Many Japanese newspapers reported crimes by high school students every day as you know. In the end of January 1998, a junior high school male student killed a 26-year-old female teacher with a knife. The knife is called "Butterfly Knife." Such knives are often sold at toy stores and shops in Japan. In 1997, many popular TV drama and anime programs dealt with crimes. Heroes in those programs often had "Butterfly Knives."
The boy who killed her also had a popular knife.
He was a 13-year-old gentle and normal student. However he often neglected his studies. In Japan, negligent students are often related with mafias. He was not related with mafias. When he was absent from school, he would stay home.
It was thought he was gentle, silent and normal.
When he was not absent from school, he would be interviewed by a nurse-teacher. That day morning he was at nurse-teacher's room. The nurse-teacher sent him to his classroom. Then English class had already started. The English female teacher scolded him for his lateness.
He was so angry that he show his knife to threaten her. He killed her because she ignored it. He kicked and cut her corpse.
She was a popular and gentle teacher. She was already married and had a one-year-old baby. Her husband was also a teacher.
Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japanese Government (Monbusho) reported a document as a draft by the chair of the Subcommittee for "Emotional Education" under the Central Council for Education on 02/03/98.
Yomiuri Newspaper reported the draft in detail on 02/04/98.
Japanese Government thinks anime heroes and heroines had better appeal to children against crimes.
By the way, in Japan, it is difficult that the government chooses a private character for propagandas. TV anime programs are always related with public relations agencies. The copyright of anime programs often belong to those agencies.
Local governments sometimes choose anime characters as symbols for propagandas. You know Mitaka City in Tokyo has chosen several characters as symbols for the protect of environment. Mitaka City chose Nakoruru and Rei Ayanami formerly.
You know Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of Japan (Yuseisho) started the new postal code system (7 code) on 02/02/98. The official character is "Poston." However some other image-up characters were chosen. One of those characters is Ms Akari kanzaki from Battle Athletess DAIUNDOUKAI.
You know DAIUNDOUKAI is made by Anime International (AIC) and Increment P (iPC) under Pioneer Corp.
Now I made a table of anime characters against crimes in Japan. If National Police Agency (Keisatsucho), Monbusho and Dentsu Corp. do not like the following characters, they will not be chosen as the official character against crimes.
Japanese anime characters against crimes
| Characters | Character Voices | Titles | Broadcast at Present | Feature | Suitable or not |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natsumi Tsujimoto | Sakiko Tamagawa | You're Under Arrest | Formerly broadcast | A powerful policewoman good at riding a motorcycle. Popular among young male adults. Rather minor. | Rather good. |
| Kankichi Ryoutsu | Lassalle Ishii (a famous comedian) | Kochi-Kame | Broadcast at Present | A lazy policeman good at high technology. Very popular among adults and children in Japan. | Suitable. |
| Kenshin Himura | Mayo Suzukaze (a musical star) | Rurouni Kenshin | Broadcast at Present | A swordsman. He always appeals to children for the living will. Very popular among young women. However he has a sword by Shakku Arai. | We must prohibit children from using knives, swords and guns at present. Not suitable. |
| Sanosuke Sagara | Yuji Ueda | Rurouni Kenshin | Broadcast at Present | A former fighter of Sekihotai. A comrade of Kenshin's. Yuji Ueda is also a famous disc jockey. He appeals to children as an elder brother. | Rather good. |
| Misao Makimachi | Tomo Sakurai | Rurouni Kenshin | Broadcast at Present | A ninja girl. A comrade of Kenshin's. Rather popular among children. She also has her radio entertainment programs. | Rather good. |
| Natsuki Sasahara | Yuko Miyamura | Hyper Police | Formerly Broadcast only in Tokyo | A young goblin cat policewoman using magic. The title was not broadcast at almost of districts in Japan. | Not suitable. |
| Nuku Nuku Natsume | Megumi Hayashibara | Nuku Nuku | Broadcast at Present (till March 1998) | A robot from a cat. She fights against an evil C.E.O. of Mishima Industry. Rather popular among children. She often goes too far. However Megumi Hayashibara is the most popular voice actress in Japan. She has many radio entertainment programs. | Not unsuitable. |
| Akari Kanzaki | Rio Natsuki | Battle Athletess DAIUNDOUKAI | Broadcast at Present (till March 1998) | A young female athlete aiming at the cosmo beauty in 4999. She is pretty and cheerful. Very popular among young adult and children. One of image-up characters for the new postal code system of Japanese Government. | Rather good. |
| Nakoruru | Harumi Ikoma | Samurai Shodown | The title is one of videogames. | An ainu fighter in the Tokugawa Shogunate. She always fight for the protect of environment. Very popular among young adult. Rather minor. One of image-up characters of Mitaka City. | Rather good. |
