Definition
''Lolicon'' is a Japanese abbreviation of " Lolita complex" (, ''rorīta konpurekkusu''), an English-language phrase derived from Vladimir Nabokov's novel '' Lolita'' (1955) and introduced to Japan in Russell Trainer's ''The Lolita Complex'' (1966, translated 1969), a work of pop psychology in which it is used to denote attraction to pubescent and pre-pubescent girls. In Japanese, the phrase was adopted to describe feelings of love and lust for young girls over adult women, which remains the term's common meaning. Due to its association with '' otaku'' culture, the term is more often used to describe desires for young or young-looking girl characters (, "loli") inHistory
Background
In the 1970s, ''shōjo'' manga (marketed to girls and young adult women) underwent a renaissance in which artists, such as those of the Year 24 Group, experimented with new narratives and styles, and introduced themes such as psychology, gender, and sexuality. These developments attracted adult male fans of ''shōjo'' manga, who crossed gendered boundaries to produce and consume it. The first appearance of the term "Lolita complex" in manga was in ''Stumbling Upon a Cabbage Patch'', an '' Alice in Wonderland''–inspired work by Shinji Wada published in a 1974 issue of the ''shōjo'' manga magazine '' Bessatsu Margaret'', where a male character calls Lewis Carroll a man with a "strange character of liking only small children" in an inside joke to adult readers. Early ''lolicon'' artwork was influenced by male artists mimicking ''shōjo'' manga, as well as erotic manga created by female artists for male readers. The image of the ''shōjo'' (young girl) rose to prominence in Japanese mass media in the 1970s as a symbol of cuteness, innocence, and an "idealized Eros", attributes which became attached to imagery of younger girls over time. Nude photographs of ''shōjo'', conceived as1970s–1980s
The rise of ''lolicon'' as a genre began at Comiket (Comic Market), a convention for the sale of '' dōjinshi'' (self-published works) founded in 1975 by adult male fans of ''shōjo'' manga. In 1979, a group of male artists published the first issue of the1990s–present
In 1989, ''lolicon'' and ''otaku'' became the subject of aMedia
''Lolicon'' media is loosely defined. Some define its characters by age, while others define its characters by appearance (those which are small and flat-chested, independent of age). ''Lolicon'' works often depict girl characters as innocent, precocious, and sometimes flirtatious; characters may appear in borderline or outright sexual situations, though the term can be applied to works with neither. According to Kaoru Nagayama, manga readers define ''lolicon'' works as those "with a heroine younger than a middle school student", a definition which can vary from characters under age 18 for "society at large", to characters "younger than gradeschool-aged" for "fanatics", and to "kindergarteners" for "more pedophiliac readers". Girl characters in ''lolicon'' can display a contradictory performance of age in which their body, behavior, and role in a story conflict; for example, ''lolibaba'' ("Lolita granny") characters speak and behave with the mannerisms of older women, which runs in contrast with their appearance or other aspects of their behaviors that may be seen as youthful. Curvy hips and other secondary sex characteristics similarly appear as features in many of the genre's characters. Plot devices often explain the young appearance of characters who are non-human or actually much older, although this is not always the case. Akira Akagi identifies themes in ''lolicon'' manga including sadomasochism, "groping objects" (alien tentacles or robots in the role of the penis), "mecha fetishes" (combinations of a machine and a girl), erotic parodies of mainstream manga and anime, and "simply indecent or perverted stuff", also noting common themes of lesbianism and masturbation. Media scholar Setsu Shigematsu argues that forms of substitution and mimicry enable ''lolicon'' to "transform straight sex into a parodic form". More extreme works depict themes including coercion, rape, incest, bondage, and hermaphroditism. Nagayama argues that most pornographic ''lolicon'' manga deal with a "consciousness of sin", or a sense of taboo and guilt in its consumption. Some manga manage this by portraying the girl as enjoying the experience in the end, while others represent the girl as the active partner in sex who seduces men to her. Other ''lolicon'' manga, where "men are absolute evil and girls are pitiable victims", indulge in the "pleasure of sin" through the breaking of taboos, which he argues affirms the fragility of the characters. He posits that manga depicting sex between children avoid the "consciousness of sin" via mutual innocence, while also thematizing nostalgia and an idealized past, while other ''lolicon'' manga accomplish this through characters with especially unrealistic and ''moe'' designs, where "it is precisely because fiction is distinguished from reality as fiction that one can experience ''moe''". ''Lolicon'' manga, often published as ''dōjinshi'' or compiled in anthology magazines, is mostly consumed by male audiences, though Nagayama notes that the works of have "resonated with female readers" and "earned the support of women". Other notable artists include Aguda Wanyan, , and female creators Erika Wada and . ''Lolicon'' imagery is a prominent theme in Superflat, a manga-influenced art movement founded by Takashi Murakami. Superflat artists whose works incorporate ''lolicon'' include Mr. and Henmaru Machino.Relation to ''moe''
