki and Kenshin I can. The only other real compreble to it is the wrestler Chris Benoit who murdered his wife and son. I can still watch his matches, but I completely get why others can’t.
I grew up with him, but my mortal compass just can’t direct myself to watch Chris wrestle. You know he gotta older son that look just like him it’s so eerie.
I feel like a good followup to a discussion type video would be like “does the western world have the capacity to forgive? (maybe not forget) but forgive?” It’s worth thinking about especially here in the US, where we have among the highest recidivism rates on Earth. 22% of the world’s incarcerated are here in America. Do *we* here believe in redemption?
Knowing Japan and their atrocities to us, it was literally Hell according to my grandma so it was a hard pill to swallow learning from her. Times passed, people moved on and do things for the betterment of society. I'm somewhere the same age as you and I've loved RK when I was only on elementary school and was even one of the most beloved anime in the Philippines during the 90s. When the live action movies got announced, many fans lined up to watch em because of its beloved story and characters. I had a Japanese friend told me about that controversy, honestly got disappointed but I understood where he's coming from...society and all but that doesn't mean he's clean from it. I still love his work today because of its messages and story, despite the creator's past. Thanks for sharing your insights on this~
Japan was nuked and many japanese gruesomely perished but South Korea still wants to continue bitching about apologies from Japan when South Korea commited attrocities in Vietnam
This was a well reasoned discussion and I see people in the comments making decisions that work for them. Morally I could no longer support the anime from a literal pedo. If we think he still isn’t that person while still working as a mangaka then we are being woefully naive. To me there is no separating the art and this artist. If at least he did jail time and got a punishment sure I could see it, but he got a slap on the wrist and then went back to work. Anything new going forward is tainted..it really just is
thank you mike and the bonsai pop team for actually making a nuanced and intelligent video on this subject this is how we should look at and discuss complex and messy subjects such as this one
What people don't realise is yeah, you're right that there's likely a ton of people like in in the anime and manga industry who are just better at keeping it hidden. With how the industry is so quick to sexualise middle and high school girls you'd think people would know the Watsuki stuff is not unique
If anything, this sort of stuff just makes the point of kenshin more poignant. In the west we rarely talk about or support forgiveness or redemption. Which imo should be a serious part of discussions like this.
I'm simple in how I feel about the situation. I hate what he did, but I don't think he's a bad guy. You can be a great person and still take a wrong turn. I'm personally fine giving him my money.
I understand all of the cultural factors you've described, but the bottom line for me is this: I think it's a bad idea to continue to support creations from bad actors, especially if that support continues to financially benefit them in some way. The work and the person are and will forever be intrinsically linked, there is no true separation that can happen. I'm not going to yell about it, just boycott it, or "Cancel" as the preferred term is these days.
This was a wonderful video and I very much enjoyed the presentation of the information. I started reading Ruroni Kenshin a while back and only got about 12 chapters in but in that little time I knew this was something special. Shortly after I found out what the author had done and I just couldn’t bring myself to read more which really sucked because I had a feeling that if I did finish the manga it would have become an all time favorite for me. Despite that, I believe this video did an excellent job at portraying the history of Japan and how its society allowed for such a terrible thing to happen without ever feeling like you were trying to convince me of anything or excuse anything. Anyway, love the videos as always and I’m excited for whatever you guys drop next
31:30 "It sounds like a horribly lonely and sad existence" Wonderful insight. I want to say something that some might find controversial. If you have "paraphilia" and are attracted to children and not adults and you made a commitment to never harm a child, you have my respect. I think you are a good person. Just don't waver. Edit: I should emphasize the last part. It obviously changes everything if the commitment is broken. People shouldn't be judged for their inclinations but they must be judged for their actions.
Glad he got arrested before his urges get worse. Ive read that pedophilia is considered a disorder, something about genetic and something about their brain structures is weird and messed up. But still not an excuse. I feel like the best course of action once he knew that he has an attraction he cant control towards a child, he should have reported himself and gotten some help. But he acted on his urges which is definitely wrong. 😢 Hope he gets the help he badly needed
@@sjkclau I'm slightly embarrassed by my comment but I'm glad you didn't misunderstand and put me on a watch list. I suspect it can't be fixed, but people like that just have the burden of living chaste lives or being pedophiles. A lot of people have issues only they can understand and still manage to deal with them. But I do respect people with a strong will to be good. I vaguely remember an anime i forget the name of with the main character being a hardcore pervert but unlike other anime he had self control and behaved honorably. The concept of a noble pervert seemed interesting. Done rambling.
I was with you all the way untill you seemed to view him in a favorable light when compared to JK rowling.... I am not trying to defend her or even say I agree with her. But the fact that you made a 38 min video trying to see illuminate the historical and societal context and nuisance to his actions while summarizing her actions as "supporting evil politicians" without even a fraction of that same consideration is kind of bullshit. Comparing just their actions what he did was/is so much worse... and objectively immoral. 1 person had child pornography the other supports politicians you think are evil.... I just want to say one other thing... killing Jewish people was not a crime in Germany.
Not sure why I watched 15 minutes of a video titled about Rurouni Kenshin that doesn't talk at all about Rurouni Kenshin... Really bad video. I assume you get to the point towards the end, but it was faster to just look up the details myself. Basically clickbait for view time.
The toughest decision for us readers, at least for those of us who care to make this distinction is... do we trust Watsuki to make a change for the better? Cause consuming media from an author who is actively doing you know what is obviously not the same that doing it from an author that you know has learnt his lesson and is working to redeem himself. Hopefully no one does the first thing knowingly, but as for the second scenario, I know a lot of readers would be willing to forgive. Sadly here's no way to tell whether he'll continue with his paraphilia or not, and that leaves many of us with a dilemma. As Mike points out, it's actually sad to think how many mangaka could be doing the same and just haven't been found out. And yet that same risk hides behind every one of the thousands pieces of media we consume in a year. It'd be naïve to think that all of those creative authors just happen to be exemplary people. Statistically speaking it'd be quite an oddity in fact. I usually end these kind of comments with a neat conclusion, but I really can't produce one this time. I guess each of us ought to reach one by ourselves.
