Lolicon

First off, I want to make it clear that I do not abide censorship in any form whatsoever. This country is overly puritanical and driven to fits of hysterics over the slightest hint of sexuality, whereas acts of morbid violence are shown regularly without the slightest concern (not that government or self-appointed moral guardians should have any right to tell right-minded, consenting adults that they can’t watch either). Art and knowledge should be available to the masses in exactly the form they are intended to take.

But…then there’s lolicon.

A simplification of the term “Lolita complex,” lolicon refers to a genre of Japanese media that depicts young girls (or childlike women) in erotic situations. Seen mostly in anime and manga (where its much easier to depict an underage character in this manner without alerting authorities), the genre has long been the subject of controversy due to its obvious implications of pedophilia. Granted, there’s no concrete evidence that lolicon contributes to the exploitation of children, and some camps argue that removing non-exploititive materials may contribute to such crimes. However, to those outside of Japan, that doesnt keep it from being any less…creepy, and many countries, including Canada, have lumped it in with child pornography and banned it outright.

It’s worth noting that a large majority of females in anime are depicted as overly cute and innocent even without being underage, in the typical kawaii style, and many of those that are aren’t necessarily sexualized. That said, many anime/manga series, created in a country where schoolgirl fetishes are common, will have lolicon themes inserted into an otherwise unrelated plot. For anime purists, who demand that shows be presented complete and unedited,  this creates a  serious dichotomy between censorship and public safety.

Marzgurl (of ThatGuywiththeGlasses.com) recently posted a video on this issue, commenting on Funimation‘s controversial decision to release Dance in the Vampire Bund in an edit-only format, due to the millenia old (and heavily sexualized) vampire protagonist inhabiting  the body of a nine year old girl. Because of the company’s long held tradition of releasing unedited versions of its liscensed material (unlike some other companies, which shall remain nameless), this decision is seen as a major slap in the face to fans, who have threatened to boycott.

On the other hand, most of what’s been cut is animated nudity of a NINE YEAR OLD GIRL. Make of that what you will.