Lolicon and the Great Misunderstanding

Lolicon as defined by the community at large states that it is, " is a slang word for the phrase "Lolita complex"" which denotes the interests in a younger female by a man or the interests of a young female in another young female. It is derived from the term 'Lolita' which was a word used by an Author to denote a story written about a professor that took an interest in a younger female. 

While in some cases this will refer to the interest taken into females in a prepubescent stage others will say it may simply refer to a female under the socially acceptable age for intimate relationships while every country tends to view this differently. Because of this common understanding of 'Lolicon,' there have been several nations that view it as a form of Child Pornography and have attempted to ban all forms of Lolicon from Anime, Mangas, and Light Novels in an attempt to further push back against the trend. 

Currently, to date, there is no evidence that the viewing or reading of Lolicon materials has led to or caused anyone to develop an interest in real-life habits of pedophilia and therefore all information about the subject matter is currently being debated. The United Nations has even taken up the subject matter and while they have openly condemned the concept they have no legal standing to push nations to adopt their proposed ban on the materials.

Lolicon and those like it are caught in a constant battle between 'Moralist' and 'Artists' alike due to the generalized idea that if you view or support the idea of Lolicon you are someone to be viewed with some suspicion of being a pedo or someone that would support the act of it. While I can see this from the perspective of a 'Moralist' I can also say that subjectively there is no evidence to prove any of the arguments. As someone that supports the absolute freedom of self-expression and exchange of ideas I find it to be restrictive to say that the use of 'Lolicon' breeds or creates pedos.   

Lolicon by an artist is the exploration of a social taboo on a different level and in many cases the story arch is directed in a way to nurture and foster a relationship between the main characters. In essence the main characters have a loving committing relationship and intend to be with one another only and therefore creating a love story that transcends the modern moralist view of love. Also the use of Lolicon as a medium in art and media isn't new and has only within the past decade been viewed with such disdain: while this is due to current 'moralist' or because society is starting to view censorship with a more positive note is not clear. 

 

I think that even someone like myself that doesn't prescribe to the standard idealism of 'Moralism' agrees that the forced sexual activity of an adult or person in power upon a minor without consent or for other purposes in real life is not acceptable and should warrant arrest and incarceration. That said, the mentioned material of Lolicon which is art and or writings that pertain to the idea of a committed, loving, nurturing, sustainable, consensual relationship between two people of different ages should not fall under the same scope. The fact is that stories harm no one in real life and the fact that people make it sound like it does only makes things worse. 

While this subject matter isn't one that can be settled easily, it is one that deserves a closer look. People that apply this concept to their art and writings are not inherently doing anything wrong but exploring a new route of thinking, even that said though it is really not all that new. The point I want to make is that despite one's personal moral convictions the idea that 'Lolicon' is seen as some sort of illegal practice only is short-sighted and narrow-minded. I actually hope to see this ban lifted at some point to see the freedom of creativity come back to the world.