Straight shota (also known as shota straight) is a subgenre of manga and anime that features younger boys - adolescent-looking - interacting with adult women. Likewise, the expression comes from the contraction of the Japanese phrase “shōtarō complex”.
At this point, it should be noted that generally this type of relationship is presented in hentai-type anime and manga, this being a fairly popular topic.
On the other hand, some fans indicate that the "straight shota" (or any type of stories that emphasizes the relationships of a minor and an adult), are based on fantasies between the protagonists, where the relationship between them is marked by scenes erotic or suggestive.
Although this type of content has been criticized, specialists indicate that there is a legal vacuum in this regard, since these materials show fictitious and not real situations. However, the issue continues to generate debate in Japan and the world.
Origin
The "straight shota" comes from the genre of anime and manga of hentai type called "shotacon", which emphasizes the relationships of young boys with other boys or older men.
With the passage of time, this subgenre branched out to generate the “straight shota”, which graphs the attraction that occurs between a boy and an adult woman.
Meaning
The etymology of the word can be indicated as follows:
- "Straight": term in English to indicate "heterosexual".
- “Shota”: from “shotacon”, which in turn is a contraction of “shōtarō complex”. It is used to rate the attraction of young boys to older people (or vice versa). It should be mentioned that initially it was a term to indicate homosexual relationships.
Due to the above, a definition of the expression is included according to Urban Dictionary:
- "It is a subgenre of hentai shotacon that describes the relationship of boys (generally under 15 years old) with women (usually the same age or older than these)".
characteristics
Due to the aforementioned, some features can be highlighted in this regard:
-Male characters are shown as teenagers or pre-teens. In fact, the age of these is between 10 and 15 years. For this reason, it is common for youth to be emphasized in terms of their physical appearance: short stature or a lean or small complexion.
-As for the previous point, it should be mentioned that there are authors who present the male character with a youthful appearance, even if he is of legal age.
-Women, on the other hand, are shown with pronounced feminine attributes: large breasts, long legs and / or with a sensual attitude. In the same way, they can be the same age as the protagonist or be adult women.
-The stories do not necessarily present the sexual consummation of the relationship. In fact, some only use the attraction that may exist between the characters.
-For some fans, this subgenre is not considered as pornography.
-These stories have been criticized for having content that promotes child abuse. However, its defenders affirm that there is no problem since it relies on fiction and fantasy.
Words and other related terms
Because the manga and anime world is wide due to the genres that are shown through them, it is important to include a series of terms that are related to this topic:
-Lolicon (or lolikon): is an expression that arises from the contraction "lolita complex" and refers to the attraction that exists towards girls, young people or adults with childish appearance. The age range that is handled is between 8 and 19 years old.
In this case, the girls and young people are presented with suggestive physical attributes, at the same time that this is combined with a tender and submissive appearance.
It is worth mentioning that, like the "shotacon" and the "straight shota", they receive strong criticism since this paraphilia is exalted.
-Bishojo: translates as "beautiful girl" and refers to stories with female characters who are of school age. These contents in particular are directed towards a male audience, being one of the most popular in Japan.
-Bishonen: ("beautiful young man"), is a subgenre that focuses on the impressive beauty of a boy, who can be so shocking that any of the characters in the story can be attracted to it. It is believed to have its origin in Japanese literature and in the homosexual ideals of the young in the Chinese aristocracy.
In this particular case, the expression is used to describe physically beautiful boys who are between 15 and 19 years old. However, it is also used to point to attractive and homosexual young people - regardless of their age.
Other terms
-Hentai: it is a type of manga and anime genre that includes a high erotic and sexual content in its stories. In this case, the sexual activity that takes place can vary widely. In certain cases it is explicit and in others rather suggestive.
From this type of stories, a series of sub-genres originate that explore any number of situations, fantasies and scenarios. In fact, there are contents that present the copulation of women or men with imaginary beings such as tentacular monsters or with animal features.
This also groups stories of a homosexual type (couples of men and women, which are the most popular), fetishes with pregnancies, "shotacon" or romantic relationships of a couple.
-Yaoi: it is also known as Boy's Love and is the one that portrays the relationships that are established between two young men. In these particular contents, a dominant figure and a submissive one stand out, presenting erotic content.
Also, the age of the protagonists can vary, from young people to adults. If they are under 15 years of age, it would already be considered as "shotacon".
Although the creation of this genre was with the idea of attracting the female audience, some fans indicate that they are stories that are aimed at all types of audiences, since affective relationships, the importance of love and the beauty of the main characters are highlighted.
References
- Do you know what shotacon is? (sf). In Shotacon World. Retrieved: September 27, 2018. In Mundo Shotacon de mundoshotacon.obolog.es.
- Bishōjo. (sf). On Wikipedia. Retrieved: September 27, 2018. In Wikipedia at es.wikipedia.org.
- Bishōnen. (sf). On Wikipedia. Retrieved: September 27, 2018. In Wikipedia at es.wikipedia.org.
- Hentai. (sf). On Wikipedia. Retrieved: September 27, 2018. In Wikipedia at es.wikipedia.org.
- Lolicon. (sf). On Wikipedia. Retrieved: September 27, 2018. In Wikipedia at es.wikipedia.org.
- Straight shotacon. (sf). In Urban Dictionary. Retrieved: September 27, 2018. In Urban Dictionary at urbandictionary.com.
- Shotacon. (sf). In Urban Dictionary. Retrieved: September 27, 2018. In Urban Dictionary at urbandictionary.com.
- Yaoi. (sf). On Wikipedia. Retrieved: September 27, 2018. In Wikipedia at es.wikipedia.org.