Just throwing it out there: We minted 500,000 Purple Hearts in anticipation of the invasion of Japan. To this day, they have not all been awarded. US Service Members WIA or KIA from Afghanistan and Iraq are awarded Purple Hearts minted in 1945. In Japan, they were actively distributing plans for single use firearms amongst the civilians in order to “defend the heavenly sovereign” Emperor Hirohito. They did not surrender after the first nuclear bomb was dropped. Approximately 335,000 Japanese citizens were killed by nuclear weapons. This is, without a doubt, a terrible tragedy. Minimum estimation of invasion KILLED was 400,000 US soldiers and 5,000,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians. Not casualties, DEAD. The use of nuclear weapons was absolutely devastating, but it saved lives. Which is both incredibly terrifying and depressing to think about.
Been living in Japan for a few years and I attest that the "don't be a bother" core value permeates everything in Japanese society, as far as i have experienced. I observed how it is usually the main reason for many of their social norms, rules, and idiosyncrasies. At first I had to keep asking others about whether this or that is okay. Eventually I can just ask myself, "will it bother someone? Will It cause anyone inconvenience?" - and I have a pretty accurate gauge whether a decision or action is acceptable. It can be difficult at first but live in Japan long enough and you'll just get the feel for it. About "minor-focused adult entertainment"... This video has given me such helpful insight as to why Japan is so casual about "that" until now. Im so disturbed by how adult merchandise shops almost ALWAYS has a picture of a highschool girl- not even in a sexy pose, just a frickn headshot, and maybe just looking subtly provocative on the camera. A high School girl in sailor uniform + the word "DVD" instantly means an Adult Video/ toy shop. Just... Disgusting. Highschool girls in uniform *just existing* is equated to adult pleasure. This Watsuki controversy highlights how complicated CP issue is and how its so grossly mishandled in Japan. It's true, nobody wants to step in to bring out sensitive issues like that so everybody just chooses to stay quiet until something HUGE happens and they they just give the law a little nudge then call it progress. Its disheartening.
Yeah criminal justice is pretty fucked all around. Insanely short statutes of limitations, minor penalties for serious offenses leading to ubiquitous sexual crimes, and very few actually get a trial. Add in the fact that Japan is basically an autocracy and you’ve got a dreadful combination
"Japan was ready to give up." That's propaganda. The branches of the Japanese military had ignored the Japanese government's orders in the past and the army was still intending to fight (see the war in China and the different reasons given for surrender provided to the citizens vs the army). You don't get the failed rebellion which tried to stop the surrender from a desire for peace. There's a lot of pushing behind the idea that the bombs didn't need to be used, but from the historical evidence and behavior I've read and heard there was a non-zero chance that the Japanese would have taken genocide before surrender.
I thought this was going to be a silly video about debates on if the new or old Rurouni anime was better. Significantly more serious that I was expecting. Great video as always.
This was such an insightful video my guy. I love how deeply you explored Japanese culture as it relates to the situation and how clearly you explained it. Great job mate!
Kenshin is one if the best protagonists in Shonen period and is part of why a redemption arc is one of my favorites in fiction. I seperate the art from the artist, plenty of media that I've enjoyed over the years and their creators are pieces of 💩. Though I can appreciate you approaching this topic with as an open mind as is possible when it comes to this subject.
Yeah I don't know. I was the biggest Bill Cosby fan there was, but can't really listen to his stuff anymore after learning what he did. It doesn't matter to me that he was enabled by an American society that has conditioned itself to turn a blind eye to his transgressions. Cosby also had a "wholesome" message to his content about what it meant to be a good person. Yet he was a monster. I feel the same way about Watsuki. But we all have to make that choice for ourselves with regard to "art and the artist." Regardless, enjoyed the video. Keep up the good work.
It doesn’t bother me. Other cultures do different things, if the country formerly normalizes these things. No one has a right to condemn a man whom already payed for his crimes.
Mike, thank you so much for this vid as well as providing the context from Supernova to the East; super glad to see a fellow manga and anime otaku try to learn the history and culture of Japan. Like you, while I can dislike the crime of the mangaka, I can hope that the public fine + public shaming will be enough to prevent him from doing crimes in the future, and I’ll continue to have a place for Kenshin and the gang in my heart
I'm disappointed in the author, but I also have a clear understanding of the situation as well. The cultures and morals of one's country both good and bad manifest in the people who live there. And as you said it yourself, the country changed while the people were left behind. I truly hope that this man redeems himself.
First time watching your video. Incredibly well made. Good balance in creating a background to discuss the implications. I am living for 2 years in Japan and can relate to everything. Now excuse me but will check more videos on your channel. 😊
This is such a fascinating video exploring post ww2 history in Japan, I've literally never seen this perspective pointed out despite watching plenty of historical analysis.
This kind of stuff is why I am glad that my brand of Autisum has me not give a crap about the creators of the works I enjoy. To me, they're merely a label on the product that indicates the quality level and roughly what I should expect within them. I do not understand how / why you guys can care more than that about the artists behind a work unless you're trying to learn to emulate their work in your own. Also WWII was the worst war of all time? My guy, please look into history other than 20th century Japanese history. WWII may have killed more people, but WWI is absolutely worse than it was by every other metric. Then there's the Nepolianic Wars, everything Attilla the Hun did... Like, come on dude! WWII, most deaths, oooOOOooo! Big whoop. The super weapons we dropped on Japan did dick for shit to keep them down long-term, both those cities are back and *fine* today. Gengas Kahan erased a culture so hard that you STILL can't grow anything on that land, and we have NO IDEA what those people's names were or what they were like other than they pissed off the Kahan. *THAT* is much worse than anything we did in WWII.
Different cultures, different views on the subject. However, he paid his debt in his culture and moved on. People put him up on a throne without realising that he's human and humans are flawed. I'm gonna watch new arc and enjoy it.
