Ask John: Why Isn’t Shotacon As Reviled as Lolicon?

Question:
You answered the question of why do Americans seem to hate lolicon quite well, but why does it seem like Americans almost completely ignore shotacon?

Answer:
Americans tend to vigorously oppose lolicon imagery and themes because the concept lies at the margin of a highly offensive civil disobedience and moral prohibition. Although lolicon literature isn’t actually demonstrably connected to pedophilia, its mere suggestion of pedophilia is sufficient to arouse outrage and opposition. Shotacon, an abbreviation for “Shota complex,” or a sexual fetishization of preadolescent boys is equally fring to pedophilia but isn’t remotely as widely opposed as lolicon imagery because it’s not remotely as prolific or recognized.

Pornographic Lolita complex anime has existed since 1984. Lolita imagery is seemingly inescapable in contemporary anime. Erotic lolicon manga is so prevelant in Japan that it has multiple monthly magazines exclusively devoted to it, including Comic LO, Comic RiN, and Comic Plum. But shotacon is extremely niche. The 2006 Boku no Pico adult anime series referred to itself as the world’s first shotacon anime. Very few genuine shotacon anime exist: 1981’s Natsu e no Tobira movie, the 2006 Boku no Pico OVA series, 2010’s Shounen Maid Kuro-kun. Mainstream anime that include shotacon themes, like Maho Sensei Negima, Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo!, and Kanokon treat their narratives like unusual harem anime instead of emphasizing them as examples of shotacon anime.

Shotacon isn’t overlooked because of a gender bias or discrimination. It doesn’t generate less controversy because it’s considered less offensive, immoral, or potentially harmful than lolicon. Shotacon doesn’t arouse the same amount of controversy and outrage that lolicon does because shotacon simply isn’t in the public eye. So little shotacon imagery exists, especially in prominent view, that it’s not recognized and thus not deemed threatening. If shotacon was as prominent as lolicon imagery, shotacon probably would engender a lot of vocal criticism and censure. But it’s not remotely as prominent as lolicon is, so its criticism and opposition is equally subdued and minimal.