Book Review: LO画集 TAKAMICHI LOVE WORKS (FLOW COMICS)

"Anyway, I'm reviewing the book for the art, not the girls."

I don't think that's true at all. By reviewing this book, you are promoting it and it's sales. That means you're supporting the message of those producing the book/magazine. The message is pedophilia. That's disgusting. I don't see how you can flippantly ignore this, especially after your friends voiced concerns.

I love this blog and it helps me find new art books to buy. However, this one makes my skin crawl. The art in this book might be mostly benign illustration in comparison to the content of the magazine, but it means money to an artist who supports a pedophilia magazine. WHO on your blog list would be interested in that??

I wouldn't read a blog that "highly recommended" something that makes me want to hurl. I didn't expect to find that on this blog, and I'm a really open-minded person. I showed this entry to other friends and they were just as horrified so it's not just me OR your friends. Please reconsider this promotion or any promotion of art books like it.

@ Anonymous (not verified)
I don't see the problem with it. I draw yaoi (gay guys doin' it with each other) and I draw it knowing exactly what what the response will be.
Sure, it may be a bit out there, and maybe even a tad perverse. But if I draw it well, I like drawing it, and my fans enjoy my work, then there's no issue.

Japanese are not bred like Americans. They're not raised with those stupid shows asking you where the paw print is. "Can YOU see Blue?" They are not raised to be naive.
They're a lot more mature and their work portrays that! I respect them for their no-limits look on art and erotica.
Things that would be outrageous and disgusting for us, are beautiful and fascinating.
They are more open about sexuality and erotica.

I think Parka's review was great, (nice pics, btw) and I think for the purpose of viewing the incredible art, I will be buying this book. Because if I had NO idea about the artist being pedo, I wouldn't have thought the art was for anything related to pedophilia.
Not to turn a blind eye to it, but how an artist chooses to maintain a living is of little concern to me.
There are PLENTY of artist whom drew pornographic (and YES, pedophilia) work as a career before achieving fame in another style.

This book is a work of love. I am very glad to own it.

Aren't you overreacting just a little bit? The review was frank, honest and well thought out. The content was not up to the reviewer as was stated many times. Judging from the artwork and risque type themes, this was well played by the reviewer. In my opinion, the japanese culture is much more liberal than the American culture. This does not mean they promote pedophilia, just that they are more liberal with sexuality. I don't promote pedophilia, but there is a difference in the act and violation of a child's body and simply portraying artwork based on children. Would it make it more comfortable to say that many japanese female artists also draw loli girls?

Its the human body. Most of us have the parts and bits that were given to us by nature. It should not be a shameful thing to display it, so long as it is within common and rational sense. How we use our body, depends on who is responsible for it. Judging by the artwork, the style and coloring is absolutely top notch. They did the children justice. What more can you ask for?

I own the book and i like it. I don't care if the pictures are coming from the cover of a bad magazine, they are great. I am not here to judge the autor's life, but only his art.
Sorry for my english, i'm french.

Good art like this should be both published AND promoted!

Don't buy it then......

Very good review, please don't remove it.

I don't see what the problem is and why some people are overreacting.
I enjoyed the review, and if weren't for it I would have never found out about this treasure.

All I can say is don't assume the artist is a pedo because of what they draw it's just silly really.
also like they say "Don't mix the 2D world with the 3D world" really!

protip: the magazine itself is full of warnings about not trying anything funny in real life

there's no difference with something like extreme gore art... other than those involve killing, this involves loving

the art being good is all that matters, there's nothing real about it, it's not even a 3d render

a review is there to let ppl know about stuff. imagine if you dont read this review and buy that book without this review?

great review, and it looks like you understand Takamichi's trait in art. please dont remove this review so that many ppl can know the content and become aware before buying it

ppl say they are open minded but usually not thinking far enough. you dont need to hide or make it hard to find, just put a warn on header title

I think a lot of people are overreacting about this pedo thing. When you first go to art class you draw NAKED people all day long. The front, the back, the side and in between it has nothing to do with being sexual at all. It's about honoring the human body and art. The problem lies is how people use what you draw. If the people buying your art work are using it of devious purposes than that's the customers fault. I thought the book was cute.

A little late, but I need to chime in on this:
"Open-minded"? Obviously the people that say this is disgusting don't have an open mind. Art work featuring cute little girls (in a way that could be interpreted as sexually attractive) ("loli") is very commonplace in Japan (relative to America). Admittedly, Takamichi does the covers for an 18+ manga magazine featuring "loli" characters, but that's because the mentality is that 2D (art on screen/paper) and 3D (real life) are completely separate.
Objection-ers tend to think that this is sending the message that pedophilia is acceptable because elements of it are used here, but Japanese do not typically associate it as such because, frankly, it's not real (it's 2D). It's the exact same thing as violent gory video games where you brutally massacre people, become part of a street gang and deal drugs to win. What message is that sending? That it's OK to commit crimes? That it's OK to kill those guys that piss you off? No, because it's just a game. Not the exact same thing? Right, the only difference is that it uses elements of sex instead of killing of human life.

I kind of like the artbook from reading this review, but I'm no pedophile! That's unthinkable. Feels like a crazy witch/communist hunt if someone were to say that to me. Do not mix what you see rendered on screen or drawn on paper with real life. All artists and their publishers *no matter what the content* often remind people of that statement in one way or another. Until people embrace this separation concept, there will always be people that are disgusted by it by taking it seriously (i.e. bringing it into real life). Still happens occasionally for violent art as well.

Anyways, the review is great and objective. You did not make any mistake in reviewing the artbook. Please do not refrain from reviewing any others.
If people don't like it, they can just not look at it. But they shouldn't be accusing people of bad things for liking or drawing *any* certain kind of art.

"For the sake of writing this review, I browsed through an online copy of the magazine — so you don't have to. The magazine is really hardcore to the max. The covers are extremely mild by comparison. "

Meaning Comic LO?

"If you're buying, do find out about your country's restriction, if any, on importing this category of books.."

It is available on the U.S. iTunes app store.. it's rated 12 + for Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content or Nudity

Haha! Oh wow! That's the last place I thought I'd find this.

I agree completely. Japanese people are different and more open-minded than most. I respect and revere them as a people and a culture. If more people thought like them I think more people would appreciate ALL forms of art and erotica and not just some. If you have a problem with something, don't look at it. To each his/her own I say. And yes I'm a lolicon, so suck it if you don't like what I'm saying!

What is that Lorin comic? Is there really an English lolicon comic book?