The age of consent only became 16 in 2023. It was 12 at one point but has been 13 for about 15 years. Thats why age-gap relationships weren't seen as a bad thing there for decades.
naw bro, age of consent is one thing, but that's for consent among peers, it isnt expected that the bare minimum age of consent hooks up with a fully grown up ass adult. Even in places with low age of consent, you'll get major stink eye if you're obviously too old for the person in question.
But that's exactly the problem, for a lot of us westerners, we would be giving the stink eye even if the child was at the age of consent; we consider it statutory rape. It's disgusting. It's deplorable.
But in Japan, culturally (and it's important i stress this!) once you reached age of consent, you were seen as sexually mature. This is clearly a logical fallacy! But for them it wasn't for a very long time...
And it was also seen, culturally, that younger people should sleep with older people so they're "taught correctly" and are "guided right"
In no way am I saying its right...actually it truly revolts me. But that's how it was for decades and it obviously seeped into media (manga isn't the only place you see this)
I’m sorry but can we stop doing romance between a 15 year old and a 21 year old ??? The age of consent is 16 in Japan ! Like ??? WTF ?? The author couldn't have just advanced the age to at least legal age?? (Even if it’s still very disturbing)..