Here is the original cover of Air Gear (thanks to the obsessives at the AoD Forums). Don’t look if you’re a little kid or easily offended by panty shots. Del Rey announced at their SDCC panel that they would be altering the cover art to cover up the thong, but they promised there would be no other changes.
That’s reasonable enough: Middle America probably isn’t ready for a panty shot on the cover of a book, especially one that’s going to be shelved with books for younger readers, and it’s hard to buy a book if bookstores won’t carry it. On the other hand, I wasn’t ready for the panty shots inside the book when I read my first manga, The World of Narue. It didn’t stop me from reading the book, or letting my kids read it (because they already had anyway) but frankly, I find that sort of fanservice a bit creepy. As much as I deplore censoring a book like Tenjho Tenge, which is a mature story to begin with, I don’t think I’d have a problem with removing some of the gratuitous fanservice in books for younger kids, like Narue and Et Cetera.
I’m not even talking about nudity. A bare breast or a guy climbing out of the swimming pool naked (The Walking Man) is natural and inoffensive. Looking up women’s skirts is icky.
Spoilers, I suppose, if it matters-
To be honest, with all things legalized within the US, including child pornography in 2004-as long as it’s animated, no matter how lifelike or cartoonish-showing manga characters looking up women’s shirts is nothing, especially where there’s no dirty content and only for laughs, and that’s coming from a twenty-one year-old female’s point of view. Yes, I’ve read the fansubs all the way through “Trick 152.” The “thong flash” in question, if my assumption is correct, is in “Trick 129.” Ikki peeked as the final test to be realeased from the hospital-and frankly, it wouldn’t be the same without all its cheekiness, especially with the little Sky King getting hit with a mop’s handle.
Also, saying “pants” instead of “panties,” if that’s in discussion, would ruin the entire scene(s). If that happens, I’m going to stop buying the English releases and write in the translations myself.
(Stick a 16 or 17 and up sticker on it and don’t let the kiddies read above their age group; that’s what the ratings and age restrictions are for anyway.) At le very least, release an edited version and an unedited one in plastic wrap like the do for DVDs. Don’t start being prudish now.