The censorship of doujin doesn’t come from Japanese culture it’s the American influence. Immediately post World War Two they adopted a lot of the attitudes of the temperance movement so that included the criminalisation of sex work and the removal of red light and blue light districts that were pretty common in edo period Japan because of the influence of American service members in that country
Talking about JK Rowling, she made sure to denounce back on the last quarter of 2022, pro-trans charity organization Mermaid. It's safe to say Mermaid had actually hired as curator/trustee Dr Jacob Breslow who, back in 2011, had spoken at the B4U-ACT conference, supporting peadophiles. Furthermore, this same man hired by this LGBT organization Mermaids, also supported children using sexploitation platforms. So if Noburo Watsuki is evil for his pedophilic behavior, the organization JK Rowling attacked also is.
Wow! That's actually really well put. Never thought about it that way. Thanks. I think I still won't consume Kenshin but I have a much better understanding of the situation... Food for thought
Rurouni Kenshin is my favorite anime of all time. The strong moral lesson Rurouni Kenshin teaches is undeniable. In the English dubbed version where he said "You can die at any time, but living takes true courage" or "the will to live is stronger than anything" or in the manga "I will continue to bring as many smiles as I can" and " until I can no longer wield this sword, I will continue to live this life of battles" by carrying the legacy and wishes of those he had slain run deep into soul. The writer is indeed guilty of a serious crime and sin. It is the worst side of his character. But despite his deep character flaw, this anime reflects the best of Watsuki's person. I just hope he got the help he needed so that the light he has brought to so many lives through his work is not dimmed by his serious character flaw.
Standing ovation! Bravo! It is so rare to see content creators who cater to an audience, but that through logic can make an excellent point. While simultaneously showing what critical thinking looks like. ❤ great video.
The bad faith political bias in your videos is hilarious. I think your channel would be much better if you left politics out and stuck with facts and your love for art.
Asking a coherent non politicallly aligned video from this guy is impossible. He is of that kind of people. At least it could be of the right political orientation but nah.
@@sarov7658 i correct you though. EVERYTHING is political. Everything. Even the food you eat. Always was and always will be. You cannot detatch your political ideology from your work.
I would love to see you research & present on the topic of Koichi Sugiyama - widely revered in Japan but seemingly despised in western internet forums.
you say that the dropping of the nuclear bombs wasn't necessary like it's an accepted fact in the historical community. It is not and I don't know why you would present it as such.
This video is very informative and interesting, especially to someone who loved the anime as a kid but never knew there was a controversy in the first place! You structured this video really well and got the info out there without presenting any real hard biases which i super appreciate. Your takes are very well thought out and considerate of cultural differences, too which I gotta commend you for. Great video
My favorite professors in college, who had a doctorate in writing, explained how one of his good friends struggled with substance abuse, but because that topic was too close to him he instead wrote about other difficult topics, and I can't help but think about that when I reread or rewatch rurouni Kenshin. I've read all of it several times, watched the entire anime, the ova, the extras, bought the manga, but, now that this has all come out, I can't help but think that this is a writer who wrote around his own issues to confront them. This video helps explain the context and historical aspects that influence the culture, but as a wester viewer, it's hard to look at his work and not see something of watsukis perversions reflected in Kenshin even as Kenshin tries to atone. I don't think I'll ever be able to read or watch Kenshin the same way again, if I can read or watch it at all.
Not gonna lie, while I get where you're coming from and agree with most of your conclusions, I'm disappointed in your methods here. First and foremost, I'm surprised in a bad way at the fact that you guys are recommending people Dan Harlin to learn about Japanese history, instead of either an actual historian of Japan, or failing that even any historical media by an actual Japanese person. There's something similarly messed up about doing a "sociological" breakdown of a different society without looking towards either scholarship in that field or members of said society. Finally if we're going to be assessing the morality of people's actions with regards to the sexualization of children, even before the question of future harms comes into play, the basic concept of consent, as well as why children- lacking both social status and developmental capacity- cannot give it, is central to the discussion, yet that is wholly absent here.Moreover, you present a moral false dichotomy in the portrayal of watsuki (""Is this man a monster, or is he the victim of a culture that normalizes and allows this kind of behavior") as if he can't be both, as if by nurture of having suffered or being mentally ill, a person is summarily excused of the moral responsibility for not harming others. And that's before we even get into the laughably false notion that people who serve time in Japanese prison are typically re-accepted into society- the entire history of the yakuza is a testament to how criminal status can lead directly to being relegated to a permanently marginalized underclass. This isn't even hidden information; ya'll did a video on Samurai Champloo, you know about Mugen's tattoos. Like you can try to come from a place of cultural relativism w/r/t the state of the law sure, but Watsuki's place in the anime landscape isn't because of a difference of culture stemming from the Meiji Restoration, it's just capitalism- he makes his publisher a lot of money, and he's rich and famous, so he gets away with it- its not even like we can make the argument that we're farther ahead here morally in the US when it comes to rich and powerful people not being held accountable, which you pointed out with Poe 150 years ago but like look at Matt Gaetz/Kavanaugh/ Polanski/etc. like right this second). So like, I appreciate that clearly a lot of work and effort went into this video, and I can tell it comes from a place of wanting to promote understanding, but at the same time, I just kind of expected more from y'all.
This video is why I watch this channel. Level headed and rational even when disagreeing with people. Not outrage and clickbait and manufactured drama. Just an honest opinion presented calmly.
I wish more content creators would have open minded discussions like this. It feels genuinely refreshing to see videos like these instead of constant close-minded banter I see elsewhere.
I choose for Rurouni Kenshin but found out later about Just an honest opinion presented calmly. That i also support
It's a very good chanel and this video tackles a very controversial topic in a mature, well researched, and intelligent way. Even if you disagree, you have to admit he did a great job addressing things.
