Danica Davidson
December 16, 2020 
Lawmakers in Ohio are trying to get an anime book pulled from Kent State University and threatening the college’s funds over it.
The book in question is Anime from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation by Dr. Susan Napier of Tufts University. Apparently the book was assigned to a student younger than 18 taking a freshman course, and his father was angry about the choice, even though Kent State says the father already consented to his child reading the book in question. Though most students at the college are over 18, some younger students do take classes there, though their parents have to sign off on reading material first.
“It’s way beyond pornography,” insisted State Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus about the academic book on anime. “It’s violent. It’s dark. It’s violent sexual acts. The pictures are very twisted. You know somebody with a twisted mind had to come up with this stuff.”
He continued, “I let the university know that the material is unacceptable and apparently they think it is acceptable so if it’s acceptable, all my friends in the general assembly are going to receive a copy of this book courtesy of me, and we’re gonna look through this book, and we’re gonna decide if this university is worthy of giving 150 million dollars of taxpayer dollars to it every year.”
He was joined in his outrage by Representative Don Jones, who aided him in sending a letter to the college. Rep. Stoltzfus argued the student should get another assignment, and that the book should be pulled entirely, even for students over the age of 18.
Kent State released a statement that included the lines, “Faculty have academic freedom to communicate ideas for discussion and learning to fulfill the course objectives. All students in the College Credit Plus program, as well as their legal guardian, must sign an acknowledgment that materials in a course may include mature adult themes before they enroll in a course.”
Source: Fox 19
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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