Top late night anime broadcast Tokyo MX has said it may stop showing anime with “extreme” content as a result of Tokyo’s anime/manga ban, and even goes so far as to say it will no longer be offering jobs to anime fans.

Tokyo MX’s management has this to say in an interview:

“MX broadcasts a lot of late night anime containing panchira and other ecchi material. As our station has a deep connection to the Tokyo government, we can’t ignore their wishes, so with the harsher law there is the possibility that we will have to refrain from broadcasting more extreme anime.”

The station’s management even goes on to say it no longer wants to employ anime fans as a result of the law, and is considering discriminating against them in its hiring process:

“We’re a popular employer amongst student recruits as we are so strong at broadcasting anime. However, now we are thinking we should no longer offer jobs to students who express an interest in anime in their applications. Of course, we won’t just tell them ‘anime fans need not apply.’ Rather, we’ll ask them something like ‘if you took a foreign friend to a tourist spot, where would you take them?’ If they answer ‘Akihabara,’ we’ll be able to consider whether we really want to employ them.”

Anime fans are now being denied jobs as a result of the law – all thanks to the hatred Ishihara and his geriatric cronies bear for anything popular with the young.

The article also wryly remarks that it might be better just to ask them whether they are for or against the ban and deny them employment based on that.

Of all the “anime-friendly” stations (essentially a handful of Tokyo and Osaka stations), Tokyo MX had the best reputation for broadcasting large amounts of late night anime in uncensored form, making its potential loss quite a blow to anime fans.

The actual impact on anime producers is harder to predict – the business model for late night anime is to use TV distribution to promote disc sales, and stations pay only a nominal fee or are actually paid to show the anime, with the anime production costs coming almost exclusively from disc sales.

As a result, the restrictions the law places on selling the actual discs is rather more problematic – and so far it is not even clear what these restrictions will entail.

Meanwhile, not so much as a peep of protest or calls for “voluntary restraints” are heard when Tokyo stations broadcast such edifying spectacles as a trio of hot porn stars engaged in a lesbian threesome…

Update: Tokyo MX is denying it intends to discriminate against otaku in its hiring process, although whether they are to be believed is another matter…

Update 2: Tokyo MX now claims the report is a complete fabrication, although the rag in question has yet to offer a retraction.