• usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    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…

    • wandermind@sopuli.xyz
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      1 year ago

      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.

      • usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        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.