Ask John: Is South Park Lolicon?

Question:
Is South Park considered loli and ecchi? A lot of people are embarrassed to admit they watch shows like Mitsudomoe because people might label them as pedos. But South Park is more graphically sexual than a lot of so called loli anime shows. The South Park kids are in 3rd grade. Both shows are simply comedies, aren’t they?

Answer:
In American discussion, Japanese terms like “loli” and “ecchi” are only applied to Japanese animation. English language has its own native terms that are deemed standard for application to American programs. However, in order to address the question, even the concepts that the terms “loli” and “ecchi” describe do not apply to South Park because South Park does not exhibit the characteristics associated with those Japanese terms. “Loli,” the Japanese abbreviation of the name “Lolita,” specifically refers to attractive pre-adolescent girls that evoke a sexual response. South Park does not include any young girl characters that provoke a sexual attraction from viewers. The Japanese term “ecchi” means “mildly lewd” or “risqué.” Something ecchi exhibits playful, teasing sexuality. South Park is most often perceived as grossly offensive, gratuitous, and obscene. South Park isn’t gently, teasingly sexy, so even if the Japanese term “ecchi” was applied to American media, it wouldn’t be accurately applied to South Park.

A noticeable difference does exist between South Park and “ecchi, loli” anime like Mitsudomoe, Kodomo no Jikan, and Moetan. The visual design of South Park is clearly not modeled on real life. Actual human children don’t look like squashed paper cut-outs. South Park is furthermore so blatant and exaggerated that it obviously exists solely as satire. Anime like Mitsudomoe, however, depict young female characters that do exhibit the same proportions and pudgy baby fat plumpness of actual preadolescent human children. Furthermore, the behaviors and interpersonal interaction of young girls in anime like Mitsudomoe are more naturalistic and less satirically exaggerated than the actions and personalities of South Park characters, making them less apparently fictional constructs. Most viewers have no anxiety over admitting an affection for South Park because South Park doesn’t resemble a fictionalized depiction of reality; it’s obviously pure exaggerated fiction. No remotely rational person is likely to presume that watching South Park is representative of a fetishistic sexual attraction to real human children. The same cannot be said of “ecchi, loli” anime. Shows like Mitsudomoe are undeniably also gratuitously fetishistic in their depiction of human-like girls. Despite both being foremost comedies, there are intrinsic and significant differences between the content and intent of South Park and Japanese “ecchi Lolita” anime.