Oni chan
It's frustrating, honestly. It's THE anime that got me into anime. I am glad I was unaware when I watched it, because otherwise, I'd have missed out on a story that truly touched my soul. It's hard to set it apart from the controversy, and I understand both sides.
Regardless, there is no excuse for giving money to this franchise
Agreed it is very frustrating
Same here! I still have all my Rurouni Kenshin merch. I have it all stored away never to be seen again.
It’s important to have these difficult discussions! While I’ve never watched kenshin, and don’t feel inclined to get into it bc of what I know now, I still appreciated hearing the information you provided in this video. You can tell you did your research. Hopefully the comments stay humane for our sanity lol.
What a fascinating deep dive into the context around Nobuhiro Watuski and the culture of Japan at the time and before. I'm an anime old head familiar with his history and even I learned some details I didn't know. Glad you guys took the time to really get into this in a long form situation.
Kenshin really helped me out in my teenage years. It was something me and my dad really bonded over. So I have really good memories of it. I will be watching the new one despite what happened with the creator. I don’t condone what he did but I do believe in redemption and I do believe that if you truly want to repent it depends on how you live going forward. I truly hope that what he puts out continues to help other people and he himself can give that back to society to atone for what happened.
I wasn’t even aware of the controversy until I found your video, but I’m so grateful I heard it from you first. Thank you for providing so much context, information, and for making your opinion known without pressuring anyone in any way. This was excellent and heartbreaking, but well worth learning about. Thank you.
I remember watching this on cartoon network as a kid after school. I never knew what it was called and why it stopped airing. Thank you for taking the time to share this and give a well rounded perspective.
It’s stopped airing cause it was done with the TV arcs, as back then there was the OVAs like reflections and Trust and Betrayal and that wasn’t meant for kids at that time watching Toonami
You guys deserve more subs. seriously. The theme and art of the thumbnails, videos, and channel as whole; the direct introduction to every series, the detail of its history and future, the edits of the videos- every video I’ve seen I’ve actually watched all the through. Keep going!
First manga i ever owned. I'm not someone that idolizes authors or any prominent figure. They are just like you and me. But learning about his crimes felt like such a betrayal
Not saying that you’re conflating Animated Lolicon with actual CP but I do want to make sure ppl aren’t considering them as the same. Theres a huge difference between abusing real children and something that is safe, sane, consentual with all adults.
I do think loli (and shouta) should be retired as a trope and that it shouldn’t people something people (especially real children) can just run into in the anime community.
Did lolicon become the thing it is because of pedos? Probably, and there are many lolicon who are not pedos because it is just a fantasy. There are also many reasons why someone may partake in this content including irl abuse survivors themsleves. Shaming this kink can also lead to abuse among participants as has happened in kinkster communities. (Not to mention what is considered to be CP can vary based on cultural practices). Needless to say I am applying a general western lens.
Bottomline is, legality does not dictate what is ethical. Just cuz it wasn’t illegal in Japan for many years doesn’t mean we have to accept it, especially when it happened to recently. I love kenshin but I can’t justify supporting the author in anyway.
edit: the transformative justice piece is tricky, especially considering western culture is very punishment happy and I don’t consider that helpful, I’m ‘fine’ with the mangaka’s punishment as thats not my cultural swim lane and also don’t feel bad boycotting the rest of his work as thats part of the penance and shame involved with his punishment.
I doubt the Loli trope will retire
Fun fact, fictional depictions of the "that stuff" is legal in the US too. Only if it involves a real kid is it illegal in the US.
I really appreciate you had the balls to actually talk about this in a nuanced way and providing much needed context. Everyone seems to be either ignoring the existence of the new show or dunking on it either because of a valid bias against Watsuki or because they are blinded by nostalgia and consider que original anime perfect when it wasn't. I love this story, and I hate the fact that Watsuki is what he is, but what can I do? I owe a lot to this story (including meeting my wife). So I'm supporting the new anime, despite the fact the author is a creep. I hope he does atone for real, because his sentence was a joke. I respect people who don't want to watch the series anymore, but I expect people to respect my decision to watch it too.
Despite the controversy about the creator that doesn’t mean I hate Rurouni Kenshin it will always be one of my all-time favorite shonen’s.
same dude
Exactly. Nobody sane human being is going to burn their full collection of Kenshin Manga and Collectibles over something like this. If people need to signal virtue this strongly, they should just keep it to themselves and let people enjoy what they want to enjoy.
@@Krystalmyth exactly 👍🏾
I wish I could continue to love it the same, but for me personally it will be impossible to watch the anime again without thinking of what he did.
I’ll remember it fondly, and I won’t ever hate it because it really is a story about goodness, but I think this is the death of Rurouni Kenshin for me.
@@hakichan94 I completely understand
I really appreciate you talking about this topic with facts and explanations. Many tend to only have a surface level understanding of Japan, it’s what is portrayed in public, while hiding many social and political issues. It’s great to have a video go so in depth about the underlying problems.
Yeah I think the outside perspective of westerners often blinds us to the deeply fucked elements of Japanese society. Like until fairly recently rape and murder had 15 year statute of limitations. So there are dozens if not hundreds of rapists, murderers etc. that just get away with it. Like they could confess and nothing would happen.
I'm glad that y'all made this video. I never really got into Rurouni Kenshin when I was younger, and I don't really feel comfortable getting into it now, but I think this kind of context is necessary. I can tell that certain parts of this made you very uncomfortable, but your level-headed presentation was the best way to present that context. Thank you for doing this.
Picked up kenshin after this, based author😂😂😂
3:45 That picture is of Eiji Aonuma, director of quite a few Zelda games - not Eiichiro Oda XD
He created Rurouni Kenshin but he sold the rights of the anime over a decade ago and thus regardless of what a pervert he was behind close doors I never knew the guy I only knew Kenshin his creation and there has never been anything perverted in Kenshin and it's been one of the most amazing anime's of all times. Just like in hollywood they say a lot of the artist are pedos and evil but people go watch the movies and have nothing to do with their works. I just wanna say I love rurouni kenshin ! and i'm glad the remark is here in 2023!
