Lolicon
Lolicon ( Japanese ロ リ コ ン , rorikon ) is an abbreviation of the term lolita complex (ロ リ ー タ ・ コ ン プ レ ッ ク スrorīta konpurekkusu ). In Japan, this denotes both clearly sexual representations of fictional underage girls with an apparent age of 8 to 13 years, as well as the sexual fixation on them, although the age indicated in the plot can be far higher.
The term is used analogously to Shotacon , which describes the fixation on underage boys.
etymology
The word is derived from the reference to the girl " Lolita " from the novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov . Individuals who are attracted to fictional or real underage girls are attested to have a pedophile “Lolita complex”, which is viewed as a mental disorder. “Lolita complex” is abbreviated as “ Lolicon ” because in Japanese phonology there is no ending “m” but an ending “n”. Other foreign words that end in "-m" are often changed in the same way. A pure transliteration of the word is rorikon .
The original meaning of the word in Japanese doesn't just refer to drawings. “Loli” refers not only to manga , but to any representation of girls, including photo books and videos. Lolicon can also refer to people with corresponding inclinations in colloquial language.
In the western world, the word has a slightly different meaning, similar to other Japanese words like anime , manga and hentai . In this case, Lolicon refers to a genre of hentai, anime and manga that shows sexual or erotic depictions of pre-pubescent minors.
origin
One thesis on the origin of the lolicon genre is that the ban on showing pubic hair, which used to apply in Japan , made many artists look young and simply omitted the pubic hair. When the ban was lifted in the early 1990s, the portrayal of little girls (and boys) had already developed into a genre of its own and has persisted to this day.
Shotacon
Furthermore, the Shotacon genre (images of underage boys or the sexual fixation on them) is related to Lolicon, but is more of the counterpart than a subgenre. As in the Yaoi Manga, there are often homosexual acts there, but the readership is mostly female.
society
Lolicon is freely available in Japan under the condition of all pornographic media (not suitable for minors, censoring of the genitals, etc.) (see " Changes in censorship ").
Although Japan is one of the largest lolicon producers and markets in the world, there is no evidence that it would increase the number of sexual assaults against children. The open treatment of Lolicon seems to favor the voluntary prostitution of minors, mostly schoolgirls ( Enjokōsai ).
The question of whether lolicon materials lower the inhibition threshold for assaults on children or, in contrast, is a kind of substitute act for acting out the lolicon fish or pedophilia in general, is still a point of contention in many discussions between supporters and critics of the genre.
Many western countries do not yet have a clear definition or laws regulating the status of such material (see “ Legal Situation ”).
Change of censorship
Print media
It should be noted that many dōjinshi that are sold at conventions, that is, have no commercial distribution, do without censorship completely. In addition, there are “underground” publications that are mostly sold undercover and have always ignored censorship. Since this had a certain negative effect on the sales of "normal" publications, the level of censorship was weakened and decreased over time. While at the beginning of the 90s a large black circle covered the entire lumbar region (very rarely a mosaic), black, white or gray bars or circles were used over the years to cover only the “most important things” ( clitoris and glans penis ) covered. Later these bars became semi-transparent and so small that they could hardly be recognized. In the meantime, censorship is also being omitted from print media by larger publishers, e.g. B. some publications of the mangaka Nekogen , Ogawa Kanran and Hoshino Fuuta , although the law on censorship is still in force.
Anime
In contrast to the print media, animated materials work almost exclusively with mosaics , but analogously the size of the mosaics has become significantly smaller, and the mosaic density has also been refined, so that more details can be seen with the same mosaic size. In the meantime, however, censorship has been completely omitted in some publications.
Since censored hentai sells badly outside of Japan, many films (especially those intended for distribution in America) were reprinted uncensored, most of which were re-imported by the Japanese despite the ban. This practice urged producers to keep lowering the level of censorship.
