Lolicon or not lolicon

Some videos to compare:

Miki Fujimoto audition for Morning Musume, age 14: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GylkqeHbUKg
(She failed but was assigned as H!P solo artist instead, eventually became MM leader, now solo again.)

Ai Takahashi age 12 performance on television: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb3DHK11_YA

Eri Kamei audition for Morning Musume, age 13: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT4CzjPEmG8&feature=related

Reina Tanaka audition for Morning Musume, age 13: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTeHvEvIEJQ&feature=related

Sayumi Michishige audition for Morning Musume, age 13: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVXJuLYFfdg&feature=related

Rika Ishikawa final audition for Morning Musume, age 15: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au1n5m5N3Rs&feature=related

Voice Lesson for 6th class of Morning Musume, very difficult: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uTU-t2FXno&feature=related

I think these girls are learning about manage stress! or they will crash. I wanted to do this so much when I was junior high school! play piano and sing! make recordings and perform live in Kohaku! but then situation changed and I was required to move to USA, etc. Now I see this harsh life, I'm partly happy I did not continue this path... but only partly... who can know the future? no one.
_________________
Fumiko

Yes this is true. All have start little girl and selection was difficult. Litle girls are sensible and I believe it was harsh.

Hello Fumiko,

the whole Hello ! Project system is based on tiny teens becoming idols. this is a part of japanese culture, aside with cute attitude. as far as this is quite institutional, nobody cares anymore about these tiny teens being seen in various situations, including situations who could be very easy to hijack and thrown into the dark side of graphics, the lolicon domain.

I've seen a picture lately, depicting Eri Kamei (who is a scandalous horny girl, refering to a idiot tabloid) in a somewhat odd situation.

taking account of the huge amount of videos and picture avaliable from these girls, there is always possibility to select voluminous bunch of "odd" ones and then extracted from the initial cute context, could be fine shots for child exploitation.

Took as single this photo can be gross. I will agree with you, moreover anything out of his context can be as such.

I found something related with.
http://japanmanship.blogspot.com/2007/03/lolicon.html

Lolicon

There is a lot to like about Japan; the food, the countryside, the history, the safety. Similarly there is a lot to dislike; the conservative streak that makes change very hard, the homogenous nature of society that leads to cultural ignorance of anything outside of Japan combined with a national pride that is often uninformed, the trains during rush hours, working conditions. But there is one thing that creeps me out particularly, that makes my skin crawl whenever I encounter it, which is often: the sexual objectification, sometimes subtly but usually not, of young girls. Aside from the culture of the celebrity Japan also seems to adore the nymphet.

Though the term “lolicon”, which with typical Japanese concision is derived from “Lolita Complex”, is used with derision the media world in Japan has no gripes with portraying young girls gyrating for the pleasure of an adult audience, with Humbert Humbert’s most desired nymphet age group being the main source for such talent. Though all-girl bands like Morning Musume, with ages ranging from 10 to 20, could optimistically be said to be aimed at kids, other bands, like the more recent AKB 48 are squarely aimed at the older male, in the latter case at Akihabara geeks, hence the name. The band’s producer organizes the website where creepy men in their mid to late twenties can adore their chosen favourite by reading up on their biography and watching little web-movies. And though actual sexuality isn’t mentioned or intoned, one has to wonder what an adult male is doing idolizing 12 year old girls.

The actual “Lolita” and “Lolita Goth” fashions are more to do with dressing up than age but it is undeniable that the ideal image of the woman in Japan revolves around youth and innocence. Grown women wear childish clothes, enjoy Disney fetishes, speak in young girl’s voices. Titillation photography books often has women of legal age dress up in school uniforms, as does, I wouldn’t presume the assumption of knowing for a fact, hard-core pornography. Underage girls pose seductively in bikinis and other revealing outfits but only remove that last slither of gauze protecting their innocence until they reach legal age.
Even the real thing is dubious, with actual schoolgirls being forced to wear uniforms with skirts that are no more than glorified belts, ending as they do just below the pelvis and forcing them to cover their behinds with their hands or schoolbags whenever they need to climb a staircase. Whoever designed those uniforms had issues.

Games enthusiasts may be aware of the syndrome with female characters in games often being terribly young despite sporting a bosom that would take far in excess of 12 years to cultivate. Again, absolving myself from any admission to factual investigation, hentai games too can feature more explicit sexual content with characters which are clearly under-age. Of course the phenomenon of skimpy outfits on busty females in games isn’t unique to Japan, but at least in the West they don’t make a big deal out of the girl being 15 years old, or even younger.

