Good word for explicit?

Question

As in like "Explicit material" or "Explicit violence"

I'm thinking it's either 露骨 or 明白 but I'm unsure of if there's a difference in nuance between the two.

Answer 1

If that "explicit material" refers to sexually explicit materials, you usually should use 性的な表現 to avoid confusion. The word "explicit" in such a phrase is a kind of euphemism, and there is no good equivalent for this in Japanese. Recently, some have started to use 露骨な表現 to translate "explicit material", but this is still unsafe if your target readers are the general public. 露骨 by itself has had no connotation related to sex or violence in Japanese, and 露骨な表現 normally refers to direct insult, unreserved remarks, etc. If you want a broader phrase that includes graphic violence, drug-related contents and such, you can use 子供に不適切な内容, 成年向け表現, etc. 明白な内容/表現 ("clear content/expression") is out of the question.

"Explicit violence" is 露骨な暴力. Another common term used in the context of content rating is 残虐表現.

Answer 2

Both 露骨 (rokotsu) and 明白 (meihaku) can be used to describe explicit or explicitness in Japanese. However, there is a slight difference in nuance between the two words.

露骨 (rokotsu) means "blatant" or "overt," and is used to describe something that is very clear or obvious. It is often used to describe things that are inappropriate or offensive in a very open or straightforward way.

明白 (meihaku) means "clear" or "obvious," and is used to describe something that is easy to understand or recognize. It is often used to describe things that are explicit or straightforward in a more neutral or objective way.

In the context of data, content, or material generally either 露骨 (rokotsu) or 明白 (meihaku) could be used, depending on the tone or perspective you wish to convey. 露骨 (rokotsu) might be more appropriate if you want to emphasize the offensiveness or inappropriateness of the content

明白 (meihaku) might be more appropriate if you want to simply describe the content as being explicit or straightforward, for example 彼の指示は明白だった。 He was explicit in his instruction.