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For instance, the anime _Darker than Black_ is R-17+ (violence & profanity) in
the West, but is it higher or lower in Japan?


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2013-08-28T22:06:47.610
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Is the age restriction lower in Japan than in western countries?


The television rating system in Japan is the same as the [movie rating
system](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eirin).

Their regulations are as follows:

**Unrestricted**

  * G: General audiences

  * PG12: Parental guidance suggested. Some content may be unsuitable for children under the age of 12.

**Restricted**

These are regulated, and all movie theaters are required to check for ID.
Allowing in an underage child is a criminal offense.

  * R15+: Restricted to teenagers 15 and over only.

  * R18+: Restricted to teenagers 18 and over only.

It is a lot more difficult to regulate television watching than to regulate
movie-watching, so just because a rating is given for a television show, it
doesn't mean that it is being followed, whereas in a movie theater, at least,
it can be regulated. Frequently, in America, for TV-MA, a warning will be
given that the show may not be appropriate for children under the age of 17.

Darker than Black was actually rated TV-MA in America, not R. R is only used
for movies, and Darker than Black is a TV series. The rating is given
[here](http://www.funimation.com/darker-than-black).

I cannot (at the moment) find what the Japanese rating is for Darker than
Black, but presumably it was either R15+ or R18+.


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2013-08-28T22:55:55.887
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