This is a very important issue and that you are being very level headed in talking about makes this video a necessary watch. I really hope more people get to watch this. Great work!
Nice shout out to Dan Carlin, his work with his series Super Nova of the East was super interesting and well researched I highly recommend it.
Indeed. Also his Logical Insanity episode is great for learning how we ever got to the point of dropping atomics on people.
Rurouni Kenshin was one of my first anime (I have a vivid memory of the episode where Kenshin arrives in Kyoto), and was thus one of the first manga I ever purchased.
I have a lot of mixed feelings about allowing myself to enjoy Kenshin with all of this. I'm watching the remake for the nostalgia, and I won't give away my books, but his crime will forever color my view of the series, and I think that stain is part of the punishment Watsuki will be living with for the rest of his life.
Rurouni Kenshin remake is amazing and it's one of my favorites.
I'm enjoying the new anime so far, but the music doesn't hit as hard as the 90s anime so far. The soundtrack of the original anime was so iconic. Hopefully this new one will live up in the sound department eventually.
Ik yall have done some videos about Rurouni Kenshin previously. Love the content yall make mike and I hope this is a great prelude to a beautiful video about the series!
Congratulations on doing this video: It’s BY FAR the most Comprehensive In-Depth explanation of the Situation I have ever seen.
It’s really centered-minded and Factual exposition. Quality content.
I hope everyone watches this video to get all the facts and views in this matter. 👍
Great video, subscribed. I loved Kenshin, still do, but I'll also be forever heartbroken by Watsuki. You gave me a new perspective on the whole situation and while it won't heal the heartbreak, it puts me more at ease with the discomfort I felt in having such a formative story stained by this whole ordeal. I'm looking forward to your Kenshin videos. It feels good to see someone talk about Kenshin positively while not looking away or dismissing the whole situation.
Im happy you actually went into the history. I grew up loving anime, japanese video games, and Japanese pop culture and because of this, I can both relate and disconnect from a lot of the humor that might be seen as offensive in the US. For a lack of a better term, the perversion (light-hearted or obvious) often seen in a lot of these mediums is something I consume and enjoy specifically when it comes from a Japanese perspective, is animated, and when done in a way that I feel isn't too self-indulgent but rather just leaning into the culture. I've also done a lot of research regarding Japanese history and I've come to understand the relationship history and culture has played in modern Japan and how cultural norms are depicted in media. And so I don't justify some of the awful things that Nobuhiro Watsuki many others participate in, I understand where it comes from. And I've always maintained that the country and the culture that exists in the country has failed him just as much as it's failed. Anyone else who have those preferences? Not that we don't have autonomy and not that every Japanese man has the same preferences, but there's something much larger at play culturally that one is likely to become subjected to growing up in Japan. And so I appreciate the context that you've given. I guess I feel sorry for him more than I hate him and at the end of the day I still absolutely still love what he's created.
I had vaguely heard of this, thank you for the deep dive not just into what happened with the mangaka but with the culture. Learned a lot here. Great video 👌
Separating the art form the artist is necessary. Dig into anyone's past and you'll find skeleton in the closest.
Its always best for people to have a non biased opinion, when taking everything into consideration we can be left with a better understanding of human nature as a whole, and allowing someone the opportunity to at least redeem themselves, in the end is what we would want for ourselves.
Correction: At 3:46, that picture you are showing is not Eiichiro Oda, it was actually Eiji Aonuma.
Great take on this particular subject. I dont think this could have been conveyed better. The education on the background and the different views was fantastic. Thanks for this. Continue to be great my friend. You are doing the work of the ppl that is drastically understated by most.
Damn, this is the most well-rounded take I've seen. You have a new fan.
Excellent, insightful, and well reasoned discourse. This is why I love this channel.
It takes a lot of courage to go in depth and explain avenues about the context of the author, society, rapid culture shift,etc. many of us are simply ignorant of.
Thank you so much Bonsai Pop!!!
It’s really unfortunate when the creator of something you like or love turns out to be a monster and I totally get people who can’t separate the art from the artist but in the case of Watsuki and Kenshin I can. The only other real compreble to it is the wrestler Chris Benoit who murdered his wife and son. I can still watch his matches, but I completely get why others can’t.
I grew up with him, but my mortal compass just can’t direct myself to watch Chris wrestle. You know he gotta older son that look just like him it’s so eerie.
I feel like a good followup to a discussion type video would be like “does the western world have the capacity to forgive? (maybe not forget) but forgive?” It’s worth thinking about especially here in the US, where we have among the highest recidivism rates on Earth. 22% of the world’s incarcerated are here in America. Do *we* here believe in redemption?
Knowing Japan and their atrocities to us, it was literally Hell according to my grandma so it was a hard pill to swallow learning from her. Times passed, people moved on and do things for the betterment of society.
I'm somewhere the same age as you and I've loved RK when I was only on elementary school and was even one of the most beloved anime in the Philippines during the 90s. When the live action movies got announced, many fans lined up to watch em because of its beloved story and characters. I had a Japanese friend told me about that controversy, honestly got disappointed but I understood where he's coming from...society and all but that doesn't mean he's clean from it. I still love his work today because of its messages and story, despite the creator's past.
Thanks for sharing your insights on this~
Japan was nuked and many japanese gruesomely perished but South Korea still wants to continue bitching about apologies from Japan when South Korea commited attrocities in Vietnam
This is the ultimate test of being able to separate the art from the artist.
Some can, some cannot.
Japan was one of the founding members of the League of Nations, they departed in 1931 over the condemnation of their invasion of Manchuria.
This was a well reasoned discussion and I see people in the comments making decisions that work for them. Morally I could no longer support the anime from a literal pedo. If we think he still isn’t that person while still working as a mangaka then we are being woefully naive. To me there is no separating the art and this artist. If at least he did jail time and got a punishment sure I could see it, but he got a slap on the wrist and then went back to work. Anything new going forward is tainted..it really just is
thank you mike and the bonsai pop team for actually making a nuanced and intelligent video on this subject this is how we should look at and discuss complex and messy subjects such as this one
Incredibly comprehensive range of topics covered. Well done
Forever my favorite anime/manga. Kenshin is one of my role models in life ngl.
