there was an update from the admins of lemmy.nsfw where language barriers got in the way and the wrong impression was made, which was quickly addressed by the instance’s other admin as well as edited by its’ original author.
this got people in this instance concerned until the edit was made, however in two threads about it on kbin social the anime PFPs came out to play and the head admin of dataterm was obligated to comment as well
the funniest part is, it really demonstrates the truth of stereotypes about people with anime loli PFPs. at least a couple of the commenters in those threads are going to end up on watchlists.
The Japanese term “Loli” is a shortened version of the English term “Lolita,” which itself is a Spanish nickname for the female Spanish name Dolores.
In English, “Lolita” is the name of a novel written in 1955 by a Russian American author which is famous for its incredibly controversial theme: the male protagonist’s obsession and sexual attraction to a 12 year old girl, who he kidnaps and abuses. The protagonist calls this girl “Lolita” in private.
In Japanese / Anime culture, the term is used to refer to any character that has a very young appearance, and often displays traits similar to that of young girls, such as innocence or airheadedness. The age of such a character is not relevant, as the author can pick any number arbitrarily. Three, three hundred million, doesn’t matter because the term only refers to appearance.
The term “Lolicon” is a portmanteau of the term “Lolita Complex,” and originally in the 1970s and 1980s, was used to refer more generally to feelings of love for cute things and cute fictional characters, which came from the anime of the time portraying Japan’s “ideal young girl.” This original meaning is now known as “moe.” The current meaning of “Loli” and “Lolicon” which began to appear in the 1990s, is much closer to the source material of its name, being a specific attraction to characters who appear to be 15 years old and below.
It is important to note that in Japan they do not use the same word as “pedophilia” nor any equivalent Japanese word. There is apparently some distinction between the two, but since I am not an expert in Japanese language I would not be able to tell you the difference. It seems the nuance is very difficult to communicate though, as “loli” has been conflated with “pedophilia” for a long time and while that has been denied as the English equivalent, no suitable alternative explanation has been given. It is very likely no exact English equivalent exists, as there is a major disconnect of culture between Japan and English speaking countries. Thus the term “pedophilia” is used.
“Shota” is the male equivalent of “Loli.” Thus, “Shotacon” is the male counterpart to “Lolicon.” In Japanese media, “shotacon” are often depicted as women, however the authors of such media are often men.
My personal opinion on this: Its pretty disgusting.