Forum:Strange idea of censorship

The Shadow Realm - Strange idea of censorship
I don't know if this has come up before, but it has to be said.

So, anyone who's seen the dub and has some knowledge of the Japanese version knows that deaths or the possibility thereof are usually censored with the Shadow Realm.

Now, the series is not without unambiguous death:


 * Some temporary deaths that get revived in Season 1
 * The flashback deaths of Cecelia Pegasus and Marik's mother
 * Gozaburo and the Big Five are destroyed along with the virtual world. (So is Noah, but it's censored with characters speculation that he saved his mind on backup drive)
 * Dartz sacrifices himself to release the Great Leviathan, turning to dust. (Downplayed by his spirit returning and seeming physical, goes onto the afterlife with Ironheart and Chris)
 * I seem to remember reading Mahad and Bob Akenhaden are destroyed after taking monster form
 * Shadi is destroyed by Zorc
 * Bakura merges with Zorc, who is later destroyed by the Creator of Light
 * Technically the Pharaoh was already dead as he's a spirit, and goes on to the afterlife

For threats of death, as far as I know:


 * Panik threatens to incinerate Yugi
 * Kaiba stands on the edge and could have been sent flying off the edge of Pegasus's castle
 * Marik possessing Joey to duel Yugi in which the loser drowns. Thanks to Joey ending the duel in a draw, and Serenity, both survived.

But most of them are still replaced with being sent to the Shadow Realm. True, some are more graphic like Hank Ishtar or the threats of feet being cut off, but then there's stuff like falling to one's death in the Lumis and Umbra duel (even though Umbra is the only one to fall and he uses a parachute), and the whole thing with the fight with Zorc in the past (I've only read most of them, haven't really seen any of those episodes except Zorc's death episode) which can get a little ridiculous sometimes.

Now, of course the big question is, if they think any of the other deaths or threats thereof are unsuitable for the younger kids, how is the Shadow Realm any better? Because the Shadow Realm is strongly implied to be hell. Now, the kids that can't watch overt deaths of human characters are unlikely to know the concept of hell, but I think they'd get it by Bakura and I think Marik speaking of eternal suffering, and the shadows devouring their souls for all eternity. Certainly not the kind of thing that would give them nightmares. This is especially apparent for the deaths eternal damnation of those in the past fighting Zorc, they effectively spend their afterlife in hell even if their bodies still live.

What useful purpose does it serve to censor death with eternal damnation? KillRoy231 (talk • contribs) 19:39, September 24, 2016 (UTC)