Censorship on Japanese anime imported into mainland China

Abstract

Japanese anime experiences a bumpy road on mainland China's online platforms, with constant removals and edits. This has led audiences to express dissatisfaction and scholars to call on the government to develop a systematic censorship system. However, the need for improved censorship measures is not limited to the government. At least three types of subjects are involved in the censorship process of Japanese anime on online platforms. Taking Bilibili, a Chinese video platform, as a case study, we classify censorship on Japanese anime into government censorship, public censorship, and self-censorship. As the case study shows, these three types of censorship demonstrate dynamic relationships of opposition, coordination, and unity, instead of a unilateral act of government pressure, and there is no simple antagonistic relationship between the subjects. We propose advice for each subject, expecting to alleviate the current conflicts and establish more reasonable interactions between the three parties for introducing and censoring Japanese anime.