A new bill in the Texas Senate, Senate Bill 20, could criminalize certain anime and manga in the state. Introduced by Senator Pete Flores, the bill targets sexual content involving minors, including material that depicts minors in explicit situations, whether real or artificial. The bill, which focuses on AI-generated content, also includes “cartoon or animation” under its scope, raising concerns among anime and manga fans.
If signed into law, the bill would make it a felony to possess or promote material that depicts a minor under 18 in explicit situations, regardless of whether the content is a real image, cartoon, or AI-generated. This broad language could lead to the banning of anime and manga series that feature underage characters in sexualized contexts.
While the bill includes a qualifier stating materials may be exempt if they lack “serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value,” this is vague and would likely be interpreted case-by-case. Popular series like Kill la Kill and The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You could be affected, depending on how the law is enforced.
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