Censorship in BEMANI

BEMANI is notoriously notable for its censorship when the arcade games are ported to console or overseas, specifically South Korea and the Americas.

This list is here to point out various BEMANI-related things, such as songs or jackets, that were changed over-time to circumvent it or to keep the demographic for general audience.

The list is under construction.

beatmania IIDX

beatmania IIDX 14 GOLD CS

• The videos for Last Message and Sense 2007 were removed and both songs were replaced with the 6th RAVE generic video. Both videos featured suggestive themes that are considered inappropriate and are not cleared for the "A"-rating in the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization Video Game Rating System (CERO) rating scheme. However, despite the console version of 7th style was released after CERO was established in 2002, Last Message's video was intact.

beatmania IIDX 15 DJ TROOPERS CS

• satfinal's overlays that featured Acty Aries have been modified by toning down the breast physics to keep the "A"-rating in the CERO scheme.

beatmania IIDX 16 EMPRESS + PREMIUM BEST

• The ARCHIVE MODE, which features artworks from past beatmania IIDX games, excludes the bikini images from previous CS games so as to pass the game with the "A"-rating in the CERO scheme.

South Korean versions

• Korean versions for beatmania IIDX 20 tricoro and later have the videos for Click Again and New Decade IIDX Edition, replaced with the generic videos for tricoro CYBER and 7th TECHNO, respectively, likely due to the a part of video showing resemblances of Rising Sun Flag in these videos, which is de-facto banned in South Korea.
• Similarly, FAKE TIME's overlays are also removed to likely remove any violent or ethical themes as the overlays feature Yakuza.

BeatStream

• 回レ！雪月花's video was edited in BeatStream where Takahashi-san (タカハシサン) was added in the video to cover the shot of a naked bust scene at half song. In the DanceDanceRevolution series, it was however circumvented by blocking that shot with another background shot.

DanceDanceRevolution

DanceDanceRevolution 2ndMIX

• 20,NOVEMBER (D.D.R. VERSION)’s animation was modified in DanceDanceRevolution (America), replacing female silhouette and the text "I made a sign to him with my eyes" into gun shooting animations and the text "She’s the killer queen of a gun", respectively.

DanceDanceRevolution 3rdMIX

• OH NICK PLEASE NOT SO QUICK’s graphics were censored in the Korean version of the game. This censor was retained on its sequel as well.
• CHARMY was edited to include some stockings, presumably as means of censorship.

CS DanceDanceRevolution 3rdMIX

• CUTIE CHASER’s background and banner have bullet holes, red blood and a pistol. DanceDaceRevolution KONAMIX, the American version-equivalent of DanceDanceRevolution 4thMIX, modified the blood color to pink and removed bullet holes and the pistol in the background to preserve the "E" rating in the ESRB rating scheme. The modified background was carried forward to the arcade release for DanceDanceRevolution EXTREME when the song was revived.
  • Like its original, CUTIE CHASER(MORNING MIX), first appeared in おはスタ DanceDanceRevolution, also have bullet holes, red blood and a pistol, which is censored in the American version of DanceDanceRevolutionMAX. Its background was also used when the song made its arcade debut in DanceDanceRevolution EXTREME.
  • Despite this, both songs received new banners in DanceDanceRevolution SuperNOVA which is based on its current background.

CS DanceDanceRevolution EXTREME (America)

• HIGHS OFF U (Scorccio XY Mix) received a new background and music video; however, the expletives that featured in the original counterpart, DanceDanceRevolution MAX, were retained and cleared for the ESRB "E" rating.

DanceDanceRevolution KONAMIX

• The vocal samples for THE EARTH LIGHT was removed, likely due to the suggestive soundbites.
• AFTER THE GAME OF LOVE uses its instrumental version, also likely due to suggestive content.

DanceDanceRevolution ULTRAMIX / Dancing Stage Unleashed

• The background for TRIP MACHINE ~luv mix~ was edited by changing the word "mammy" to "mommy". This was censored likely to avoid negative connotations with Mammy stereotype, an American historical stereotype depicting black women working in white families. Despite this censor, its original background was retained in future DanceDanceRevolution series, including its jacket when it was converted in DanceDanceRevolution X2.

