A detail regarding the appearance of the hero Tanjirō in the animated series “Demon Slayer” has been censored in South Korea. Explanations.
In general, animated series are censored because of their violent scenes, or to reduce the degree of nudity shown on screen. But it’s for an entirely different reason that Demon Slayer has been subject to a content change in South Korea.
A detail that French spectators may not have noticed, the earrings worn by Tanjirō reproduce the symbol of the flag of the Imperial Japanese Army. However, the presence of this symbol could have led to a diplomatic crisis between Japan and South Korea, the Korean territory having been occupied by the Japanese army from the beginning of the 20th century (1905) until the end of the Second World War.
In order to avoid any misunderstanding, the decision was therefore taken to modify Tanjirō’s earrings so as not to offend the sensitivity of Korean viewers. Thus, the motif has been replaced by the current Japanese flag, a red sphere represented on a white background. In France, it is obviously the original version (with the flag of the Imperial Army therefore) which was broadcast.
Left: the international version. Right: the Korean version.
The first season of the anime Demon Slayer is available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video; the second is currently broadcast every week as a simulcast exclusive on the Wakanim and Crunchyroll platforms.