When I heard that EVANGELION was censored (see our article "Evangelion Controversy" on page 45), I was totally outraged. How this could be possible in our modern world? And all this (we speculated) in the name of religious belief? What about free speech? How could a legal system go along with this? Well, maybe it did not and the TV station censored the show itself to avoid offending certain sensibilities. We cannot really know where the truth lies. I was particularly confused when my friend Miyako read me Hideaki Anno's interview in NEWTYPE of June. He avoided the subject of censorship and skillfully defended his work. His point of view made sense and he made some interesting comments about the internet fans who excessively criticized the show.

"I think the people who are very much involved with the Net," Mr. Anno said, "have very narrow views toward life and the world. They're always in their rooms and don't go out very often to communicate in person. Because of their information on the Net, they feel they know everything without searching the real truths." They easily and anonymously say things that they would never say in person. "Their messages are like graffiti in a public toilet." They attack other while they are staying in a safe place. "They don't have anything certain to hold on... that's probably why they watch anime shows. (...) I would like to add and say to those fans, hey, go out and visit towns. I am 35 now and I am realizing the importance of human contact little by little..."

(This interview, published in the June issue of NEWTYPE, was made by Mr. Shinichiro Inoue. He encourages people to send comments and questions to Anno-san by writing to: Mr. Hideaki Anno, Monthly NEWTYPE Magazine, Kadokawa Shoten, Tokyo, 162-77, Japan.)

I don't entirely agree with what Mr. Anno is saying. He seems to perpetuate the standard caricatural view of the nerd and introverted net surfer. Nevertheless, I must admit that he is touching some sensitive area and he scores some points.

Anyway, you have probably already noticed that this issue has a few more pages than usual (60). It is also packed with information. It offers the second parts of the EVANGELION and of the "Heroic Robots of the Seventies" articles, as well as a large overview (with character guide and mecha files) of all the recent GUNDAM TV and OVA series. The episode guide of those GUNDAM series will be published in several parts in future issues of the magazine. It also features the last of the Japanese language seminars and quite a load of news and reviews.

As usual, we tried very hard to give you the best information, to make the magazine interesting and fun for you to read. I hope you will like it, because sometime producing the magazine is a very long and discouraging work. Don't forget to write and give us your comments and suggestions. It is very much appreciated.

Ja ne!

Claude J. Pelletier

Editorial PA #41

TRUTH OR CYBER GRAFFITI

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