Under this interpretation, Lolicon is not illegal under California state law. However, because it is still illegal under federal law, it is illegal to possess or traffic Lolicon or Shotacon in California.
In Japan, possession and production of explicitly sexual cartoon lolicon is legal, although still contentious. It's legal in Japan. No loopholes there. However, it gets a little blurrier when discussing non-simulated child pornography.
Under the Protect Act, it is illegal to create, possess, or distribute, "a visual depiction of any kind, including a drawing, cartoon, sculpture or painting", that "depicts a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and is 'obscene' or 'depicts an image that is, or appears to be, of a minor engaging in...
13 years of ageAccording to the source, the current legal minimum age of consent in Japan is 13 years of age.
No. They can be considered illegal too. The reality is that there is a large library, of easily available Images, commercially produced, manga or manga-type, anime cartoon images which depict images prohibited by English law.
Article Japan: Possession of Child Pornography Finally Punishable. (Aug. 4, 2014) Since 2008, the Japanese government has pushed for an amendment of the law to make the possession of child pornography illegal.
Lolicon (spelled ロリコン in katakana) or “Lolita complex” is a Japanese-originating slang from the 1970s deriving from English literature in the 1950s/1960s. It can refer to either a person with a fascination for adolescent girls, or a genre of manga (usually pornographic) intended to appeal to such persons.