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When Tsukihi is taking a bath together with Koyomi, she played with the foam
and struck a pose while saying [都条例]【とじょうれい】 (or so I think, based on the
translation). Koyomi said it was scary and splashed some water on Tsukihi to
wash all the soap away.

Below is the image of the relevant scene **(NSFW)** :

> ![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tauRg.jpg)

What is the meaning of Tsukihi's pose here? And why did Koyomi freak out like
that?


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monogatari-series
What is the meaning behind Tsukihi's pose 17 minutes into in episode 1 of Tsukimonogatari?


I don't understand Japanese and relevant part of light novel is not
translated, so I'm assuming that the anime translations is correct.

[Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance Regarding the Healthy Development of
Youths](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Metropolitan_Ordinance_Regarding_the_Healthy_Development_of_Youths)
is a prefectural law, that simply says that any material, which is "considered
harmful" must be marked as so (adult-only or 18+) and can only be placed in
adult-only sections of stores. In 2010, the "considered harmful" was supposed
to be expanded with "sexually provocative depictions of fictional characters
who appear to be under 18 years of age"(aka. _"Nonexistent youth" bill_ ), but
was never passed due to heavy opposition from industry.

The meta-joke here is that Tsukihi is both canonically and visually under age
of 18, is striking suggestive pose and her privates are barely covered.
Araragi is scared, because if said bill was actually in effect, it would
immediately make the episode into 18+ material and would be handled as any
kind of pornography. And thats something Araragi obviously wouldn't want. This
is less obvious in anime, but it would definitely feel like real meta-joke
when in written form. And considering NisiOisiN's streak with meta-4th wall
breaking naratives, I wouldn't be surprised he written this exactly to make
life of animators harder.


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Yeah, what Tsukihi said was 都条例 _tojourei_ , which is the short name of the
["Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance Regarding the Healthy Development of
Youths"](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Metropolitan_Ordinance_Regarding_the_Healthy_Development_of_Youths)
(also called "Bill 156"). This ordinance [underwent a major revision in
2010](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-12-15/full-tokyo-assembly-
passes-youth-ordinance-bill) that substantially expanded its scope. In
particular, it required publishers located in Tokyo Metropolis to self-
regulate and prevent the publication of ["manga, anime, and other images
(except for real-life photography)" that "unjustifiably glorify or exaggerate"
certain sexual or pseudo sexual
acts](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-12-13/tokyo-youth-ordinance-
bill-approved-by-committee).

This bill was obviously targeted at the anime/manga/etc. industry (given the
exemption for real-life photography). And, of course, the industry (which is
largely based in Tokyo) was not a fan of this - this ordinance has been a hot-
button topic for some time now. I'm pretty sure that the whole ending of the
Kenzen Robo Daimidaler anime was a reaction to it.

In practice, the law has not been very strongly enforced. [As of mid-2012, no
works had been actually deemed
"harmful"](https://dankanemitsu.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/the-uneasy-ceasefire-
of-2012-revised-tokyo-ordinances-current-status/), though I believe a small
number (single digits) were deemed "harmful" in 2013. But anyway:

> **What is the meaning of Tsukihi's pose here?**

Glorifying a pseudo-sexual act, I guess. The pose isn't a reference to
anything in particular; the only previous examples of it I was able to find
were a few things on pixiv
([one](http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=36386978),
[two](http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=30580433);
NSFW) doing drawings based on the description in the light novel (chapter 004;
keep in mind that the light novel was written in Sept 2012, nearly two years
after the revised ordinance was passed). More generally, this is a pretty
prototypical example of the kind of thing that could have been subject to
scrutiny or outright banned had the "non-existent youths" provision of the
bill gone through.

> **And why did Koyomi freak out like that?**

Well, here is his internal monologue immediately after Tsukihi does her pose:

> Don't poke fun at it!
>
> Panicking, I dumped the washbowl on her. The soap was washed away. I think
> that made it worse, at least as far as the Metropolitan Ordinance is
> concerned. But still, I was of the opinion that covering up bits and pieces
> was far less wholesome.
>
> Nudity is healthful and artistic.

I don't really know what to extract from that. Perhaps he was breaking the
fourth wall and was worried that the government's censors would shut them
down?


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