Terminology in Our Movement (^^;)

In Japanese, the word "SHOTA-CON" or "SHOTA-COM" comes from "SHOTARO - COMPLEX". Then, what is Shotaro complex? "Shotaro complex" generally represents phenomenon that mainly female persons favour pretty boy cahracters in anime or manga, near as "Lolita-complex" for male persons. But in truth, there are also many "male" persons who are in Shotaro complex. At the Pretty Boy's Comics Convention "SYOTAKET", most joiner were male Shota fans.
If you think you are mate of us, You may feel relieved, but it should be brtter that you don't tell it to ordinary people, of course (^-^;).

The origin of the word "Shota" or "Shotaro" comes from the past Japanese anime work "Tetsujin-Nijuuhachigo". Shotaro was the hero boy character in this anime. And because of such background, most "Shotaro complex" persons are, more or less, "2-Dimensional complex". In other words, mania for pretty boy characters in anime or manga. Manga (paper media) and anime (on TV screen) are 2-Dimensional. Perhaps this term had been formed in the culture of "Dohjinshi" (personal made amature fan art books) and anime fan circles.
Whatever you do, don't embrace a real pretty boy in the real world. It may be crime(^^;.

By the way, recent several years were very happy years for us, Shota-con people, because many shota-characters were on stage, such as, Roka in "Yamatotakeru", Shiine-chan in "Akazukin Cha-Cha", Yuuta-kun in "The Future Police J-Decker", Romeo in "Rmeo's Blue Sky" etc. Many anime works simultaneously presented pretty boy characters. Especially, two or three years ago, Shiine-chan was the most atractive boy charaacter for many anime fans who had never been thinking about themselves to be "Shota-con" in any meanings. Perhaps in that period, many male persons who had been potentially Shota-oriented, became shota-con aware. In Dohjinshi world, many books dealing with Shiine-chan and Riiya (two boys in love together) were made by Shota-con Dohjinshi artists. We also made one of them.

This term was also born in the culture of Dohjinshi, espaecially "Ani-Paro" Dohjinshi, which is dealing with parody of commercial based japanimation. Also in this genre, mainly female fan artists enjoy creating imaginary coupling of boy characters on their Dohjinshi. In many cases, the word "Yaoi" maens that not only mentally boys are in love together, but also they goes further steps (^^;. I don't know why this term is used in such limited meaning.

"JUNE" is a genre represented by a magazine that has same name "JUNE", expressed in Japan (There is no relationship with month's name "June"). Resembling to the terms above, in the works belonging to this genre, male characters (not only boys) are coupled together, and most fans are female persons. Possibly resembling to the atomosphere of the magazine, works that belong to this genre are, if anything, express impression of "beautiful" other than "pretty" characters. It may be represents so called "aestheticism". And though I don't know the reason, in many case, the genre "June" includes original works other than "Ani-paro" works, for example, in the classification in "Comike".

"Syounen-ai" ("Knaben Liebe" in German)

This term has been existing so longer than the terms above, in Japanese vocablary. Other than "pedophilia" in English, the nuance is near the German word "Knaben Liebe", including some nostalgic meanings. In this world, the stories may be set on old residence, wooden schoolhouse or European public school / Gimnasium. Neat, not loud, beauty associated with boy's claen shirtblouse, short pants, leather belt used to tack their textbooks, high shoes and so on, is dealed as valuable. And there is always an air of fantasy about those works.

I don't know which same phenomena are seen in other countries, but in Japan, relatively many young people are in 2-Dimensional complex. They favour non-real existance characters in anime or manga and have never, or little interest in real opposite (or same (^^;)) sex persons. Is it morbid, you think? But it is also a way of life! Almost all 2-Dimensional complexed people are harmless, although they thenselves may be worrying about their liking. Person who have stiffened, is strong. I am also 2-Dimensional complexed!!! (^^)/

In Japan, amature booklet publishing (especially dealing with anime and manga) is very vigorous. Then those fan artists sell their issue to the fans who share same favourites, in a kind of free market. Such free market events are frequently opened at many cities in Japan. "Comike" is, on the other hand, the general alias of such events. But, the word "Comike" represents, in most cases, the "Comic Market" which has the largest scale and has eldest tradition in this kind of events. "Comic Market" is held twice a year in Tokyo Japan. Near 20000 Dohjinshi circles join it, and the assembly hall is crowded with over 200000 fans between 2 or 3 days of event term. Surely, the existence of "Comic Market" represents the big scale of anime / manga culture of Japan. "Comic Market" is not held under the direction of any commercial based organization, but held under fan-volunteers perfectly.