Ask John: Do the Moetan and Kodomo no Jikan Anime Go Too Far?

Question:
Do Moetan and Kodomo no Jikan go too far in supporting the lolicon fanbase? Moetan just ended but that show was mainly unintentially funny for how far they went with the fan service for the young girls (even though they’re supposed to be in high school). Kodomo no Jikan just came out with the OVA which had unitentially funny humor for how far its underage fanservice went. The series is already being pulled by one Japanese network for its content.

Answer:
To first provide some context for my response, I’ve watched the entire broadcast Moetan television series, and I’ve watched the Kodomo no Jikan OVA. I’m a fan of cute anime girls, and I do have a particular fondness for anime series involving cute small and young girls. I’ll try to be objective with my response, but I am biased in favor of this anime genre.

Viewers that don’t find the Moetan and Kodomo no Jikan anime funny are probably irrevocably opposed to anime starring small girls. For the sake of convenience, I’ll refer to this genre as “Lolita anime” meaning “moe” anime featuring preadolescent looking bishoujo. I doubt that there’s anything I could say which would change the opinion of someone adamantly opposed to Lolita anime. So, instead, I’ll address my response to viewers who are uncertain about the genre.

It’s a mistake to say that the Moetan and Kodomo no Jikan anime are “unintentionally funny.” On the contrary, the humor in both of these programs is very intentional. Both program knowingly emphasize risque humor, and the Moetan anime is filled with cameos and homages to a variety of other anime titles. The fact that the risque humor in both Moetan and “Kojika” is intentional and overt is precisely what prevents the shows from “going too far.” Both series are satires, so, as often happens, casual observers who haven’t experienced these shows and their content in context react reflexively with shock and indignation. I’m not trying to compare Moetan an respected Victorian literature, but an analogy to Swift is illuminating in this case. Jonathan Swift’s satire “A Modest Proposal” overtly recommends cannibalism. Of course, the work isn’t intended to literally encourage cannibalism; its purpose is to use shocking imagery to create humor and force readers to examine their own reactions and perspectives. I honestly believe that Moetan and Kojika adhere to a similar principle.

The argument may be made that I’m giving to much credit to anime that’s only intention is to create exploitive titillation. I can rebut that argument with the logic that if the only goal of the Moetan and Kodomo no Jikan anime was to provide sexual gratification for viewers, these shows could and would be anime in the vein of Little Monica Monogatari and Imoutojiru – titles that are straightforward pornography featuring young looking girls. But that’s not what Moetan and Kodomo no Jikan are, suggesting that they have a different goal than anime like Little Monica Monogatari. The Moetan anime includes the adult male character Ah-kun, who adores flat chested little girls but isn’t attracted to fully developed adult women. The Moetan anime also frequently puts its protagonists Ink-chan and Sumi-chan in provocative positions. Ah-kun’s nosebleeds, drooling, and ogling, and the absurdity of the poses Ink-chan sometimes finds herself in are so exaggerated and emphasized that, within the context of the episode these scenes occur in, they can only be rationally interpreted as parody. There’s simply nothing sexy or sensual about these scenes when they occur in the Moetan anime because they’re always so absurd or slapstick.

Similarly, the Kodomo no Jikan OVA develops multiple comical, one-sided love affairs, and frequently depicts double-entendre that’s so obvious that it forces rational viewers to become conscious of their own observations. The sexual references in the Kojika OVA are literally embarrassingly obvious. They’re so overt that they cause rational viewers to become embarrassed by their own interpretation of sexual meaning in routine events. Furthermore, the sex jokes in the Kojika OVA are so blunt that they force a reaction of outrage and surprise. In effect, the sexual references and overt sexuality in the Kodomo no Jikan OVA isn’t erotic or sensual; it’s funny because it’s so unexpectedly forthright and obvious. Instead of being titillating, the content of the Kojika OVA is consciously designed to shock viewers into recognizing precisely how inappropriate the situations depicted really are. The Moetan and Kojika anime are funny because they force viewers to become aware of their own reactions. Unlike straightforward pornography that’s designed to be sexually stimulating, Moetan and Kodomo no Jikan are funny because they’re so cute and so wrong at the same time.

I’m not going to argue that everyone should like or respect Moetan and Kodomo no Jikan. These anime aren’t made for everyone. But I do believe that critics of these shows should actually watch them before making uninformed criticisms and ignorant accusations. At least two Japanese television networks have canceled plans to broadcast the Kodomo no Jikan television series, even though the public hasn’t actually seen any of the TV series yet. I suspect that these television networks’ decisions not to air the series are based on a desire to avoid knee-jerk public criticism based on superficial impressions and second-hand information. I have actually watched the Moetan and Kodomo no Jikan anime, and I don’t think that these shows “go too far.” These shows do contain some risque imagery and themes, but their content is handled responsibly. These two anime are satirical, not lascivious. I think that rational, intelligent viewers who actually watch these anime can tell that their sexually suggestive content is designed to be humorous and provocative rather than gratuitous and erotic. I think it’s only observers who haven’t actually watched these anime, and critics who don’t understand the point of these anime, who think that they “go too far.”

Also, keep in mind that foreign critics have a lessened ability to attack the propriety of anime. Anime is an extension of contemporary Japanese culture, so its cultural responsibility must be measured relative to Japanese society. The Moetan or Kodomo no Jikan anime might be deemed wholly immoral and obscene in the strictly conservative religious American Bible Belt, but that’s not the audience the anime was made for. I argue that foreigners have little right to apply their own, subjective moral standards to something outside of their own cultural and moral sphere. Note that we are discussing an anime, not human rights or some similar topic that impacts living people’s fundamental quality of life. So while I don’t think that the Moetan or Kodomo no Jikan anime “go too far,” I’d also say that Americans don’t have a right to decide, in the place of Japanese viewers, what is and isn’t suitable for Japanese viewers to watch within the social rules and standards of their own country.