100% of the fan service containing shows could just be adult cast. I don’t understand why that’s so hard. More adult cast shows in general would be nice. Why’s everyone gotta be a highschooler, man?
I think the idea is that the majority of the consumers and viewers of anime and manga are teenagers. To pull in that audience, the characters would have to be relatively the same age for the audience to relate to those characters.
I’m going to get flamed here, but my personal thoughts are that if someone can get their rocks off looking at these cartoons of underage girls and it’s enough to satiate their desire that they don’t do it in real life, then I don’t mind it at all. Heck, I even strongly encourage it.
It’s a victimless crime. Just let them have it if it doesn’t hurt anyone.
Edit: VICE did a great video about this. I encourage you guys to check it out. https://youtu.be/Ky3HqvT3M8E?si=RqYHZ5EfSN5M2liw
Has there ever been an established correlation between people who’re into underage animated characters and real underage people? It could easily be two completely or almost completely separate groups of people so it might not be helpful at all. Still not harmful either I suppose as I tend to be in the camp of no victim= no crime…
When I started watching anime, the characters were my age. Now I’m significantly older, but I still like similar characters than I used to in a similar way than I used to.
I’ve also seen Japanese schoolkids in real life, and while I find them adorable the same way I find any kids adorable, I have absolutely zero interest in them in the way I do towards the fictional characters. They are two completely different things for me now.
I feel you’re treading in similar waters to a thought experiment I’ve pondered before:
Imagine you either remember or fantasize about a sexual situation that occurred while you yourself were a minor with another minor. Is there something inherently wrong with becoming aroused by this? What if you’re fantasizing about a situation where you were underage and something happens with someone who is not? Does anything change if you write it down? What if you draw it? Is it less wrong if you’re imagining to be the underage person than if you imagine you’re the older one?
I don’t have any answers to any of this of course, other than it feels less wrong when you’re imagining/remembering yourself to be an underage person in these situations as you can sort of retroactively consent in a way?
I guess the takeaway is probably that fantasy and reality are too different to be judged the same, and the only danger arises from those who start blending the two.