Ask John: Could Boku no Pico be Released in America?

Question:
I’m impressed with “Boku no Piko” when I found it was designed at males as shota-kon anime instead of yaoi for females. How do you think anime fans in the U.S. will react to the show? Personally, I believe that it will surely be more marketable in your country than in Japan, since it is well-known that more Japanese adult anime is demanded and consumed in the overseas market than in the land of the hentai production itself. I, however, am afraid that you could be arrested when you only owned it, not to mention that the title would be very unlikely to be released in the U.S. I think it would be a big hit in the U.S. anime market if it were released, but I’m curious which anime distributor would show the heart to acquire the right to the distribution from Japan!

Answer:
For such a short and simple anime, I’m overwhelmed by how much there is to be said about Boku no Pico. This erotic anime is genuine yaoi shota. I know it’s not the first of its kind as I recall the existance of a fan produced yaoi shota sci-fi anime several years ago. But Boku no Pico seems to be the first major studio produced yaoi shota anime. Boku no Pico is literally yaoi shota because it’s a story about a young adult man seducing an effeminate, adolescent boy. As in all true yaoi, the first episode has no significant meaning or depth; its story is just context for a series of graphic homosexual sex scenes. The uniqueness of this anime, coupled with the increasing popularity of the yaoi genre in America, and also the impressive technical animation quality of the work, suggest that Boku no Pico could become very successful in America. But, ironically, precisely for that reason, it could possibly never be released in America.

Boku no Pico has an impressive pedigree including original character design from the popular Saigado doujinshi circle, animation character design by Yoshiten (the character designer for Bible Black), screenplay by Katsuhiko Takayama (who also scripted the Fullmetal Alchemist, Demonbane, and Stratos 4 anime), and direction by Katsuyoshi Yatabe (whose directing credits include work on Gakuen Alice, Hikaru no Go, and Gundam Seed), with veteran adult anime producer “Goldenboy” serving as producer. The talent of the animation staff shows most prominently Pico’s attractive character design, the episodes’ lush, soft and warm color scheme, and the anime’s impressive, fluid animation quality. The story is minimal, but the character personalities and reactions are interesting. “Mokkun” seems to treat Pico as little more than a toy or a convenient means of satisfying his sexual urges. Even though he knows that Pico is a boy, he seems somewhat shocked and surprised when first faced with obvious evidence of Pico’s gender. Then the fact that he dresses Pico in a girl’s clothes implies that he sees Pico as a sexual object rather than as a person. Pico seems to realize that the relationship is purely physical, yet perhaps because he has no other friends, Pico eventually relents and accepts the sexual relationship anyway.

Throughout the first episode it’s always Mokkun who instigates sex, but Pico is a willing partner. Some of the weakness in the script surfaces in the fact that it’s impossible to tell whether Pico is willfully having sex with an older man or if he’s being coerced into agreeing to sex. In either case, the sex appears to be consentual and mutually enjoyed. Similar to the yaoi anime Sensitive Pornograph, and strikingly opposed to average contemporary “straight” hentai anime, the sex in Boku no Pico is very tender, sensual, and romantic. Despite its controversial subject matter, the Boku no Pico anime feels more refined and graceful than any “straight” erotic anime I can think of.

The Boku no Pico anime seems to have been successful in Japan because a second episode is scheduled for release next March. The second episode will seemingly add a second, even younger boy to the cast. In the American fan community, where fansubs of hentai anime are relatively uncommon, there are at least three different fan translations of the Boku no Pico anime. When an adult anime getting even one fan translation is rare, a single title gaining enough attention to receive multiple fan translations signifies that the show is highly unusual and special. I haven’t seen or heard a lot of discussion about Boku no Pico in the American fan community, but the fact that it’s been fansubbed several times implies that there’s more than a little interest in it within the American fan community.

Considering the steadily increasing popularity of yaoi manga and anime in America, under normal circumstances a high quality show like Boku no Pico would be very successful in America. However, the shota aspect of Boku no Pico makes it potentially very controversial in America. I’m not a fan of shota, yaoi, or even non-explicit shonen ai like Yami no Matsuei and Gravitation, but I’m receptive to all types and genres of anime. One part of me would like to see Boku no Pico officially released in America because its American release could further contribute to the understanding that anime is a diverse and mature field of cinematic storytelling. On the other hand, Boku no Pico could easily become a point of evidence that Japanese animation is an immoral and harmful attack on American ethical and legal values.

Allow me to be tangential for a moment. I believe that anime is creative fiction and should be respected under the American constitutional right of freedom of speech and expression. The argument may be made that shota and lolicon anime inspires child abuse, but I believe that easily influenced people should be restricted from accessing such potentially influential material. Blame should be placed on criminals, not on things that are intrinsically harmless. The Boku no Pico anime is a piece of animated fiction. It’s not something intrinsically harmful or dangerous, nor is it designed to be dangerous. It’s entertainment for rational, conscientious adults.

Media Blasters has licensed yaoi anime including Level C and Sensitive Pornograph, and has released the fully uncut Kite, which is considered arguably pedophile pornography. Adult Source Media has released the Daiakuji Extra anime in America, and Central Park Media has released Mahou Shoujo Meruru (“Magic Woman M”), both of which could be easily cited as pedophile anime. Yet none of these releases has caused significant controversy or public outrage in America. Considering that Media Blasters is presently America’s most prolific distributor of yaoi anime, I can envision the company daring to release Boku no Piko in America. There are also a number of relatively new and prolific American erotic anime distributors including Adult Source Media, Amorz, and JapanAnime that I can envision possibly successfully distributing Boku no Pico in America. However, I can’t predict the likelihood of an American release. Theoretically Boku no Pico is only marginally more transgressive than anime already available in America. I don’t believe that there’s any national legal prohibition to the distribution or ownership of anime like Boku no Pico in America. But the possibility of a legal challenge is always present. Any American distributor would need to consider whether the possible outrage and controversy that the release could cause (which, I think, is a rather remote possibility) is worth the risk for the possible profits the show could generate in America. I’m certain that many of America’s anime distributors wouldn’t even consider licensing something like Boku no Pico. But there are American distributors that have pushed the envelope before, or which are underground enough in America to risk bringing this show to American DVD. I can’t say that the odds of an official American release for Boku no Pico are strong, but I won’t be very surprised if the show is licensed for American release.

Addendum added October 14, 2006:
Reader “Twinbee” pointed out that the 2004 OVA “Enzai” is likely the first major studio produced shota yaoi anime.