I saw the TCM screening of this movie.
In the bathhouse scene the bathers were all drawn such that they did not have buttcracks. Were they like that in the original Japanese version or did someone with whiteout come in and erase the buttcracks for this broadcast?
I haven't seen the original Japanese version, however, from the Japanese animation that I have seen, full-frontal nudity is not common in mainstream films. I think what you saw on TCM was what was originally drawn - it would be pointless for the director to emphasize on the nudity details, because it draws away from the experience Takeo was having at the bathhouse. I too was a little shocked when I saw young Takeo sitting in the transparent water...
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If you look at most anime with nudity, except for hard core hentai, you won't see any body cavities, either at the front or the back. I believe that it's actually a legal requirement.
Look at shows like Tenchi Muyo, even when they have full frontal female nudity, they are drawn like barby dolls and have no genitals.
English Language Anime: Dub it, don't pervert it.
There's no rule against "butt cracks." If you want proof, just look at Boh in Spirited Away or any rendition of Kintaro. Japanese rules of decency take into account the innocence of the scene. In general, bare breasts are perfectly acceptable for general family viewing, but fondling them is a different matter (though you can still see that on broadcast television). Frontal male nudity is also perfectly acceptable animated or live, provided the male is depicted as pre-pubescent. The same is true for female genitalia, but it's usually only depiced in live scenes, as most animators try to treat the subject more discreetly. The depiction of mature genitalia is forbidden--even in adult films. Films for domestic consumption are pixellated and the import of pornographic materials is illegal.
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