Texas is trying to make some anime illegal

A proposed new law in Texas could make some of the most beloved anime series illegal, due to the broad wording of the bill regarding the depiction of minors in media.

Dexerto has reported that Senate Bill 20 is planned to be included as an amendment to Chapter 43 of Texas’ penal code, with the section reading:

“A person commits an offense if the person knowingly possesses, accesses with intent to view, or promotes obscene visual material containing a depiction that appears to be of a child younger than 18 years of age engaging in activities described by Section 43.21(a)(1)(B), regardless of whether the depiction is an image of an actual child, a cartoon or animation, or an image created using an artificial intelligence application or other computer software”.

It goes on to say the activities described by Section 43.21(a)(1)(B) are a matter of interpretation. The definition of “obscene” includes activities that are illegal, but also includes the wording: “(Material or a performance that) taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, and scientific value”.

Credit: Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop official website

This could put many anime series, comics, and games at risk, with a lot of stories depicting underage characters in situations considered violent or otherwise inappropriate from a certain perspective. High school characters in romantic situations, for example, or who are dressed in a sexualised fashion, could also fall under the umbrella of “obscenity”.

The bill has passed the Senate, which means its members have voted for it in principle. However, it still needs further approval before becoming law. Should this come to pass, its enforcement would be closely monitored by fans and creators of content that could fall under its purview. Making, and potentially owning certain titles could become a criminal act.

Elsewhere, the popularity of the genre continues, with a live action Gundam film announced as being in production last month. While little has been revealed of the project, Netflix expected to be its eventual home.