| Asuka Langley Soryuu | Yuko Miyamura | Neon Genesis Evangelion | Formerly Broadcast | EVA is one of the most popular titles in Japan. Asuka is also very popular. She always speaks to Shinji in a commanding tone. Yuko Miyamura also has a radio entertainment program. | Rather good. |
| Touji Suzuhara | Tomokazu Seki | Neon Genesis Evangelion | Formerly Broadcast | A friend of Shinji's. He always shows a chivalrous spirit. Not popular. | Not unsuitable. |
| Misato Katsuragi | Kotono Mitsuishi | Neon Genesis Evangelion | Formerly Broadcast | Shinji's protector. Very popular among children. | Rather good. |
| Ranma Saotome | (Female) Megumi Hayashibara | Ranma 1/2 | Formerly Broadcast | A very famous character in Japan. However Ranma often box the principal. | We must prohibit children from boxing teachers at present. Not suitable. |
| Lina Inverse | Megumi Hayashibara | Slayers | Formerly Broadcast | A powerful magician female fighter. A former robber. Not persuasive. | Not suitable. |
| Hikaru Shidou | Hekiru Shiina | Magic Knight Rayearth | Formerly Broadcast | A young female magician fighter against Zagato. She became the tentative Pillar of Cefiro in CLAMP's original comics. Formerly popular but not popular at present. | Not suitable. |
| Usagi Tsukino | Kotono Mitsuishi | Sailor Moon | Formerly Broadcast | She fought against the evil as the Sailor Moon. She emphasized the friendships. Of course, very famous. Not popular at present. | Not unsuitable. |
| Atom | Mari Shimizu | Astroboy | Formerly Broadcast | Teduka's powerful robot for the Japanese Government. However Osamu Teduka was dead. He always made anime for himself as well as the original comics. We cannot make Teduka-like propagandas using Atom. | Not suitable. |
| Tsukushi Makino | Maki Mochida | Hana Yori Dango | Formerly Broadcast | A poor and powerful high school student. She is rather opposed to the authority. She is very popular among female children. | Not unsuitable. |
| Utena Tenjou | Tomoko Kawakami | UTENA -La Fillette Révolutionnaire- | Formerly Broadcast | A powerful high school female student. A very famous character. However the story of UTENA was not for children. | Not suitable. |
| Sakura Kinomoto | Sakura Tange | Card Captor Sakura | The title will be broadcast from Broadcast Satellite. | A very popular character by CLAMP. A magical girl. However the title will be broadcast from BS. Many children cannot see the character. | Not suitable. |
| Hyuma Hoshi | Touru Furuya | Kyojin No Hoshi | Formerly Broadcast | A very famous character in Yomiuri Giants. He has been often chosen as image-up symbols in commercial films. Not popular among children. | Not unsuitable. |
| Lupin III | Kanichi Kurita (at present) | Lupin III | Formerly Broadcast | A very famous character. He has been often chosen as image-up symbols in commercial films. However he is a thief after all. Not popular among children. | Not suitable. |
| Yawara Inokuma | Yuko Minaguchi | YAWARA! | Formerly Broadcast | A young judo girl. Champion at two Olympic games. A very famous character. However the real character, Ms Ryouko Tamura for Toyota Corp., is more popular than Yawara Inokuma. | Not unsuitable. |
| Ryouko | Ai Orikasa | No Need For Tenchi! | Formerly Broadcast | No Need For Tenchi by AIC is a tear-jerking program. However a popular character Ryouko is a Space Pirate. She plays the role of an elder sister of children. | Not suitable. |
| Masaki Tenchi | Masami Kikuchi | No Need For Tenchi! | Formerly Broadcast | Ryouko loves Tenchi. Tenchi is an irresolute boy. He fights against the evil. | Not unsuitable. |
| Sasami Jurai | Chisa Yokoyama | No Need For Tenchi! and Pretty Samy | Formerly Broadcast | A child in the Masaki Family. A very popular magical girl. It is thought that she is normal. | Rather good. |
| Lum | Aya Hirano | Urusei Yatsura | Formerly Broadcast | A very famous character. A thunder girl. However most of children do not know her. | Not unsuitable. |
| Meimi Haneoka | Tomo Sakurai | Saint Tail | @Formerly Broadcast | A thief girl fighting against the evil. Formerly very popular. She is a thief after all. | Not suitable. |
| Sakura Shinguji | Chisa Yokoyama | Sakura Wars | An OVA title. | The heroine from a very popular video game. However the game is for Sega Saturn. Many children do not know her. | Not suitable. |
| Miyu | Miki Nagasawa | Vampire Miyu | Broadcast at Present only in Tokyo and Osaka. | A vampire fighting against Goddemons. Rather minor. The title is broadcast only in Tokyo and Osaka. | Not suitable. |
| Shirou Kamui | Tomokazu Seki | X | A cinema title. | An student with supernatural power. He fought against Fuma Monou for the old authority at last. Rather minor. | Not suitable. |
| Cha Cha | Masami Suzuki | Red Riding Hood Cha Cha | Formerly Broadcast | A magical girl. A very famous character. Very popular among female children. | Rather good. |
| Sana Kurata | Shizue Oda (a disc jockey) | Kodomo No Omocha | Broadcast at Present | An actress and high school student. Very popular among young female adult and female children. | Rather good. |
| Akito Hayama | Tatsuya Nakazaki | Kodomo No Omocha | Broadcast at Present | A friend of Sana's. However he often has quarrels with friends and teachers. | We must prohibit children from boxing teachers at present. Not suitable. |
