Lolicon continue to exert themselves in defiance of government efforts to criminalise their harmless activities, and seem to have had some success, gathering more than 20,000 signatures on the petition which was held over C74, with a great many significant figures in the industry and beyond voicing their support for the efforts. They vow to continue the struggle.
The petition itself is still accepting signatures, and is due to be presented to the Diet, whose reaction should be interesting (Beako-esque theatrics seem unlikely, as it is really not a highly emotive issue in Japan).
As we saw, the Japanese government has recently been tightening censorship laws with a view to bringing Japan into line with western child paradise nations and banning underage sexual depictions.
Part of that effort is a proposed ban on fictional and drawn representations, which would not only spell an end to loli, but also likely to a great deal of other, more mainstream works.
This has been strenuously opposed by otaku and others, with the petition being highly visible evidence of this. Of course, gallant as their efforts may be, as any fool knows it is political contributions which determine the action of politicians, not petitions, however noisy.
Hopefully, the publishers and retailers who stand to lose business from such restrictions will be sensible enough to invest in some support?
I myself wouldn’t mind signing this if it meant a end to the tsundere animes i have loved.
I hate the damned white people who want to make Japan like more like america. First with all the censorships. On games, tv, etc.
I totally agree with you, They are turning japan a place I would like to live in, to get away from Americas stupid laws and rules to the very thing I hate.
I’d sign that too.
Sometimes it seems the world is going back to the dark ages… there are absolutely NO excuses to ban stuff like that. This is censorship pure and simple.
It goes along the same line of banning violent games to all ages or movies because of political content or whatever.
Let me choose what I want to read, watch and see. Let me be the judge of what is good or not to myself.
These proposal are made based on lots of preconceived assumptions by people who can’t have an open mind to other people tastes.
Just like how it’s possible to get addicted to alcohol from just one drink (may not or may be you, who knows?)?