Lolicon
Lolicon, or Rorikon (ロリコン) is the Japanese gairaigo term for Lolita complex (derived from the novel Lolita), the sexual attraction to fictional and real underage girls, or ephebophilia.
Lolicon usually involves female characters between the ages of 8 and 13. Lolicon manga are legal in Japan (so long as actual underage models are not used in the creation of the art); actual child pornography is not. Despite Japan producing (and consuming) most lolicon media, there is no evidence that it causes violent crimes against children and teens. Their prevalence (as is the case for violent crimes in general) is well below that of most other countries.
Lolicon art is a frequent subject of scholarly articles on sexuality in Japan, and is often suggested to exist in Japan for the same reasons that adult women in high-school uniforms are considered attractive, and enjo kosai is popular. In many non-pornography-specific bookstores and newsstands in Japan, lolicon media is freely available for browsing and purchase.
Lolicon is frequently accused of being similar to or a form of pedophilia, particularly by westerners. Defenders of lolicon 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.
Toddlerkon is another western term; it is essentially lolicon that depicts girls younger than those in a typical lolicon manga/drawing, typically infants and toddlers (hence the term "toddlerkon"). Because many aficionados of lolicon find it distasteful and offensive, this sub-genre was created in an attempt to distinguish it from ordinary manga/drawings that focus on older prepubescents.
Etymology
"Lolita Complex" is abbreviated as "lolicon" rather than "lolicom" due to the phonology of Japanese. Other foreign words with syllables ending in "m" are often transliterated in the same manner. The other Japanese spelling of the word is "roricon."
In its original meaning in Japan the term "lolicon" is not directly connected to the art. "Loli" denotes any sexual imagery featuring young girls and children, not only manga, but also actual photographs of child models ("Loli photobooks") and videos. In Japanese "lolicon" also refers to people who are sexually attracted to fictional or real underage girls and is often synonymous to pedophile.
The meaning of "lolicon" has changed in the West (similarly to words like anime, otaku and hentai). There "lolicon" is used to refer to a type of hentai anime and manga that contain sexual/erotic representations of underage girls.
See Also
External links
- not4chan, an offshoot of 4chan dedicated to loli and shota images. Warning! Adult content.
- renchan.org Example
- loli.anisearch.org Example 2
- Does comic relief hurt kids? – Japan Times (April 27, 2004)
Categories: Japanese terms | Anime | Manga | Child pornography