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[rubik's dude]

So for those of you who don't know, the Ruroni Kenshin mangaka was prosecuted for consuming child pornography (ultimately only paying a fine and serving no jail time). He owned so much child porn, authorities assumed he was not only a consumer, but a distributor as well (he was in possession of around 4.5TBs).

More here if you want to read about it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuhiro_Watsuki

I grew up watching Ruroni Kenshin late at night on Adult Swim, and while it wasn't one of my favorite shows, I did remember it fondly. After hearing about the charges though, I couldn't help but see the show (and the manga) in a new light. "All this shit came from the mind of a pedophile," is my current opinion on the matter. It also made more sense why the almost 30-year old main character's love interest was nearly half his age (17).

Anyway, there's an anime reboot of Ruroni Kenshin currently in production right now, and I can't help but think lowly of the people who are looking forward to it, especially those who are aware of the mangaka's proclivities. In my mind, financially supporting the series means financially supporting the mangaka, which will financially support his child porn habit. Somebody who gets caught with 4.5TBs doesn't just stop, they become better at hiding it. Not only that, why would anyone want to consume something from the mind of a pedophile?

Then I started to think, I'm really no better than those people who hate on Rowling. Sure the issues are different, Rowling is transphobic, this mangaka is a pedophile. But the animosity that I feel towards the creator and the people that support his work, I would say is probably the same. Hypocritically, I also bought Hogwarts Legacy and generally don't care about the controversy surrounding Rowling, or her personal views, or the things she chooses to support with her money.

Ultimately, it's probably because I feel more strongly about child abuse as a social issue than I do about trans rights. Not to say that I don't support trans rights, because I do. But, being a victim of child abuse myself, I definitely have a strong bias between the two issues.

With that said though, what do y'all think? Are the two issues the same? Or should one be chastised more than the other? Ultimately, Rowling's support of the anti-trans movement is legal, whereas the mangaka's child porn habit is not. However, the mangaka paid his dues and is square with the law again, and to my knowledge, hasn't been caught with child porn since. Should that make a difference?

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Then I started to think, I'm really no better than those people who hate on Rowling. Sure the issues are different, Rowling is transphobic, this mangaka is a pedophile.

You are better, since as you mentioned in a next sentence - one is about transphobia (although that is debatable), other is about child pornography.

Let me do it again:
One is about a British lady having opinions that people born as X should not be universally accepted as Y just because they want to
The other commited an offense punishable by law, also it was not a speeding ticket violation

 

[The Cockatrice]

Are you actually comparing a factual statement that biological men should stick to men toilets vs child pornography? Also no, youre not supporting his habits by watching the anime. Dont be ridiculous.

 

[rkofan87]

what jk said was not trans hate.

 

[Fbh]

Rowling isn't transphobic.
Even if you consider her to be transphonic, saying there's a difference between biological women and trans women is not even comparable to owning, consuming and possibly distributing child porn.

Either way, personally I can separate the art from the artist. Was never that big on Kenshin but, for example, I still thing Se7en is a great movie and Kevin Spacey is great in it, even if my opinion of him as person is bad.

 

[Spaceman292]

Yeah this comparison is insane. A mountain of child porn vs a woman making some inflammatory tweets.

 

[rubik's dude]

what jk said was not trans hate.

Are you actually comparing a factual statement that biological men should stick to men toilets

I suppose whether it's transphobic is debatable, but from the perspective of her haters, they do consider it transphobic.

Also no, youre not supporting his habits by watching the anime. Dont be ridiculous.

It'd be ridiculous to assume the mangaka wouldn't receive money for his work, and even more ridiculous to assume he would just stop after getting caught with 4.5TBs of child porn.

 

[Quasicat]

I don’t see this as an apples to apples comparison, but that’s been already said. My problem with the issue is the fact that I’m supporting a creator or company that does not share my moral values. The problem is, everyone has a position and has a soap box to announce their position but I’ve accepted the unfortunate reality that the things I consume and enjoy go towards causes that I hate. In the past week, I have bought something that was probably built in a factory in China, bought food that gives a portion of their profits to a political party I can’t stand, and pay into a union that supports an organization that I hate. I’m sure, if we truly looked into it, we all support something through purchases that we would normally not contribute towards on our own.

 

[Pejo]

I don't think that you can put those two things in the same bucket quite as easily as you have.

That said, I think you can appreciate the art regardless of the artist. Kenshin was a great show, and I don't feel guilt about enjoying it, regardless of what a shithead the creator was.

I also still listen to Ignition (remix) by R.Kelly once in a blue moon, and I don't have any guilt about doing that either. That doesn't mean I support him pissing on underage girls or whatever, it's just a decent song.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Either way, personally I can separate the art from the artist. Was never that big on Kenshin but, for example, I still thing Se7en is a great movie and Kevin Spacey is great in it, even if my opinion of him as person is bad.

Modern day people are really amped up on ethics trying to act like god's saviours. People care way too much what other people have or do, and only care when it's self serving or a PR image they are trying to promote.

Even then, it's going to be phony. Look how Reee hates JK Rowling and HP. The game launches and someone did a snapshot of people who joined some anti-JK group. Turns out like half of them were playing the game according to their gamer status, and even one of the mods was playing.

Even to this day, most clothes and shoes are made in China or India in garbagy garment factories paying dirt cheap wages. I dont think the typical person gives a shit. As long as that $200 coat or shoes looks slick, it's a well done purchase.

Yeah this comparison is insane. A mountain of child porn vs a woman making some inflammatory tweets.

People make the weirdest comparisons.

 

[Spaceman292]

I suppose whether it's transphobic is debatable, but from the perspective of her haters, they do consider it transphobic.

Yeah but they're crazy. They think that the cash from the video game is funding trans death camps.

 

[The Cockatrice]

It'd be ridiculous to assume the mangaka wouldn't receive money for his work, and even more ridiculous to assume he would just stop after getting caught with 4.5TBs of child porn.

His work is not child porn so you have no control or anything to do with what he does in his spare time. You are not actively supporting alcoholism if your favorite shows writer is an alcoholic. Separate work from someones personal life and you can enjoy whatever you want in life without being dragged down by twitter warriors.