>>73683456If you bring the definition of loli up in lolicon spaces, it causes a shitstorm of debate about its definition.
I will attempt to outline one individual's low-resolution conception of this.
Loli is a fuzzy set of prepubescent stylistic characteristics in an anime character. The presence of each of these characteristics and the degree of each characteristic determines the character's placement on the spectrum. No one of these characteristics is required to be present for a character to be considered a loli, but the more are present, the more loli a character is.
There are plenty of lolicon anons who say that X characteristic is absolutely required for a character to be a loli. They are wrong.
<- Toddler ----------------- Loli ----------------- Hebe ----------------- Hag ->
>HEIGHTWikipedia says the average height of a woman in Japan is around 158cm. A common "peak loli" height cited is around 110cm. Below 50cm should be considered minigirl territory (not loli), so we can imagine the height score peaking around 110cm and dropping off the farther you are from it.
>VOICEYou already know what a loli voice is. Timbre, pitch, cadence, vocabulary, and mispronunciations can all contribute to it. This is also a fuzzy set of characteristics, so nailing one perfectly isn't as important as getting most of them mostly right. Deviations from this formula can contribute to the lolibaba subtype, or in the other direction, more of a baby voice style.
>HEADLolis have big heads relative to their bodies, with most lolis being between around 4 and 5 heads tall. Less than this starts to become more chibi than loli.
>BODYThe archetypal loli, being prepubescent, has narrow hips, thinner legs, comparatively larger hands and feet, shorter fingers, narrower shoulders, and a rounder face. See
https://files.catbox.moe/im9bah.png. Deviations from this formula are not necessarily a bad thing and there have been plenty of loli designs with wide hips or curvier bodies overall.
>PERSONALITYA loli can be innocent, clingy, bratty, immature, moody, playful, silly, airheaded, and vulnerable. Her okaasan, otousan, oniichan and oneechan are important to her. Deviations from this formula can contribute to gap moe or to the lolibaba subtype.
>FLAT CHESTThe archetypal loli has no breasts at all, but deviation from this formula does not mean "not loli" and instead contributes to the oppai loli subtype.
>SLIMLolis are typically somewhat slim but a chubby or even obese loli is a possibility and simply subtracts from the overall loliness the farther you deviate. An anorexic skin and bones loli is just sad.
>CLOTHINGArchetypal choices include bare feet, just socks, or Mary Jane shoes, cute dresses, school swimsuits, school uniforms, school backpacks, bows and ribbons, pajamas, etc. Deviation from this formula is totally encouraged and doesn't detract from loliness very much if the other characteristics are in line.
>SCHOOLThe archetypal loli is either an elementary schooler or a middle schooler.
>AGESome loli fans are terrified of discussing this for some reason, even when the context is fictional, but it's safe to say that the archetypal loli is between 5 and 12 years of age. Ageplay is part of the act (see PERSONALITY and VOICE). Deviations from this aren't necessarily "not loli", since lolibaba is a thing.
