I've never heard of this, and all things considered it really wouldn't make much sense, considering they have live-action film and seiyuus tend to also do stage performances.
re last page: what I mean by "better standards" is that Japan has more realistic attitudes towards what kids can understand and what they can and should be able to learn. They know that kids will probably learn about sex, see violence or be introduced to strange metaphysical concepts at some point in their life, so why shouldn't you tell stories about it? In America we have this weird idea that we need to "protect" children from basically everything, which is where half of the problems arising from the Animation Age Ghetto come from.
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Hasn't it been a taboo in Japan, at least in the past, for actors to show their faces? I'm probably a little bit off as far as that situation goes, but I'm pretty sure that's a major reason why there's a lot of serious adult anime. To tell their stories, one would have to do so in animation. The West has never had such a taboo, making it easier for live-action actors and shows.
I put on my robe and tinfoil hat...