Japanese Voice Actor Boycotted for Supporting Hong Kong: How China Manipulated the Japanese ACG Sector

(04 Nov) In May 2018, Bilibili opened its first overseas anime production company at Ningyocho, Tokyo. Another mainland animation producer Colour Pencil Animation set foot in Machida, Tokyo in November last year. Both companies openly claimed they would create abundant job opportunities for Japanese animators, producers, and post-production staffers, and would guarantee to offer good compensation packages and work environment. While many Japanese media branded Bilibili as “technology flight” and “cultural invasion”, the general public did not give much thoughts about the issue, as it is a wide-known fact that many Japanese local anime companies are in fact “unethical enterprises”.

Market saturation, increased choices of multi-media, capital raising process of project-based shell companies, etc, all make it harder to run an anime company. Junior animators are the most affected. According to a 2017 report published by an NGO, “Young Creative Animator Support Group”, over 90% of animators under 30 years of age and less than 3 years of experiences could not land a full-time job; 50% of them had monthly salary less than 100,000 yen (7,210 HKD). Even with the famous Ghibli Studio, founded by world-renowned animator Miyazaki Hayao, animators hired for a new project can make only 200,000 yen (14,400 HKD) per month. Meanwhile, full-time animators of Bilibili offers a package that promises a minimum monthly salary of 250,000 yen (18,000 HKD); the compensation package even came with benefits including transportation renumeration.

Locally Japan-made anime has an extra “Made in Japan” halo, which reinforces the devoted trust from Japanese ACG fans. Bilibili’s going the extra mile to hire an all-Japanese production team could have been a win-win situation, because Japanese animators could all find jobs, and the level of animation in China would be elevated. The only problem was, of course, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Japan External Trade Organization (JTERO) published the Investigation on Chinese Animation report last year to reassess the relationship between anime markets in China and Japan. The situation was described as “extremely difficult” to import TV anime from Japan to China, as municipal, provincial, and national approvals were needed before there was any chance of obtaining a broadcasting permit. Relatively online media were more loosely regulated, as Bilibili, Youku, Toudu, and other streaming platforms also played a lot of Japanese anime. But the claws of the CCP could just come without any warning. Last year, the number of anime and manga deemed in violation of regulations and requiring immediate removal by China's Ministry of Culture exceeded 279,000 items. The reason was “harmful to minors.” Attack of Titans, Parasite, Death Notes, and even Detective Conan were once censored. But the CCP knew it would be unwise to antagonise everyone, and didn't dare to make a blanket ban on all anime. The solution was to “produce Japanese anime with Chinese characteristics.” The government heavily subsidised home-made animation production. Anime joint venture between China and Japan was becoming mainstream. Of course, there is no violence, pornography, coup d'état, and revolution in the contents. The winners of Best Animation on TV according to National Radio and Television Administration last year were Lovely China, Sea Charts of the Silkroad Legends, and the fifth season of Little Chick Rainbow, even though the viewers should actually be watching One Piece or Demon Slayer.

Having been rescued by Chinese capitals, the Japanese anime industry was also benefited from CCP's promise of cracking down on piracy to boost revenue and even getting exemptions from movie broadcasting regulation.

In May last year, governments of both sides signed Sino-Japan Joint Movie Production Agreement to allow more Japanese films to be played in mainland theatres. After the national showing of Shoplifters, and Miyazaki's Totoro and Spirited Away, it was light of hope for Japanese ACG to successfully enter the huge market in China.

So, please don't expect Miyazaki would cheer for Hong Kong.

As for politics, human rights, Anti-Extradition Protest in Hong Kong, and other “things that they don't understand,” the manga industry naturally won't mention a word at all. And those Japan ACG celebrities who dare to publicly support Hong Kong on line include Takada Akemi of Creamy Mami and Orange Road, Kobayashi Makoto of the Gundum series and Battleship Yamato, and Ootsuka Akio. Regardless of their political stances, they all have one thing in common: their seniority in the industry.

Earlier in August, famous voice actor Ootsuka Akio of Snake in the famous video game series Metal Gear said on Twitter “Go Hong Kong, Taiwan.” Immediately he was attacked by countless net patrols from mainland. Some accused him of supporting Hong Kong independence, and even called for boycotting Japan ACG. Ootsuka reluctantly deleted the related tweets, but was still unable to mend the fragile broken hearts. On China's largest ACG video website Bilibili, Ootsuka was totally censored, and was truly “silenced.”

Source: AppleDaily

https://bit.ly/2puwJUV

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