Thanks for explaining everything so well.
What people don't realise is yeah, you're right that there's likely a ton of people like in in the anime and manga industry who are just better at keeping it hidden. With how the industry is so quick to sexualise middle and high school girls you'd think people would know the Watsuki stuff is not unique
If anything, this sort of stuff just makes the point of kenshin more poignant.
In the west we rarely talk about or support forgiveness or redemption. Which imo should be a serious part of discussions like this.
I'm simple in how I feel about the situation. I hate what he did, but I don't think he's a bad guy. You can be a great person and still take a wrong turn. I'm personally fine giving him my money.
I understand all of the cultural factors you've described, but the bottom line for me is this: I think it's a bad idea to continue to support creations from bad actors, especially if that support continues to financially benefit them in some way. The work and the person are and will forever be intrinsically linked, there is no true separation that can happen. I'm not going to yell about it, just boycott it, or "Cancel" as the preferred term is these days.
This was a wonderful video and I very much enjoyed the presentation of the information. I started reading Ruroni Kenshin a while back and only got about 12 chapters in but in that little time I knew this was something special. Shortly after I found out what the author had done and I just couldn’t bring myself to read more which really sucked because I had a feeling that if I did finish the manga it would have become an all time favorite for me. Despite that, I believe this video did an excellent job at portraying the history of Japan and how its society allowed for such a terrible thing to happen without ever feeling like you were trying to convince me of anything or excuse anything. Anyway, love the videos as always and I’m excited for whatever you guys drop next
31:30 "It sounds like a horribly lonely and sad existence" Wonderful insight. I want to say something that some might find controversial. If you have "paraphilia" and are attracted to children and not adults and you made a commitment to never harm a child, you have my respect. I think you are a good person. Just don't waver. Edit: I should emphasize the last part. It obviously changes everything if the commitment is broken. People shouldn't be judged for their inclinations but they must be judged for their actions.
Glad he got arrested before his urges get worse. Ive read that pedophilia is considered a disorder, something about genetic and something about their brain structures is weird and messed up.
But still not an excuse. I feel like the best course of action once he knew that he has an attraction he cant control towards a child, he should have reported himself and gotten some help. But he acted on his urges which is definitely wrong. 😢 Hope he gets the help he badly needed
@@sjkclau I'm slightly embarrassed by my comment but I'm glad you didn't misunderstand and put me on a watch list. I suspect it can't be fixed, but people like that just have the burden of living chaste lives or being pedophiles. A lot of people have issues only they can understand and still manage to deal with them. But I do respect people with a strong will to be good.
I vaguely remember an anime i forget the name of with the main character being a hardcore pervert but unlike other anime he had self control and behaved honorably. The concept of a noble pervert seemed interesting. Done rambling.
I was with you all the way untill you seemed to view him in a favorable light when compared to JK rowling.... I am not trying to defend her or even say I agree with her. But the fact that you made a 38 min video trying to see illuminate the historical and societal context and nuisance to his actions while summarizing her actions as "supporting evil politicians" without even a fraction of that same consideration is kind of bullshit.
Comparing just their actions what he did was/is so much worse... and objectively immoral.
1 person had child pornography the other supports politicians you think are evil....
I just want to say one other thing... killing Jewish people was not a crime in Germany.
Exactly....
I wasn't expecting to learn a lot from an anime video I found randomly, but this is great stuff
Your team is stellar - thank you for educating us and all the research you do.
I think you got guts for talking about this topic on your platform. And this is a very objective take on the subject matter
Not sure why I watched 15 minutes of a video titled about Rurouni Kenshin that doesn't talk at all about Rurouni Kenshin...
Really bad video. I assume you get to the point towards the end, but it was faster to just look up the details myself. Basically clickbait for view time.
The toughest decision for us readers, at least for those of us who care to make this distinction is... do we trust Watsuki to make a change for the better? Cause consuming media from an author who is actively doing you know what is obviously not the same that doing it from an author that you know has learnt his lesson and is working to redeem himself. Hopefully no one does the first thing knowingly, but as for the second scenario, I know a lot of readers would be willing to forgive.
Sadly here's no way to tell whether he'll continue with his paraphilia or not, and that leaves many of us with a dilemma. As Mike points out, it's actually sad to think how many mangaka could be doing the same and just haven't been found out. And yet that same risk hides behind every one of the thousands pieces of media we consume in a year. It'd be naïve to think that all of those creative authors just happen to be exemplary people. Statistically speaking it'd be quite an oddity in fact.
I usually end these kind of comments with a neat conclusion, but I really can't produce one this time. I guess each of us ought to reach one by ourselves.
3:47 that's Eiji Aonuma director of The Legend of Zelda not Eiichiro Oda
Just throwing it out there:
We minted 500,000 Purple Hearts in anticipation of the invasion of Japan. To this day, they have not all been awarded. US Service Members WIA or KIA from Afghanistan and Iraq are awarded Purple Hearts minted in 1945.
In Japan, they were actively distributing plans for single use firearms amongst the civilians in order to “defend the heavenly sovereign” Emperor Hirohito.
They did not surrender after the first nuclear bomb was dropped.
Approximately 335,000 Japanese citizens were killed by nuclear weapons. This is, without a doubt, a terrible tragedy.
Minimum estimation of invasion KILLED was 400,000 US soldiers and 5,000,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians. Not casualties, DEAD.
The use of nuclear weapons was absolutely devastating, but it saved lives. Which is both incredibly terrifying and depressing to think about.
