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Someone told to me that he couldn't understand why people like the Ami series since he felt that was the weakest part of Cream Lemon. I pointed out that he wasn't wrong from a current perspective because it was Ami's story the one that invented the whole brother-sister trope in animanga. It's impact was to the point that Ami herself became a popular character outside ero-anime, which is the reason that she became an idol in the first place and the Ami series has even been adapted to a mainstream live-action film. He commented that her impact was so powerful that she became retroactively generic.

This last comment made me think. A big reason why the Ami series became so popular was the drama behind the forbidden incestuous relationship between stepbrother and stepsister. But, nowadays, that's just a common trope in animanga that's not particularly unique, so it's kind of mundane at this point because it has become so overused. It became pretty clear to me when I recalled Nagasarete Airantou, a shonen series in which the mother of the main male character encourages her stepdaughter to marry her son. There are now multiple series where a brother-sister romance is a main part of the plot, as seen in Kissxsis, I Don't Like You at All, Big Brother!! and The Irregular at Magic High School to name a few. I think the last time there was some issue with this thematic was a few years ago with a ban in Tokyo of Imouto Paradise! 2. Nowadays, seinen series with blood-related siblings like Aki Sora, Koi Kaze and Cyclops Shojo Saipu have no issues with this topic. Even shonen series with blood-related siblings romance like Siscon Ani to Brocon Imouto ga Shoujiki ni Nattara are not that controversial these days.
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This got me curious, so I've researched a bit and found out that, while Cream Lemon seems to have popularized the romantic angle to a greater degree, the origin is not there. It seems that George Akiyama's Pink no Curtain was the first one that deal with sexual attraction between siblings (blood-related siblings at that) in a non-tragic context, but I think it's not romance-focused like Cream Lemon. Searching a little more, I found out that the shonen manga and TV anime Miyuki by Mitsuru Adachi preceded even that, although the focus is on step-siblings that didn't grow together, so the feeling seems different from the other two. I also found out about that the tragic treatment done to this theme in Osamu Tezuka's Ayako seems to have been mostly ignored or at least it didn't became as popular. From what little I know about Shinto, Izanagi and Izanami are probably the first brother-sister relationship in Japanese literature, similar to Zeus and Hera from Greek mythology, but I don't think this bears any impact in the thematic current popularity as a plot device in animanga.

Having said all this long preamble, how did brother-sister romantic relationships become such a popular theme in animanga to the point of becoming a trope as reflected in the terms brocon (brother complex) and siscon (sister complex)?

Japan has a low birthrate, so smaller families and more single childs who might romanticise the sibling relationship without being weighed down by, you know, reality and experience.

Something else is that it's a taboo and young people like being rebellious. Even though taboos typically exist for a good reason. If you've even studied IQ you might know that many "races" with low average IQ are basically just cultures with rampant levels of incest.

Another thing to think about is that in humans it is females who are the sexual selectors, so the burden is typically on men to chase girls and prove they are good enough rather than the other way around. So if you are creating a fantasy scenario to appeal to men you first want a high female to male ratio so girls are forced to compete more than the men (the harem trope). The second thing you want is a sister or live-in childhood friend who is naturally closer to the MC than all the other characters. That situation gives men more confidence and psychological safety.

I can also guess why brocon is a thing but it would be good to hear ideas from other people too.

If it took that long, it could be a feedback cycle between ratings and new productions influencing the culture of its consumers.

It could also be that anime fans have a higher tendancy to have the emotional maturity of a coat rack.

Momogari wrote: ↑

17 Dec 2020, 03:05

It could also be that anime fans have a higher tendancy to have the emotional maturity of a coat rack.

Meanie.

I think it's much more simple than all that you were wondering about....

It Sells.... if that ship sails and finds gold. It's a ship worth "sailing". Or whatever.

It's just like any other genre that picks up a hype and builds on it. For example, I remember when .hackers came out, with the whole "getting stuck in the game" trope. And then SAO came and hyped it to the next level. Now you got a lot of "OHMAIGAH I'm stuck in the game !" manga.

Same thing with fucking "Isekai". Everyday I check on the recently updated mangas, there's at list 1 from those genres in the list.
 

I'd say it shows a shift in culture. I've kind of noticed over time there has been a shift towards more romance based anime rather than action. And if we're honest Incest has been part of manga/anime for time immemoriam (Tenchi Muyo, Ikki Tousen, hell even SAO).

So to me its a case of give the people what they want.

I'd say it indicates a shift in lifestyle. I have type of noticed over the years there was a shift towards greater romance based anime in location of motion. And if we're sincere Incest has been a part of manga/anime for time immemoriam (Tenchi Muyo, Ikki Tousen, hell even SAO).
So that you can me its a case of deliver the people what they need.