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Hey, Answerman! [2006-07-28]

In my sincere, honest opinion, there's really not a big difference between a so-called "lolicon"guys and straight-up pedophiles. In defense of the lolicon guys, yeah, there's no ACTUAL children being exploited but I find it hard to believe they're sincerely only attracted to drawings and would never lust after a real 8-year old. It's such a short step from getting off to a drawing of a child being raped versus a photo of a child being raped. Either way it completely sickens and disgusts me, but these guys prefer to split hairs.

What's worse in my opinion - and why I think anime fans should be a little worried about the recent upswing in lolicon fans - is the massive, extremely scary image problem that lolicon could potentially bring about. . . . How would you like it if big media got a hold of this trend and decided to do a story on how anime fandom is a haven for pedophiles?

Personally, while I'd like to see lolicon stuff disappear completely - not banned, but simply not published, endorsed or purchased - that isn't likely to happen so for the time being I'd much rather it stay as far underground as possible. This recent trend of some fans - and I believe they are simply a very loud, very scary but very small minority - being so open about it on very public and visible forums sincerely worries me.

[T]his description makes my skin crawl and I want to go take a shower. And I think that's a pretty rational and reasonable response to have.

My main problem with Lolicon and Moe is that well, as it gains popularity, there'll be less money for titles I like, which will lead to less titles being made that I like, and then it actually affecting properties that I like.

People like drawing lolicon. People like viewing lolicon. A closed circuit. In this circuit, human happiness in increased. That ought to be celebrated, not denounced.

It's the media's responsibility to view an event or a trend accurately, not the actors' responsibility to present it in a palatable way. If they choose to represent all anime by a subset, it is their error, not that of the anime fans.

I think this issue is symptomatic of my major, first-principles disagreement with the Answerman column in general. The author has a fixed idea that what is "right"; defined by a nebulous and shifting concept combining the status quo, populism, and a basic morality; is superior to what people want. People like drawing lolicon. People like viewing lolicon. A closed circuit. In this circuit, human happiness in increased. That ought to be celebrated, not denounced.

I like shows like Bottle Fairy, Strawberry Marshmallows, and Pani Poni Dash not because I'm "turned on" by them, but because they're just so cute. I like moe for the big heads, the giant eyes, and adorably innocent characters; not the "pleasures" of watching five-year-olds sit with their legs open on the floor for a peek at their panties. The feeling I get from shows like Bottle Fairy is identical to watching fluffy white puppies chew on bunny slippers.

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I don't really draw the line at something like Negima. Shows like that and Bottle Fairy and Ichigo Marshmallow encourage the whole lolicon thing and I wish they'd go away already and stop trying to bring the whole "wow man little kids are totally sexy!" concept into the acceptable mainstream.

What's your beef with Bottle Fairy and Strawberry Marshmellows? Sure, there's a single episode of Bottle Fairy that has the girls modeling swimsuits, but both of those shows (especially Strawberry Marshmallows) are quite tame, and although the target audience for both of them is adult men they're as clean and family-friendly as anime gets.

What about the people out there like me? I'm a 24 year old female yaoi fan. Two of my favorite bishounen happen to be Edward Elric from FMA and Duo Maxwell from Gundam Wing, and I own a lot of yaoi doujinshi about them. For most of the series, they're about 15-16 years old. Though they're not like.. 5 year olds, by US law they are still minors. Would that make me a Lolicon-ish type of pervert?

For one thing, anime is a highly stylized art form. No one would confuse an anime character with a real person. Things that we find attractive for an anime character, if applied to a real person, might garner a very different reaction.

Until this column I have heard people talking about moe but I thought it was excessive fan service. The idea that this is some sort of rising trend of kiddy porn is very unpleasant to me. Some of us have jobs and lives (I am a prosecutor) where we do not care to be tarnished with a kiddie porn brush. I dread the day when an article like that comes out.

I find it rather creepy. I also find it downright pathetic. You're 24 and you're fantasizing about relationships between fictional 15 year old boys.

No one would confuse an anime character with a real person.

The media sure they have a responsibility to get it right. But an article title "Child Porn Anime on the Rise" would be right technically and not helpful to any anime fans reputations.

Basic morality IS superior to what people want!

I will ask what about the hentai that feature girls that are 14, 15 or 16, aren't they still minors in U.S law anyway? I don't really see them being called perverted. I'm not saying they are, there is a difference between loli and teenagers and I read yaoi doujinshi and yuri doujinshi that show characters that are around 15 and 16 but I'm just curious as to why lolifans are seen as sick but fans of the bishoujo/bishounen games with 14 and 15 year olds aren't really attacked as much.