Texas Bill aims at anime and video games with underage characters in obscene content.

A newly adopted Texas bill has taken care of in the anime and video game communities. The law of Senate 20, which was unanimously approved by senators, proposes criminal punishments for everyone who owns or distribute visual material, which is – really or fictitiously – in a “obscene” way. If it had been signed in the law, it would change Chapter 43 of the Texas Criminal Code to contain cartoons, animations and ai-generated content within the framework of its scope.

While the invoice explicitly aims at obscene content with minors, his language is so far enough that many anime, manga and video games could be caught in the crossfire. The law states that a crime is committed if a person knowingly has or promotes such a material, regardless of whether the character shown is real or computer -generated. “Obszön” is defined as content, the serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value, if it is taken into account in its entirety – the space for interpretation.

This ambiguity has worried fans of popular titles such as Persona 5, Kill La Kill, Bleach, Gurren Lagann and Monogatari. These works often have characters in high school age or fantastic figures that are presented in a suggestive way. Persona 5 includes, for example, the dating mechanics in which teen characters are involved, while Kill La Kill and bleach are known for their provocative representations of minors. The Monogatari series continues, including explicit scenes that affect minor characters despite narrative reasons.

If this is adopted, this could mean that people who have popular titles are unknowingly committed to a crime and cause serious concerns among fans and collectors. Although the draft law has not yet become a law, unanimous Senate affects strong political dynamics.

If the draft law progresses by the legislative procedure, the concerns about how its enforcement could implement access to popular titles and redefine the limits of creative expression in Texas.