In the 1980s, an abundance of horror movies hit the U.K. shores overnight, all thanks to the affordable invention of the VHS player. The then-British film censor, James Ferman, went on a zero-tolerance crusade against these "video nasties" which Ferman felt were oozing onto his country's shores and slowly corrupting the nation and its youth.
Ferman and the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) swiftly and hysterically drew up a list of on-screen elements that the board should always consider taking the scissors to - should they ever crop up in any film under review. Among the material Ferman was convinced posed a risk to British sanity were sexual titillation mixed with violence, Asian/ninja-style weaponry, and, most importantly, "blood appearing on breasts".
Fortunately for Ferman, D3 Publisher's OneChanbara series would not make its debut until 2004, some years after the censor's retirement and passing. Given the stringent bullet points listed above, I can't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, he would not have looked too kindly upon it.
