The Lolita Complex: - Scholarly Commons Home

Comparisons are made in the media between the Gothloli identity and
a perceivable link to pornographic and paedophilic material in Japan,
including manga (or two-dimensional illustrations) of very young girls posed
provocatively in often demeaning situations, known as lolicon or roricon (Jap.),
a term contracted from “Lolita” and “Complex” (Figs 83 – 86). *
Image removed according to copyright law
There is
also a popular anime (or moving-picture) industry that produces hentai,
sexually explicit animations that very frequently depict young women in
pornographic acts with older males (Fig. 75).
Figure 83: Lolicon
* These examples differ in regard to their level of pornographic intensity. Figure 83 could represent
an innocent scenario until it is observed in context with its origin, an online roricon website. Given
this connection, one becomes more aware of the potential for paedophilic voyeurism, which in turn
changes one’s perception of the characters’ expressions to a recognition that they are suddenly
aware of being watched. Figure 84 makes this association even more obvious with the added sense
of impending violence towards the subject. As the viewer, one becomes implicated in that offense.
Figures 85 and 86, on the other hand, represent little girls as provocateurs in various states of dress
and undress, although the first subject appears to be less knowing than the second who looks,
again, vulnerable. Ultimately, though, they all signify the little girl as victim.
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