More sensationalist rags and tabloids also report on occasion the pocket money some schoolgirls spend on Prada handbags, with a stipend handsomely increased by profits from selling suggestive mobile phone photographs to perverts. Indeed the scandal of schoolgirl prostitution occasionally crops up in such magazines too, though I always feel there is a certain exaggeration and scaremongering involved in such doom-and-gloom portrayals. Let’s face it, the Japanese schoolgirl has a hard enough time as it is with perverts “accidentally” brushing their hands against portions of skin in busy trains, if not a flat and robust laying on of hands. This “chikan” syndrome is of course illegal but so ineffectual has Japanese law been in combating the problem that Japan Railway has had to resort to providing female-only carriages during rush-hour.

That isn’t to say Japan is a lawless society of pedophiles, it clearly is not. There are laws protecting underage children from exploitation and sexual deviance, child pornography is of course outlawed but lolicon manga, for example isn’t. Nor is the subtle sexual objectification in mainstream media, and most egregiously, nor are those schoolgirl skirts. The widespread availability of pornography in Japan has been said to have helped the sexual crime rate drop dramatically since the 70s and on the whole Japan has fewer such crimes than any other developed country in the world. However, there is an obvious pressure on women to be cute, helpless and act young with, if at all possible, high-pitched voices. And possibly because I feel no uncertain amount of disgust at the whole affair I am probably painting a bleaker picture of Japan’s nymphet-philia than is probably true, but it is undeniable that the media and the public at large spend a lot of time adoring young girls, and it’s not always innocent.

Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2007

Interesting blog, thanks for sharing this.

who is the ABK48 band ? Anybody have somemething ?

I have hard thinking a young girl band to be for old man confused

AKB48

They look normal schoolgirls. Not seing why they are lolicon.

Hello Flesh,

in my humble opinion, you should not take this text provided by Kanabun as truly realist. I fell that the author had a special agenda against japanese entertainment and it's easy to evilize this and that seern from outside Japan and outside japanese understanding. a sort of biaised discours. I'm not saying this seems unfair, but it's a little bit axed toward creating a creepy reacton for readers.

we've seen so numerous case of successful girl bands that's it's impossible to be only supported by teen or early 20th fans. there must be much more age diversity and I know fans can also be girls too.
when I read this text I see the underline of something saying that average male public are attracted by these teens for the very basis of their own sexual fantasy.

from Wiki The PPN about AKB48 :
The group has their own theatre in Akihabara (a district in Tokyo) where they perform once every weekday, and twice on both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are 2000yen for men, and 1000yen for women and children. The special prices for Himawari-gumi shows are fixed at 3000yen for men, and 2000yen for women and children.

my side, I'm not a pretty representative fan because I love girls, and there is a part of my mind building my sexual fantasies in background. once should be dishonest to say no. girls from girl bands are selected in Japan to satisfy the "Cute (kawai) culture", and as far as this culture is an institution in Japan, I don't see why something will need to be changed. look on the AKB48 poster and you can read "Catch the dream". is that a big deal ? are sexual fantasies illegal ?

the whole AKB48 band

a huge classic adult entertainment video
(tuned for all readers)

on this design, we can see that the graphism is not so far from other productions and of course Adult productions. we must be blind to think that AKB48 producers are not surfing on this wave. for me, it's an evidence. but there is an ocean between surfing the Hot wave and promoting elder men to date schoolgirls. they already do that, since the 70th. AKB48 producers, as any other girl band producers have to deal with this state of art who is not a sharp edge in Japan due to drastic laws.

about the schoolgirl uniform, we have collected some informations here on various topics and there is nothing possible to do now, as this uniform as been related to Kogal culture, and nobody will argue anymore that Kogal is not somewhat related to going in bed with elder men. you'll find many JAV idols wearing these uniforms and I suppose there are hundred adult videos envolving these uniforms too.

Hi Best chemistry,

Both are equal, it is clear for me now. Japanese formalism is to rigid to make changes coming out quickly.

I have seen an paper online talking about this. They talk about the lttle fetish. Fumi has said above that not only in Japan but other places, this fetishism exists.

In Japan, the Lolita Complex, or "Lolicon" as it is called, has become a social phenomenon. The Japanese are unfortunately rather well known for this rather disturbing little fetish. A good look at contemporary Japanese art provides an ample example; women are usually drawn with extremely youthful faces (the famous Big Eyes, Small Mouth combination is an example of this), and the plots of numerous manga and anime revolve around young girls who become interested in men who are much older than they (Sailor Moon, for example).