In the 1990s, ''lolicon'' imagery evolved and contributed to the mainstream development of '' moe'', the generalized affective response to fictional characters (typically ''bishōjo'' characters in manga, anime, and computer games) and its associated design elements. The ''bishōjo'' character form moved from niche, ''otaku'' publications to mainstream manga magazines, and saw explosive popularity in the decade with the rise of ''bishōjo'' games and anime series such as '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', which pioneered media and merchandising based on fan affection for their female protagonists. ''Moe'' characters, which tend to be physically immature girl characters exemplified by cuteness, are ubiquitous in contemporary manga and anime. In contrast to ''lolicon'', sexuality in ''moe'' is treated indirectly or not at all; the ''moe'' response is often defined with emphasis on platonic love. John Oppliger of '' AnimeNation'' identifies '' Ro-Kyu-Bu!'', '' Kodomo no Jikan'', and '' Moetan'' as examples of series which challenge the distinction between ''moe'' and ''lolicon'' through use of sexual innuendo, commenting that they "satire the chaste sanctity of the ''moé'' phenomenon" and "poke fun at viewers and the arbitrary delineations that viewers assert". "''Moe''-style" ''lolicon'' works depict mild eroticism, such as glimpses of underwear, and forgo explicit sex.Legality
Child pornography laws in some countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, have expanded since the 1990s to include sexually explicit depictions of fictional child characters, while those in other countries, including Japan, exclude fiction from relevant definitions. In 1999, Japan passed a national law criminalizing the production and distribution of child pornography. The law's original draft included depictions of fictional children in its definition of child pornography; after "criticism from many in Japan", this text was removed in the final version. In 2014, Japan's parliament amended the 1999 law to criminalize possession of child pornography; the 2013 draft introduced by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which maintained the existing legal definition, included a provision for a government investigation on whether manga, anime, and computer-generated images "similar to child pornography" were connected to child sexual abuse, which would be followed by a later decision on regulation. This provision was opposed by manga-related organizations, including the Japan Cartoonists Association, which argued that regulation would infringe upon freedom of expression and negatively impact the industry. The provision was removed from the final version of the law, which took effect in 2015. ''Lolicon'' media is a common target of local ordinances in Japan which restrict distribution of materials designated "harmful to the healthy development of youth", which were strengthened throughout the 1990s and 2000s. An amendment proposed in 2010 to the Tokyo law on material banned from sale to minors (described by Vice Governor Naoki Inose as targeting non-pornographic ''lolicon'' manga, writing that "We had regulation for ''eromanga'', but not for ''lolicon''") restricted depictions of "non-existent youths" who appeared under age 18 and were portrayed in "anti-social sexual situations". After heavy opposition from manga creators, academics, and fans, the bill was rejected in June 2010 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly; however, a new revision passed in December 2010 which restricts "manga, anime, and computer games" where any characters engage in "sexual or pseudo sexual acts that would be illegal in real life" depicted in a way that "glorifies or exaggerates" such acts. In 2011, several manga were listed for restriction, including ' ("My Wife Is an Elementary Student"); it was published online by J-Comi, avoiding restriction. Sexualized depictions of young girl characters have also been subject to censorship and restriction outside of Japan. In 2006, North American publisher Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the manga series '' Kodomo no Jikan'' for release under the title ''Nymphet'', but cancelled its plans in 2007 after vendor cancellations. In a statement, the company stated that the manga "cannot be considered appropriate for the US market by any reasonable standard". In 2020, Australian senator Stirling Griff criticized the Australian Classification Board for giving ratings to manga and anime depicting "child exploitation", and called for a review of classification regulations; later that year, the board banned the import and sale of three volumes of theDebate
Explaining the exclusion of ''lolicon'' material from the 2014 child pornography law amendment, an LDP lawmaker stated that "manga, anime, and CG child pornography don't directly violate the rights of girls or boys" and that "it has not been scientifically validated that it even indirectly causes damage". Manga creators and activists argue that the Japanese constitution guarantees artistic freedom of expression, and that laws restricting ''lolicon'' material would be unconstitutional. Statistically, sexual abuse of minors in Japan has declined since the 1960s and 1970s as the prevalence of ''lolicon'' media has increased; cultural anthropologist Patrick W. Galbraith interprets this as evidence that ''lolicon'' imagery does not necessarily influence crimes, while Steven Smet suggests that ''lolicon'' is an "exorcism of fantasies" that contributes to Japan's low crime rates. Drawing on his fieldwork, Galbraith argues that ''otaku'' culture collectively promotes media literacy and an ethical position of separating fiction and reality, especially when the conflation of the two would be dangerous. A 2012 report by the Sexologisk Klinik for the Danish government found no evidence that individuals that view cartoons and drawings depicting fictitious child sexual abuse are more likely to engage in child sexual abuse in the real world. Sharalyn Orbaugh argues that manga depicting underage sexuality can help victims of child sexual abuse to work through their own trauma, and that there is greater harm in regulating sexual expression than potential harm caused by such manga. Legal scholar Hiroshi Nakasatomi opines that ''lolicon'' material can distort consumers' sexual desires and induce crime, a view shared by the non-profit organization