Computer graphics
The common censorship of Lolicon ( Computer Graphics , abbreviated CG) embedded in software is also the mosaic. In Erogē , in particular , it is customary for developers to incorporate the images into the game uncensored and only to put a mosaic over them at runtime . This function could often be turned off with an unofficial patch that could be downloaded from the Internet , thereby circumventing the censorship.
Gmask is now used very often for censorship. A certain area of the image is made unrecognizable to the human eye by changing the colors of the pixels according to a certain pattern (password). This censorship can be reversed if you know the password used. This process is comparable to encrypting archive files.
Legal situation
Germany
Pornographic representations that deal with the sexual abuse of children are subject to an absolute distribution ban in accordance with Section 184b (1) StGB - even if they show a fictitious event. Both dissemination and making available as well as corresponding preparatory actions are punishable by imprisonment from three months to five years. The possession of representations that reproduce a purely fictional, unrealistic event (see Section 184b (3) StGB), on the other hand, is not illegal.
Other countries
In Japan, drawn lolicon representations are legal as long as no real children (e.g. child models) are used as models. Since 2000, a clear distinction has been made between Lolicon and child pornography , as the latter has clearly become illegal.
Many countries have a not very clear legal position when it comes to Lolicon. So are z. For example, in Great Britain , Canada and the Netherlands “realistic depictions of children in sexual acts or poses” are banned as “virtual child pornography”, but the extent to which Lolicon falls under this definition has not yet been clarified - partly because such cases are very rare to be tried in court.
In February 2005, a man from Edmonton, Canada was arrested on suspicion of importing child pornography for attempting to import 15 Lolicon books. Sentenced to a fine and community service, he was listed on the sex offender list for 5 years. However, the Canadian press has confused or distorted some generic terms. So it was said z. B. Edmonton Sun: "Anime is illegal in Canada, but not illegal in Japan and the United States."
In the US , the 2002 Supreme Court ruled in the Ashcroft vs. Free Speech Coalition decided that Lolicon falls under “Free Speech” and is therefore legal, as corresponding passages of the Child Pornography Prevention Act (CPPA) of 1996 - especially because of the prohibition of possession - found excessive and unconstitutional were. Shortly thereafter, however, the PROTECT Act came into force in 2003 , which again banned virtual representations of child pornography, but excluded ownership. In addition, Lolicon may also be produced and distributed if it has "serious artistic value", i.e. real artistic value. But what that means exactly remains unclear. In April 2004, a 53-year-old man from Richmond was convicted of looking at Lolicon pictures on a public work center computer and he was discovered. However, the legal situation is still unclear, as real child pornography was also found among the pictures on the computer.
literature
- Patrick W. Galbraith: Lolicon: The Reality of 'Virtual Child Pornography' in Japan . In: Image & Narrative . Vol. 12, No. 1 , 2011, p. 83-119 ( digitized version ).
swell
- ↑ findarticles.com: Japan's Sex Industry Overview
- ↑ Download page for Gmask ( Memento of the original from April 10, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
- ↑ Lenckner, Perron: StGB § 184b distribution, acquisition and possession of child pornographic writings . In: Schönke, Schröder (Ed.): Criminal Code . 27th edition. Munich 2006, ISBN 3-406-51729-3 . , Rn. 3 (w. F. N.)
- ↑ Lenckner, Perron, StGB § 184b Distribution, acquisition and possession of child pornography, publisher Schönke, Schröder, Criminal Code, Munich, 2006, Rn. 11 (w. W. N.)
- ↑ animenewsnetwork.com: Canadian Arrested for Importing Loli-porn Manga
- ↑ animenewsnetwork.com: Canadian Sentenced over Loli-Porn Manga
- ↑ www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/news/local_story.html?id=826a61e5-b53a-47c5-9f2f-39d0d3fbcdf0 ( Memento of the original from October 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and still Not checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (currently offline)
- ↑ Ashcroft vs. Free Speech Coalition (English)
- ^ Whitehouse.gov: President Signs PROTECT Act
- ↑ www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128768481527 (currently offline)