Outside of the realm of comics and cartoons, the Japanese pop-music scene is constantly beset by an endless rotation of new girl bands, usually with singers between the age of 13 and 17.

Interestingly enough, many Japanese artists are aware of Lolicon art and seek to subvert it by taking it to extremes, often particularly unusual or grotesque extremes. Several excellent examples of this phenomenon were organized by Tokyo-based artist Takashi Murakami as part of the exhibiton Superflat.

As for why Japan has always historically been subject to a relatively high occurance and tolerance for Lolicon may have to do with the integration of Japanese culture with shinto, Japan's indigenous animist religion. Shinto associates divinity with the concepts of newness and purity, which are two qualities traditionally found in children, but especially (I suppose) little girls.

oki oki I understand becoz the religious past in Japan makes japanese ppl liking cute little girls.

Many good points to consider from everyone!

eve writes: "In Japan, the Lolita Complex, or "Lolicon" as it is called, has become a social phenomenon. The Japanese are unfortunately rather well known for this rather disturbing little fetish." This is truth, please notice that American girl bands like Destiny's Child, very sexy! but adults! and American young girl entertainers are not sexy in this way, Hannah Montana example, I have never seen her bellybutton in performance and publicity picture!

From eve and then kanabun: "oki oki I understand becoz the religious past in Japan makes japanese ppl liking cute little girls." I am difficult to imagine this, we are all Shinto + Buddhist our typical belief, but I don't think Shinto attitude = little girls are special models of goddess behavior! more like we are spoiled princess! LOL! I don't know what is this attraction to little girls for making sex, if this is reason for their attraction.

best chemistry writes: "girls from girl bands are selected in Japan to satisfy the "Cute (kawaii) culture", and as far as this culture is an institution in Japan, I don't see why something will need to be changed." I think this is very truth, and maybe this is underlying reason? "Cute" characteristics are pretty and childlike, invite protection from men! and men like this, I guess, if they pay extra for tickets to AKB48!

Also she writes: "look on the AKB48 poster and you can read "Catch the dream". is that a big deal ? are sexual fantasies illegal ?" Japanese people do not hide interest in sex like many western people do, in Japan sex is part of daily life, I think in some western places sex is like combination of miracle from gods and terrorist activity. Meanwhile notice AKB48 lyrics of most recent single:

"My school uniform’s getting in the way
I want to be loved more freely
Take me somewhere
To a world I don’t know"

http://www.kiwi-musume.com/lyrics/akb48/seifukugajamawosuru.html
http://www.kiwi-musume.com/lyrics/akb48/virginlove.html
_________________
Fumiko

Hello Fumiko,

thanks for theses pertinent inputs, they are really helpful for our understanding. I'm happy to see that I was not going in a wrong direction about how Japanese people handle their own sexuality and why most western people think they don't hide it much more.

waaoo, the lyrics of the song Seifuku Ga Jama Wo Suru are somewhat really hot, and now you've posted a short extract, I fully understand the commercial impact of such shows. and I understand why Morning musumes are losing their fans...

I firmly can't believe Sayumi Mishichige singing that :

Take off my uniform
I want to play around more naughtily
You can do whatever you like
I want to experience adult pleasure...
hearteyes

I will have to investigate a little bit more in this new perspective of japanese entertainment. saying that, the edge is sharper than I previously had on mind. I found an article about my reflexion on AKB48 vs. Musume sex handling :

That said, one striking difference between Momusu and AKB48 is the way in which each group portrays the members’ sexuality. While Momusu’s costumes look like exactly that - costumes - and tend to look obviously sexy (but not in a slutty way) when “sexy” is what they’re going for, AKB48 almost always go for a classic schoolgirl uniform, but with a somewhat short skirt. Momusu’s approach causes their sexiness to be blatant in a way one doesn’t have to think about it at all, and thus may not notice it that much (since we’re so used to sexiness in music today); AKB48’s approach, however, makes you stop for a minute and think about what you’re looking at, which causes the sexy aspect of their image to leave a more lasting impression on the viewer. Then, AKB48 throws in the odd flash of the panties underneath the short skirts, which catches your attention due to the surprise at its blatant sexuality. These ways in which AKB48’s outfits and dances sometimes hint at and sometimes just suggest sexuality can make the viewer feel like it’s a bit wrong to be watching young girls wearing and doing those things, even though the worst thing the viewer is seeing is a half-second long flash of panties. Combine all of that with the cute aspects of their image, and AKB48 become a somewhat tongue-in-cheek group that can easily catch the Jpop audience’s attention.

SOURCE

sweetdream

Naughty lyrics, not same like hello!project lyrics Shocked