CASPAR, whose founder Kondo Mitsue argues that "freedom of expression does not allow for the depiction of little girls being violently raped, depriving them of their basic human rights". Some critics, such as the non-profit organization Lighthouse, argue that ''lolicon'' works can be used for sexual grooming, and that they encourage a culture which accepts sexual abuse of children. In 2015, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, called for further discussion and research on "manga depicting extreme child pornography" and a resultant "banalization of child sexual abuse" in Japan, and called for a ban on such material. Guidelines released in 2019 by the United Nations Human Rights Committee encouraged state parties to include explicit drawings of fictional children in laws against child pornography, "in particular when such representations are used as part of a process to sexually exploit children". Feminist critic Kuniko Funabashi argues that the themes of ''lolicon'' material contribute to sexual violence by portraying girls passively and by "presenting the female body as the man's possession". Legal scholar Shin'ichirō Harata argues that child pornography laws should not collapse reality and fiction together, but also that fans should not dismiss an ambivalence represented by ''lolicon''. He describes the practice of keeping the two separated as the "ethics of ''moe''", or "responsibility of ''otaku''".Analysis
Culture and media scholars responding to ''lolicon'' generally identify it as distinct from attraction to real young girls. Cultural anthropologist Patrick W. Galbraith finds that "from early writings to the present, researchers suggest that ''lolicon'' artists are playing with symbols and working with tropes, which does not reflect or contribute to sexual pathology or crime". Psychologist Tamaki Saitō, who has conducted clinical work with ''otaku'', highlights an estrangement of ''lolicon'' desires from reality as part of a distinction for ''otaku'' between "textual and actual sexuality", and observes that "the vast majority of ''otaku'' are not pedophiles in actual life". Manga researcher Yukari Fujimoto argues that ''lolicon'' desire "is not for a child, but for the image itself", and that this is understood by those "brought up in apan'sculture of drawing and fantasy". Sociologist Mark McLelland identifies ''lolicon'' and ''yaoi'' as "self-consciously anti-realist" genres, given a rejection by fans and creators of "three-dimensionality" in favor of "two-dimensionality", and compares ''lolicon'' to the ''yaoi'' fandom, in which fans consume depictions of homosexuality which "lack any correspondent in the real world". Setsu Shigematsu argues that ''lolicon'' reflects a shift in "erotic investment" from reality to "two-dimensional figures of desire". Queer theorist Yuu Matsuura criticizes the classification of ''lolicon'' works as "child pornography" as an expression of " human-oriented sexualism" which marginalizes fictosexuality, or '' nijikon'', describing sexual or affective attraction towards two-dimensional characters. Many scholars also identify ''lolicon'' as a form of self-expression on the part of its male creators and consumers. Sociologist Sharon Kinsella suggests that for ''lolicon'' fans, "the infantilized female object of desire ..has crossed over to become an aspect of their own self image and sexuality". Akira Akagi argues that ''lolicon'' manga represented a notable shift in reader identification from the "hero" penetrator common to pornographic ''gekiga'': "''Lolicon'' readers do not need a penis for pleasure, but rather they need the ecstasy of the girl. ..They identify with the girl, and get caught up in a masochistic pleasure." Manga critic Gō Itō views this as an "abstract desire", quoting a ''lolicon'' artist who told him that "he was the girl who is raped in his manga", reflecting a feeling of being "raped by society, or by the world". Kaoru Nagayama posits that ''lolicon'' readers adopt a fluid perspective that alternates between that of an omniscient voyeur and the multiple characters in a work, reflecting an active reader role and a projection onto girl characters. Writing in ''The Book of Otaku'' (1989), feminist Chizuko Ueno argued that ''lolicon'', as an orientation towards fictional ''bishōjo'', is "completely different from pedophilia", and characterized it as a desire to "be part of the 'cute' world of ''shōjo''" for male fans of ''shōjo'' manga who "find it too much to be a man". Several scholars identify the emergence of ''lolicon'' with changes in Japanese gender relations. Sociologist Kimio Itō attributes the rise of ''lolicon'' manga to a shift in the 1970s and 1980s, when boys, driven by a feeling that girls were "surpassing them in terms of willpower and action", turned to the "world of imagination", in which young girl characters are "easy to control". Kinsella interprets ''lolicon'' as part of a "gaze of both fear and desire" stimulated by the growing power of women in society, and as a reactive desire to see the ''shōjo'' "infantilized, undressed, and subordinate". Media scholar Chizuko Naitō views ''lolicon'' as reflecting a broader "societal desire" for young girls as sex symbols in Japan (which she calls a "loliconized society"). Cultural anthropologist Christine Yano argues that eroticized imagery of the ''shōjo'', "real or fictive", reflects "heteronormative pedophilia" in which emphasis is placed on the ephemerality of childhood: "it is ''as child'' that he ''shōjo''becomes precious as a transitory figure threatened by impending adulthood".See also
* Junior idol – child or teenage entertainer in Japanese pop culture * Lolita fashion – Japanese fashion style and subculture * '' Shotacon'' – male equivalent of ''lolicon'', focused on young boy characters * Simulated child pornography – produced without direct involvement of children * Victimless crime – illegal acts which do not directly involve othersNotes
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