This video should be called Watsuki: Trust & Betrayal
Been living in Japan for a few years and I attest that the "don't be a bother" core value permeates everything in Japanese society, as far as i have experienced. I observed how it is usually the main reason for many of their social norms, rules, and idiosyncrasies. At first I had to keep asking others about whether this or that is okay. Eventually I can just ask myself, "will it bother someone? Will It cause anyone inconvenience?" - and I have a pretty accurate gauge whether a decision or action is acceptable. It can be difficult at first but live in Japan long enough and you'll just get the feel for it.
About "minor-focused adult entertainment"... This video has given me such helpful insight as to why Japan is so casual about "that" until now. Im so disturbed by how adult merchandise shops almost ALWAYS has a picture of a highschool girl- not even in a sexy pose, just a frickn headshot, and maybe just looking subtly provocative on the camera. A high School girl in sailor uniform + the word "DVD" instantly means an Adult Video/ toy shop. Just... Disgusting. Highschool girls in uniform *just existing* is equated to adult pleasure.
This Watsuki controversy highlights how complicated CP issue is and how its so grossly mishandled in Japan. It's true, nobody wants to step in to bring out sensitive issues like that so everybody just chooses to stay quiet until something HUGE happens and they they just give the law a little nudge then call it progress. Its disheartening.
Yeah criminal justice is pretty fucked all around. Insanely short statutes of limitations, minor penalties for serious offenses leading to ubiquitous sexual crimes, and very few actually get a trial. Add in the fact that Japan is basically an autocracy and you’ve got a dreadful combination
"Japan was ready to give up."
That's propaganda. The branches of the Japanese military had ignored the Japanese government's orders in the past and the army was still intending to fight (see the war in China and the different reasons given for surrender provided to the citizens vs the army). You don't get the failed rebellion which tried to stop the surrender from a desire for peace.
There's a lot of pushing behind the idea that the bombs didn't need to be used, but from the historical evidence and behavior I've read and heard there was a non-zero chance that the Japanese would have taken genocide before surrender.
I thought this was going to be a silly video about debates on if the new or old Rurouni anime was better. Significantly more serious that I was expecting. Great video as always.
This was such an insightful video my guy. I love how deeply you explored Japanese culture as it relates to the situation and how clearly you explained it. Great job mate!
Kenshin is one if the best protagonists in Shonen period and is part of why a redemption arc is one of my favorites in fiction.
I seperate the art from the artist, plenty of media that I've enjoyed over the years and their creators are pieces of 💩.
Though I can appreciate you approaching this topic with as an open mind as is possible when it comes to this subject.
Yeah I don't know. I was the biggest Bill Cosby fan there was, but can't really listen to his stuff anymore after learning what he did. It doesn't matter to me that he was enabled by an American society that has conditioned itself to turn a blind eye to his transgressions. Cosby also had a "wholesome" message to his content about what it meant to be a good person. Yet he was a monster. I feel the same way about Watsuki. But we all have to make that choice for ourselves with regard to "art and the artist."
Regardless, enjoyed the video. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for compiling all this information. This will help me make a more sound decision when it comes to Watsuki's work.
It doesn’t bother me. Other cultures do different things, if the country formerly normalizes these things. No one has a right to condemn a man whom already payed for his crimes.
07:00 The axis powers were WWII. WWI was between the entente and the central powers.
Trauma does not have to exist for the disorder to happen. Some people are just born with it. It is unfortunate
Mike, thank you so much for this vid as well as providing the context from Supernova to the East; super glad to see a fellow manga and anime otaku try to learn the history and culture of Japan. Like you, while I can dislike the crime of the mangaka, I can hope that the public fine + public shaming will be enough to prevent him from doing crimes in the future, and I’ll continue to have a place for Kenshin and the gang in my heart
Beautifully done work. Always nice seeing you posted
I'm disappointed in the author, but I also have a clear understanding of the situation as well. The cultures and morals of one's country both good and bad manifest in the people who live there. And as you said it yourself, the country changed while the people were left behind.
I truly hope that this man redeems himself.
he will, drug consumers and yakuza friends have it harder than Nobuhiro Watsuki
First time watching your video. Incredibly well made. Good balance in creating a background to discuss the implications.
I am living for 2 years in Japan and can relate to everything.
Now excuse me but will check more videos on your channel. 😊
You know, that does explain why the underage ninja was so infatuated with kenshin
hmmm
Good thing I dont research the backstories of the creator of every show I watch.
This is such a fascinating video exploring post ww2 history in Japan, I've literally never seen this perspective pointed out despite watching plenty of historical analysis.
This kind of stuff is why I am glad that my brand of Autisum has me not give a crap about the creators of the works I enjoy. To me, they're merely a label on the product that indicates the quality level and roughly what I should expect within them. I do not understand how / why you guys can care more than that about the artists behind a work unless you're trying to learn to emulate their work in your own.
Also WWII was the worst war of all time? My guy, please look into history other than 20th century Japanese history. WWII may have killed more people, but WWI is absolutely worse than it was by every other metric. Then there's the Nepolianic Wars, everything Attilla the Hun did... Like, come on dude! WWII, most deaths, oooOOOooo! Big whoop. The super weapons we dropped on Japan did dick for shit to keep them down long-term, both those cities are back and *fine* today. Gengas Kahan erased a culture so hard that you STILL can't grow anything on that land, and we have NO IDEA what those people's names were or what they were like other than they pissed off the Kahan. *THAT* is much worse than anything we did in WWII.
Is Gengis Kahn and Mongolia loves him
Thank you for addressing all this with maturity and compassion.
Too bad no one cares
Not even now with the 4th episode being out
Different cultures, different views on the subject. However, he paid his debt in his culture and moved on. People put him up on a throne without realising that he's human and humans are flawed. I'm gonna watch new arc and enjoy it.