DanceDanceRevolution ULTRAMIX3

• The lyrics for Alphabet Aerobics and Hey Mama were modified and censored a part of lyrics.

CS DanceDanceRevolution SuperNOVA (Japan)

• Scenes from the OVA SKY GIRLS were heavily edited in the video for Baby's Tears (スカイガールズ オープニングテーマ), which features suggestive scenes.

DanceDanceRevolution SuperNOVA2

• The video in Trust -DanceDanceRevolution mix- was heavily edited in the console releases:
  • In the Japanese console counterpart, all the shots featuring Yoko’s breasts were replaced by zoom-in shots of her face. This was also done in the American release.
  • In the console release of DanceDanceRevolution X (America), an additional scene showing Kamina was replaced as well, from a shot with blood into shades.

DanceDanceRevolution X2

• New Decade's video was removed to censor references to the Rising Sun Flag. Since DanceDanceRevolution A, the Replicant D-Action stage was used though the monitor displays become black for the song’s entirety.

DanceDanceRevolution (2010)

• The jackets for two songs, dreaming can make a wish come true and Until the End were modified in the Wii version due to graphical or suggestive content. However, these jackets seen in the original PlayStation 3 version were later used in the arcade releases when it debuted in X3 VS 2ndMIX.

DanceDanceRevolution Classroom Edition

• So What and Walk Like An Egyptian's lyrics were modified in DanceDanceRevolution Classroom Edition by using a different cut from the original release, as well as censoring the word "drink" during the first part of the song.

DanceDanceRevolution A

• ALGORITHM's release was delayed for two weeks to August 16th, 2018, due to complications of GRAC.

DANCERUSH STARDOM

• ATRAX's jacket was edited in the Korean releases, where the woman in the background of the jacket was removed, likely because the posture resembling bondage (BDSM) is a suggestive content. Its jacket is however retained in the Korean releases of jubeat festo.

MÚSECA

MÚSECA 1+1/2

• ネトゲ廃人シュプレヒコール used a different jacket with a portion of the jacket showing Hatsune Miku's showing the middle finger being covered in black.

SOUND VOLTEX

South Korean versions

• In an update on December 28th, 2017, many of the songs debuted after HEAVENLY HAVEN were censored and replaced by a generic jacket (credited to -), in accordance to the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC). Between July 24th and August 9th, 2018, songs added after the November 16th, 2017's update were temporarily unplayable, also due to GRAC; similarly, songs added after the July 24th's update were added on August 23th, 2018. The same applies for other BEMANI games as well, with songs from some jackets being replaced by a generic jacket.

The list of the songs below are the songs which jackets are affected (including songs released after HEAVENLY HAVEN):

• Apocrypha
• Aurora (Latinized Style)
• Awakening
• Call of the World
• Candy Star
• Chocolate Planet
• Cy-Bird
• dreamin' of u
• ECHIDNA
• Fáfnir
• GERBERA-For Finalists-
• Ghost Trigger
• Gorgetech
• Grand-Guignol
• Heavenly Adventure
• HEAVENLY SMILE
• iLLness LiLin
• Justitia Gladius
• Legendary Road
• NEON LOVE♥POTION!!!
• Nexta
• OZONE
• PROVOES*PROPOSE ≪êl fine≫
• Reverenced Flower
• rhythmology study
• Sailing Force
• SO FLY ME TO YOU
• Spirit of the Beast
• ULTiMATE INFLATiON
• Vigor
• デュアルメモリ
• 準備運動
• 壊Rave*it!! 壊Rave*it!!
• まじかる生主@りすなちゃん
• 胸の中で誰かが
• ナナイロライト
• オニユリ
• 獅子奮迅
• セイレーン ～悲壮の竪琴～
• 私とあなたのMYOURENJI☆

The list of the songs that were also originated from SOUND VOLTEX but its jackets were not censored, instead censored in other BEMANI games:

• Lord=Crossight
• Prayer
• Preserved Valkyria
• Xibercannon
• VeRtrageS

And the list of the songs that were not originated from SOUND VOLTEX, with jackets censored:

• 乙女繚乱 舞い咲き誇れ

SOUND VOLTEX EXCEED GEAR

The soundbite from the original video during the middle of 777 was replaced by "Are you ready?".