More evidence that Japan is home to the most advanced civilization on the face of the planet: while Western kids were raised on a steady diet of Scooby Doo, Groovie Goolies and Everything's Archie, Japanese pre-teens were fed a healthy blend of panty shots and lingerie scenes via the popular media.
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| Chargeman Ken |
Yes, it's all completely true: back in the late sixties, Japanese audiences were treated to scenes like this literally every day after school. Japanese Animation (anime, for the uninitiated) had a long history of fan service, particularly where young female characters were concerned. As the years wore on, the cartoons became increasingly more risque, leading to impromptu stripteases in shows like Cutie Honey (1973) and Majokko Megu Chan (1974).
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| Majokko Megu-Chan |
Sure beats the heck out of Sabrina the Teenaged Witch, doesn't it? All kidding aside however, it's worth noting that live action panchira was extremely popular on Japanese TV, so the transition to anime was probably inevitable. Despite periodic outcries from P&T groups and child welfare advocates, the trend caught on and soon became a staple of the cartoon industry. In the space of thirty years, fan service went from this in 1970:
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| Mahou No Mako-Chan |
...to this in 2000.
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| Gakko No Kaidan |
Viewed as cute and harmless (if a little risque), shows like Gakko No Kaidan and Read Or Die were
aimed at a young demographic, mainly adolescents and middle-schoolers.
Most of the humor was family friendly; kids could laugh at the jokes
while their parents smiled at the frequent innuendos.
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| Read Or Die |
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