The censorship of doujin doesn’t come from Japanese culture it’s the American influence. Immediately post World War Two they adopted a lot of the attitudes of the temperance movement so that included the criminalisation of sex work and the removal of red light and blue light districts that were pretty common in edo period Japan because of the influence of American service members in that country
Talking about JK Rowling, she made sure to denounce back on the last quarter of 2022, pro-trans charity organization Mermaid. It's safe to say Mermaid had actually hired as curator/trustee Dr Jacob Breslow who, back in 2011, had spoken at the B4U-ACT conference, supporting peadophiles. Furthermore, this same man hired by this LGBT organization Mermaids, also supported children using sexploitation platforms. So if Noburo Watsuki is evil for his pedophilic behavior, the organization JK Rowling attacked also is.
It's useless lol lefties would say Biden is the most fittest president even after seeing him fall down a million times
Haruki Murakami wrote really good books in the 90s where he was the only journalist to interview the cult of the sarin gas attacks.
as a fact,, the nukes were also used as an excuse by the Japanese to finally surrender without suffering much dishonor
Wow! That's actually really well put. Never thought about it that way. Thanks. I think I still won't consume Kenshin but I have a much better understanding of the situation... Food for thought
Thank you for creating such a comprehensive video that I can share.
Rurouni Kenshin is my favorite anime of all time. The strong moral lesson Rurouni Kenshin teaches is undeniable. In the English dubbed version where he said "You can die at any time, but living takes true courage" or "the will to live is stronger than anything" or in the manga "I will continue to bring as many smiles as I can" and " until I can no longer wield this sword, I will continue to live this life of battles" by carrying the legacy and wishes of those he had slain run deep into soul. The writer is indeed guilty of a serious crime and sin. It is the worst side of his character. But despite his deep character flaw, this anime reflects the best of Watsuki's person. I just hope he got the help he needed so that the light he has brought to so many lives through his work is not dimmed by his serious character flaw.
Standing ovation! Bravo! It is so rare to see content creators who cater to an audience, but that through logic can make an excellent point. While simultaneously showing what critical thinking looks like. ❤ great video.
Discussion done right.
It upset me so bad. I caught this on toonami growing up but I came back after I Deployed and it helped me so much.
As you were going over the background of Japanese society, I was thinking about Dan Carlin's Pacific War series, and lo and behold you recommend it.
Why I stop watching anime most have a pedo underline
ephebo underline
Man this was a really great video about a really heavy topic.
The bad faith political bias in your videos is hilarious. I think your channel would be much better if you left politics out and stuck with facts and your love for art.
Asking a coherent non politicallly aligned video from this guy is impossible. He is of that kind of people. At least it could be of the right political orientation but nah.
Sadly everything is political these days that's why hollywood is in a pisspoor place rn
@@sarov7658 i correct you though. EVERYTHING is political. Everything. Even the food you eat. Always was and always will be. You cannot detatch your political ideology from your work.
I’ve been a huge kenshin fan since 2000s. I had no idea about the author’s history
Good thing I don't have to hang out with an author to read their stuff
I would love to see you research & present on the topic of Koichi Sugiyama - widely revered in Japan but seemingly despised in western internet forums.
you say that the dropping of the nuclear bombs wasn't necessary like it's an accepted fact in the historical community. It is not and I don't know why you would present it as such.
This video is very informative and interesting, especially to someone who loved the anime as a kid but never knew there was a controversy in the first place! You structured this video really well and got the info out there without presenting any real hard biases which i super appreciate. Your takes are very well thought out and considerate of cultural differences, too which I gotta commend you for. Great video
My favorite professors in college, who had a doctorate in writing, explained how one of his good friends struggled with substance abuse, but because that topic was too close to him he instead wrote about other difficult topics, and I can't help but think about that when I reread or rewatch rurouni Kenshin. I've read all of it several times, watched the entire anime, the ova, the extras, bought the manga, but, now that this has all come out, I can't help but think that this is a writer who wrote around his own issues to confront them.
This video helps explain the context and historical aspects that influence the culture, but as a wester viewer, it's hard to look at his work and not see something of watsukis perversions reflected in Kenshin even as Kenshin tries to atone. I don't think I'll ever be able to read or watch Kenshin the same way again, if I can read or watch it at all.
It is legal to marry minos in the USA in 41 out of 50 states.
Not gonna lie, while I get where you're coming from and agree with most of your conclusions, I'm disappointed in your methods here. First and foremost, I'm surprised in a bad way at the fact that you guys are recommending people Dan Harlin to learn about Japanese history, instead of either an actual historian of Japan, or failing that even any historical media by an actual Japanese person.
There's something similarly messed up about doing a "sociological" breakdown of a different society without looking towards either scholarship in that field or members of said society.
Finally if we're going to be assessing the morality of people's actions with regards to the sexualization of children, even before the question of future harms comes into play, the basic concept of consent, as well as why children- lacking both social status and developmental capacity- cannot give it, is central to the discussion, yet that is wholly absent here.Moreover, you present a moral false dichotomy in the portrayal of watsuki (""Is this man a monster, or is he the victim of a culture that normalizes and allows this kind of behavior") as if he can't be both, as if by nurture of having suffered or being mentally ill, a person is summarily excused of the moral responsibility for not harming others.
And that's before we even get into the laughably false notion that people who serve time in Japanese prison are typically re-accepted into society- the entire history of the yakuza is a testament to how criminal status can lead directly to being relegated to a permanently marginalized underclass. This isn't even hidden information; ya'll did a video on Samurai Champloo, you know about Mugen's tattoos. Like you can try to come from a place of cultural relativism w/r/t the state of the law sure, but Watsuki's place in the anime landscape isn't because of a difference of culture stemming from the Meiji Restoration, it's just capitalism- he makes his publisher a lot of money, and he's rich and famous, so he gets away with it- its not even like we can make the argument that we're farther ahead here morally in the US when it comes to rich and powerful people not being held accountable, which you pointed out with Poe 150 years ago but like look at Matt Gaetz/Kavanaugh/ Polanski/etc. like right this second). So like, I appreciate that clearly a lot of work and effort went into this video, and I can tell it comes from a place of wanting to promote understanding, but at the same time, I just kind of expected more from y'all.
This was a good video and a good discussion. Its why I recommend this channel to my friends.