Censorship in BEMANI
BEMANI is notoriously notable for its censorship when the game 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.
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 only Bikini images so as to pass the game with the "A"-rating in the CERO scheme. These images however, are still retained on console versions from the previous games up until the last appearance in 9th style.
beatmania IIDX 19 Lincle
Rche, the character in Todestrieb, was implied as a male due to the marking in the body despite the feminine appearance. Hence, its gender was not disclosed in the supplementary material.
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 avoided by blocking it with a 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 CS DDR Oha Suta, also have bullet holes, red blood and a pistol, which is censored in the American version of DanceDanceRevolution MAX. Its background was also used when the song made its arcade debut in DanceDanceRevolution EXTREME.
- Despite this, both songs song 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.
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 circumvent the ban of 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.
GITADORA
GUITARFREAKS 2ndMIX APPEND
- ERASER ENGINE featured censored bleeps on some portions of the song.
pop’n music
pop’n music 5
- INNOVATION featured censored bleeps on some portions of the song. However, an unedited version of the can be found on the album version of the same name.
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
SOUND VOLTEX II -infinite infection-
- The soundbite "call me leader, cocaine" in Brain Power is present, but it was censored in the Nintendo Switch version of GROOVE COASTER WAI WAI PARTY!!!.
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:
And the list of the songs that were not originated from SOUND VOLTEX, with jackets censored:
And the following song where jackets are either modified or altered:
SOUND VOLTEX EXCEED GEAR
The soundbite from the original video during the middle of 777 was replaced by "Are you ready?".
Miscellanous
S2TB Files7: Battle Royale
- Phalanx, the fifth track in the album, appeared in the Andamiro’s Pump it Up XX 20th Anniversary Edition, under the "RS2018 edit", a censored and shortened version of this song.