Need some comments on Manga publishers

Hi,

I've finally decided to buy some of my favourite Manga, just to say thank you to the creator. Now I'd like to know if there are any kinds of censorship on adult manga like Berserk. It's because I intend to buy the whole series and I dont want some shitty censorship (any kind) in it.

I've seen some of the ridiculous censorships in the Naruto anime like censoring the smoke which is coming out from Asuma's cigarette. I have no idea if this applies to manga, which are published in america aswell.

I plan to buy following manga and I'd like you to comment the work of the publisher. Whether it's the translation (is it good in your opinion ?) or the censorship (if there is any in it)

- Berserk (Dark Horses)
- Bleach (Viz)
- Nhk ni Youkoso (Welcome to the NHK) (Tokyopop)
- Death Note (Viz)
- Beck (Tokyopop)
- School Rumble (Del Rey)

Most all mangas are pretty much uncensored, no matter which publisher. I'm don't know a single publisher that has had bad censors, there might be a few like recently Viz changed a cross into just a giant rock, but nothing story affecting.

As for the ones you listed, I can confirm Berserk is completely(?) uncensored. Bleach and Death Note are also good and pretty sure nothing was cut. I can't comment on the others but I'm pretty sure those are good too.

Dark Horse manga (Berserk, GITS, Crying Freeman) are pretty much uncensored (or as uncensored as they appear in their original Japanese versions). They will however carry a warning label (explicit material, not for under 18, blah blah blah) and are usually shrinkwrapped by the publisher. So far, VIZ and Tokyopop also do not censor their versions, as far as I can tell.

The only publisher to have come under fire for needless censoring is DC Comics' CMX line for their Tenjho Tenge, which was censored horribly so they could lower the rating from Mature to Teen. Needless to say, much of the fans of Oh Great!'s work were up in arms at the time.

Viz censors the stuff aimed towards younger audiences. I remember this mostly because a friend of mine picked up a Japanese volume of Shaman King, and the two... Ren & Stimpy looking animal ghosts... the tanuki one had really big balls, and that's definitely not in the English Shonen Jump version. XD

At the same time though... ohmigawd, no tanuki balls! no slightly hidden nipples on female!Naruto! I don't know... I've never felt seriously deprived of little details like that. Now if they took out a whole chunk of the story because they felt it wasn't appropriate... then I'd be mad. D=

Viz didn't edit naked kid Goku in Dragonball though. o_0

Viz confuses me greatly actually.

I wasn't all that impressed with TenTen's US version since CM cut out alot of shit. If Del Rey had rights to it, Im sure it'd be censored and have colored pages like Air Gear does.

I think the I"s Manga also have a few edits in the US manga.Not like i have them. I only carry D.Gray-man,Death Note,Air Gear and Shonan Junai Gumi >=p

Thanks for all your comments.

@JammerLea : Would you consider Bleach to be for the younger audience ? I mean sword wielding people who fight monsters might at least attract the male audience. I hope Viz doesnt translate everything, like the names of the different Zanpaktou or even the word Zanpaktou itself.

Bleach is actually the only(?) running Jump title that's aimed at the older teenage crowd. And Viz is pretty weeaboo with their translations, so some of the stuff might be left un-translated.

I've read the first seven graphic novels of Bleach, but that was over a year ago, so I don't remember the names well. I wish I did remember, I enjoyed what I read.

As far as I know, all of Shonen Jump's titles are rated T for Teen. At least the Shonen Jump magazine itself is. They don't seem to have a problem showing violence. The editing of the sexual stuff I can understand... cigarette smoke I don't, but I never really thought about it whenever I saw Asuma.

Del Rey censors? and here I thought they were the only manga company you could really trust.

^INCORRECT SIR.

Del Ray doesn't censor. If anything, they sometimes have shoddy translations (Southern Master for Negima! I mean WTF). But that has long since gone.

Del Rey doesn't censor. Unless chato is being an idiot I think he just mistyped and meant uncensored. The only thing that Del Rey needs to start doing is color pages for some of their series. I was slightly disappointed when the first 4 or so pages of Negima volume one weren't in color. Beyond that though and a few errors here and there (Southern Master instead of Thousand Master) they do an excellent job and are a fine example of how manga should be done.

Hay guys is this censored.

Spoiler:

Yeah, they covered her left hand with a two.

Spoiler:

You have to admit though that those are some of the stupidest looking and functional pants ever.

I've never read or seen Air Gear, but isn't it one of those fanservice animes, meaning that the pants are actually crucial to the storyline? It's a minor and stupid edit, yeah, but saying they never censor stuff isn't something that should be spread around.

@acer : Yeah I meant UNcensored but seeing that Vol 2's cover is censored (pathetic.... ) I guess I don't have to edit. Won't stop me from buying it though >.>. But damn that shit looks retarded lol.

At least we still get colored pages =/.

@casaubon : The anime is also censored during it's air time. Having a shitload of crows covering tits,pussy and ass. It's a sad tale but even japan have their limits. They did the same thing with the Gantz anime.

You should start Air Gear by reading the manga. Del Rey has 1 strike for making a stupid edit.

EDIT : about what you mentioned before, I'm not sure about the manga but there was a few scenes that dealt with fan service. The anime kinda failed a bit with the storyline (ask miyagce). Only a few people (like me) who were introduced to the anime first , loved it for the action and moves.

Tokyopop actually does quite a bit of image censorship (or is it just bad printing), but mostly in dialogue, especially in earlier publications. They have destroyed a lot of my love for many a series, but aside: in Saiyuki book 3, I believe, they censor out some nipplage, and in Chobits they actually did two different publications:

Spoiler:

In the first book, there is a scene where Hideki is presumably masturbating. The dialogue in the earlier publication of this book has Hideki saying "what was I thinking eating beans in the morning?" whereas the later publication says "Must...keep..quiet." Lots of the porn slang or jokes about virginity, etc. are also changed or taken out entirely.

I'm not entirely sure about any other series (or have since forgotten...I think there were come censored things in Paradise Kiss too...) and this WAS all relatively early on in the Tokyopop publishing endavours so take it as you will. There are a few censored things going on with Viz and dialogue in both Naruto and Bleach.

Originally Posted by AcerBandit

Del Rey doesn't censor. Unless chato is being an idiot I think he just mistyped and meant uncensored. The only thing that Del Rey needs to start doing is color pages for some of their series. I was slightly disappointed when the first 4 or so pages of Negima volume one weren't in color. Beyond that though and a few errors here and there (Southern Master instead of Thousand Master) they do an excellent job and are a fine example of how manga should be done.

my faith has been restored. I'm glad to hear that because they're handling my favorite manga series, that being School Rumble. wooo.

...what's there to censor in School Rumble?

I dunno. Harima's butt?
there's a lot of cultural references I could see getting changed by an English translation.

Yeah, they go all out for translator's notes at the end of each volume in School Rumble. I wouldn't want anyone else handling it.