The Japanese Ayakashi Triangle Blu-ray vol. 1 is finally in stock, offering relief from the frustrating censorship of the broadcast version. For a few days, there was some fan drama on the Internet stating that the Blu-rays were still censored, but I’ve got good news: they are fully uncensored. Let’s find out what happened in this blog post!
Yes, Virginia, the Ayakashi Triangle Blu-rays are Uncensored
Right as the first Blu-ray for the series was announced, some fan drama erupted on Twitter/X, stating that the Blu-rays were “even more censored” than the broadcast version. This would have included Lucky Cat graphics covering any nipples, pantyshots and other choice visuals fans would like to see. Where could this rumor have come from?
As far as I can tell, it originated with a Blu-ray rip that got uploaded to the Internet, which did contain censorship. This wasn’t the official Blu-ray release, but likely a pirate disc made from the broadcast streams to sell in shops in Asia. Several YouTubers and others on the Internet (over-)reacted to Aniplex/Sony censoring anime, but this was an error.
To be clear, the official Blu-ray release shows all nipples, butts and pantyshots. There’s a full frontal scene with soap strategically clinging to Matsuri’s crotch area, which is standard for all ecchi anime, including To Love-ru. In the scene where Matsuri is running at night, a shadow effect hides her crotch, which is also reasonable.
What’s the Story of Ayakashi Triangle?
Ayakashi Triangle is based on a manga by Kentaro Yabuki, the genius artist who also brought us To Love-ru. It’s set in a version of Japan where spirits called ayakashi roam freely, visible only to certain individuals. Young Matsuri is a ninja who fights these creatures in his daily battle to protect his thicc and busty childhood friend Suzu. Things get interesting when a powerful cat demon puts a curse on him that turns him into a girl, lewding leading to lots of sexy yuri-esque moments.
Why do anime fans love genderswap anime so much? We’ve got a blog post for you here!
Why Was the Broadcast Version Censored?
We’d all love to live in a world without any censorship, but to be financially viable, mainstream anime needs to be broadcast on TV and streaming sites. This usually involves making two versions: one that hides some of the tasty bits to avoid criticism from the unwashed masses, and an uncensored version for fans of culture like you and me. The increase in Western and Chinese companies providing funding for anime adds to this tension.
I’m sure what every anime studio wants to avoid is the kind of crisis that Interspecies Reviewers caused when it snuck full-bore sex with monster girl prostitutes into the series, catching both Japanese broadcasters and Funimation off guard. The show got canceled in a lot of markets, which probably caused financial repercussions for studio Passione. Happily the Blu-rays are in stock, and they’re completely uncensored.
If anime studios must censor broadcast versions of the anime that we love, it’d be much better for them to get creative, using in-world objects to obscure choice camera angles in a way that’s much less jarring to viewers. In fact, “convenient censorship” has become a category of its own, and it can be pretty fun to watch.
What Are the Ayakashi Triangle Blu-rays Like?
It’s really a nice release, featuring the limited Blu-ray vol. 1 containing episodes 1 and 2, plus various bonus material. I love that they give us the full box with the first disc, so if you buy all the other discs you can put them all together.
The bonus materials include:
- The full box to store the other Blu-rays in when released, with original art by Yabuki Kentaro.
- A special CD with character songs and original soundtrack, vol. 1.
- A special booklet with character art from the series.
- Blu-ray with episodes 1 and 2 in full 1080p quality, and uncensored. Japanese language only.
- Commentary track by the producer and manga creator.
J-List Has Ayakashi Triangle Figures, Too!
Being an online shop, J-List is happy when awesome anime gets merchandise for us to bring to everyone. The most popular figure so far is this gorgeous figure of Suzu Kanade, looking mighty sexy. Find all products from this series here!
Thanks for reading this blog post about the Ayakashi Triangle Blu-rays and the fan drama about possible censorship. And watch your skirt when you use the stairs!
If you’re on social media, follow us on these platforms!
- Twitter, where Peter posts anime booba for you
- Facebook, where we share memes and discuss anime
- Instagram, where you can look at sterilized anime memes, because it’s Instagram
- Discord, if you want to chat with other J-List customers of culture
- Finally, check out J-List’s new short video blogs on YouTube or TikTok!
Great news! J-List is celebrating autumn with a Flash Coupon, giving you $10 off of any order shipping from Japan of $50 or more. Just use code AUTUMN23 when you check out! The sale goes through Sept. 6. Start browsing now!
