| Revision as of 00:46, 3 April 2004 view source4.41.253.112 (talk) added more info← Previous edit | Revision as of 07:17, 23 April 2004 view source 206.124.141.3 (talk) Total rewrite with an eye towards grammar, also added some material based on scholarly articles and moderated statements with either defensive or aggressive tone. Several paragraphs removed...Next edit → | ||
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| '''Loli-con''', or '''Rorikon''' (ロリコン) is the Japanese (or ]) term for "Lolita complex" (derived from the novel '']''), the sexual attraction to fictional and real underage girls. It is used to refer to ], ], and other visual forms of art that contain sexual/erotic representations of underage girls, and also |
'''Loli-con''', or '''Rorikon''' (ロリコン) is the Japanese (or ]) term for "Lolita complex" (derived from the novel '']''), the sexual attraction to fictional and real underage girls. It is used to refer to ], ], and other visual forms of art that contain sexual/erotic representations of underage girls, and also to people who are sexually attracted to fictional and real underage girls (and who are not themselves underage). Actual photographs or videos of underage children in sexual situations can be considered loli-con, but is usually simply called ]; loli-con is legal in Japan (so long as actual underage models are not used in the creation of the art), child pornography is not. | ||
| "''Complex''" is abbreviated as "''con''", rather |
"''Complex''" is abbreviated as "''con''", rather than "''com''", because Japanese syllables can't end in an "''m''", but can end in a "''n''" (to oversimplify). Other foreign words with syllables ending in "''m''" are often transliterated in the same manner. | ||
| Generally speaking, loli-con |
Generally speaking, loli-con involves girls older than 12 and younger than 16, which is mostly outside the clinical definition of ]. Despite this, it is frequently accused of being similar to or a form of pedophilia, particularly by westerners. Those people who are "loli-con" are believed by some to have a tendency to act violently against children or to prefer sex with children to adults. However, despite Japan producing most loli-con media, violence against children and teens are well below that of those countries with explicit laws prohibiting similar publications. Some characters younger than 12, notably Sakura from ], are sometimes also considered to appeal to loli-con; this is more pronounced in fan-produced work about such characters, for instance ], than in "mainstream" publications. | ||
| Loli-con is a frequent subject of scholarly articles on sexuality in Japan, and is often suggested to be popular for the same reasons that adult women in high-school uniforms are considered attractive, and ] is popular. Conversely, it is suggested that loli-con does not exist in the west because of traditional western views on the sexuality of minors. Despite stereotypes, however, neither culture has homogeneous views; there are many Japanese staunchly opposed to loli-con, and there are many westerners that would have no objection to it. Defenders of loli-con say that fictional material does not adversely affect children, and may in some cases help to relieve the sexual tension of actual pedophiles; opponents often say that the existence of fictional material encourages the viewing of children as sex objects. | |||
| In the Western eyes, a young adult has more sex appeal if she acts and dresses like an adult; however, in Japanese culture, the opposite is true in that the audience like the infantile qualities to be retained. This is considered a primary factor in the popularity of "loli-con" in Japan to the detest of those in the West who regard it as another form of paedophilia. | |||
| Fictional sexual drawings involving upper teens, 18 and 19 years old, which in some countries falls under child pornography, is not regarded as loli-con. Those of middle teens, 15, 16, and 17 years old, which in most countries are considered child pornography, are forbidden under censorship laws. Yet those with similar but imaginary terms that may or may not point to this age group are still permitted to be printed. This is the constant source of international outrage as this is seen as a loophole permitting pictures of underaged girls to be printed. However, they must be clothed to be printed. | |||
| While in average anime or manga the young girls are mostly subjected to ], in which the most explicit thing would be showing panties, taking baths, and engaging in quasi-amorous relationship with much older men, real ] manga are very explicit in emphasizing the various, particularly devious, sex acts on young children. At this point, the so-called "loli" are not just some older children with hard-to-identify age, but instantly-recognizable kindergarten/elementary school children, complete with over-sized head and underdeveloped or nonexistant breasts. These manga books brand themselves as loli-con but are really child pornography products. This is seen as a way to circumvent child pornography laws which prohibits real children from appearing in such material, but not drawn-up ones. They have a very large share in the Japanese adult manga market, which is virtually unheard of in the Western world. This is true child pornography. | |||
| In Japan, all materials whose main contents deal with sex and published by companies, are censored and limited to sale to an adult 20 years or older. Those drawn and printed by private individuals are not censored and generally not persecuted. The materials made by latter may contain detailed and extreme sexual acts that are not wise for uninitiated to see. Those made by individuals, are technically sold in stores as a 'recycled' which make them outside of censorship laws. | |||
| While child pornography proponents push for outlawing loli-con materials is based on the welfare of children, it is questionable that these materials that never have any connection with a child unless they are sold to, which is illegal, could make a life of children better. Those that defend loli-con from the cultural point claim that while pedophiles and child pornographies "kill the pretty flower to enjoy", loli-con "watch and observe, but never touch". In fact the boundary between the two are becoming increasingly unclear. | |||
| ] is the underage-boy equivalent of loli-con. | ] is the underage-boy equivalent of loli-con. | ||
Revision as of 07:17, 23 April 2004
Loli-con, or Rorikon (ロリコン) is the Japanese (or Engrish) term for "Lolita complex" (derived from the novel Lolita), the sexual attraction to fictional and real underage girls. It is used to refer to anime, manga, and other visual forms of art that contain sexual/erotic representations of underage girls, and also to people who are sexually attracted to fictional and real underage girls (and who are not themselves underage). Actual photographs or videos of underage children in sexual situations can be considered loli-con, but is usually simply called child pornography; loli-con is legal in Japan (so long as actual underage models are not used in the creation of the art), child pornography is not.
"Complex" is abbreviated as "con", rather than "com", because Japanese syllables can't end in an "m", but can end in a "n" (to oversimplify). Other foreign words with syllables ending in "m" are often transliterated in the same manner.
Generally speaking, loli-con involves girls older than 12 and younger than 16, which is mostly outside the clinical definition of pedophilia. Despite this, it is frequently accused of being similar to or a form of pedophilia, particularly by westerners. Those people who are "loli-con" are believed by some to have a tendency to act violently against children or to prefer sex with children to adults. However, despite Japan producing most loli-con media, violence against children and teens are well below that of those countries with explicit laws prohibiting similar publications. Some characters younger than 12, notably Sakura from Card Captor Sakura, are sometimes also considered to appeal to loli-con; this is more pronounced in fan-produced work about such characters, for instance doujinshi, than in "mainstream" publications.
Loli-con is a frequent subject of scholarly articles on sexuality in Japan, and is often suggested to be popular for the same reasons that adult women in high-school uniforms are considered attractive, and enjo kosai is popular. Conversely, it is suggested that loli-con does not exist in the west because of traditional western views on the sexuality of minors. Despite stereotypes, however, neither culture has homogeneous views; there are many Japanese staunchly opposed to loli-con, and there are many westerners that would have no objection to it. Defenders of loli-con say that fictional material does not adversely affect children, and may in some cases help to relieve the sexual tension of actual pedophiles; opponents often say that the existence of fictional material encourages the viewing of children as sex objects.
Shota-con is the underage-boy equivalent of loli-con.
See also: hentai, child pornography