A discussion related to Neon Genesis

[Fwind4]

I really hope this isn't the wrong section for this, if it is I apologize.

A while ago I saw this film called One Hour Photo, a pretty disturbing movie, but that's not what this topic is about.
In this movie there is a scene with the main character and a 9 year old boy holding an Evangelion action figure. The main character asks the boy if he likes that toy, and he offers to buy it for him (to clarify: this takes place in a store, and the boy took the item from a shelf), the boy didn't accept it.(If you wanna know why go watch the movie that's not the point of this topic)

Ever since then that scene is lingering in my mind, I didn't even pay much attention to the rest of the film, it left me puzzled.
It's clear that the boy had to have watched the anime to be wanting that action figure, it's also clear that the old main character had no idea wtf that is.
Now granted NG Evangelion isn't the most disturbing anime out there, not until the last 2 episodes at least, and children won't understand what's going on in it anyway, but the last 2 eps... man that's some heavy shit right there, it could scar a grown man even(I like the anime a lot btw).
I understand that children can't be sheltered from heavy material like this all the way, I remember when I was a kid I saw a few nasty horror films and some weird shit even that I couldn't understand at the time like Natural Born Killers, I'm wondering though if anime in some places is still being treated as if it was all child cartoons.
Kids can watch South Park, The Simpsons, Family Guy because they are clever to hide the adult stuff from the kids understanding, anime not always do that, and they can get hardcore, as many of you know.
If you would show people who don't know much about anime some hentai, or even just Elfen Lied or Higurashi, they would be shocked such a thing even existed.

I don't want this to turn into some heated ethical debate, I'm not even a father yet, I'm just merely curios about other people in other countries thoughts on this. (I'm sorry about any grammar mistakes, english is not my first language, sorry for the length aswell)

[megido-rev.M]

I assume many adults have a hard time elaborating these kinds of things to children to a sufficient extent, probably as much as to others in any other age group, or even to themselves.
Well, that sounds pretty useless. <_<

I understand that children can't be sheltered from heavy material like this all the way, I remember when I was a kid I saw a few nasty horror films and some weird shit even that I couldn't understand at the time like Natural Born Killers, I'm wondering though if anime in some places is still being treated as if it was all child cartoons.

Yes.
And I do believe this goes to general discussions.

[Tiffanys]

I think you're assuming the movie creators actually knew what it was rather than just picking some cool transformer looking action figure that a little boy would want... Hell, it could have been product placement even, like how 90% of computers in TV shows are all Macs... as if cops have Macs...

And honestly, liking an action figure doesn't imply he knew what it was. He could have just thought it looked cool. A lot of kids are like that...

[kurandoinu]

I agree with Tiff. I'm pretty sure he described the figure as "the good guy" when he's actually holding one of the mass produced Evas that's certainly not good.

I think you're reading too far into it

[joker9316]

That's just too strange
just look into wiki (for NGE) it has a slight mention of your movie
i guess it pretty much explains the use of that figure
and BTW u drifted to something much weirder than the anime itself

[Fwind4]

as if cops have Macs...

And honestly, liking an action figure doesn't imply he knew what it was. He could have just thought it looked cool. A lot of kids are like that...

I didn't know NG is mainstream enough in the US for such marketing, I live in Europe btw, and around here anime is really a niche.

I agree with Tiff. I'm pretty sure he described the figure as "the good guy" when he's actually holding one of the mass produced Evas that's certainly not good.

just look into wiki (for NGE) it has a slight mention of your movie
i guess it pretty much explains the use of that figure

Hm yes that does explain the scene then.

and BTW u drifted to something much weirder than the anime itself

Yeah I wanted to talk about this in a wider scope, the fact that people have hard time thinking about this subject, is why I find it interesting and worth talking about.
Maybe I should have posted this in General Discussion since it's not just about NG, but it's still about anime though 

[joker9316]

nope since ur primary question concerned NGE
however
it's a topic we usually run away from, but we have to accept this fact
in today's world children have access to almost anything via net so they are ought to be more mature than the kids of their age about 15 years ago.
as of today my brother(smaller) and i started watching anime from DBZ then NARUTO but soon afterwards he lost interest but i was quite addicted
to my surprise he suddenly offered me to watch a series he downloaded (STEINS;GATE)
at first i was shocked as he was usually watching some shonen anime but he shifted to seinen animes on his own.
i guess it all comes down to the upbringing of any kid, cuz after a while they have to make decisions on their own whether right or wrong

[Fwind4]

Usually after the age of 10 kids are self sufficient enough to do what they want, most of the time behind the parents back, under the fear of being punished, witch is fine imo. Before the internet there was TV, before that books and dirty magazines, it has always existed in some form.
What I'm talking about is kids under 10 getting exposed to stuff they wouldn't normally watch, because the parent dismissed it as something for kids.
I'm gonna give another example:
Lets say it's 10 pm, Blue Gender on Animax is starting, a 9 year old is sitting in front of the TV because Sailor Moon just ended(i realize this might be a bit of an exaggeration lol), the parent wants him to go to bed, but lets him watch it since it's only another cartoon.

[megido-rev.M]

Prejudicial thinking ftw.

[Fwind4]

Prejudicial thinking ftw.

Why is that? I'm trying to approach this in a scientific manner, but it is kind of a touchy subject I guess. 

[megido-rev.M]

Prejudicial thinking ftw.

Why is that? I'm trying to approach this in a scientific manner, but it is kind of a touchy subject I guess. 

No, no, that was my view of this :

a 9 year old is sitting in front of the TV because Sailor Moon just ended(i realize this might be a bit of an exaggeration lol), the parent wants him to go to bed, but lets him watch it since it's only another cartoon.