Survey

This is a survey for people who like shota comics. The results will be presented in a book, but may also be used in presentations, video essays (for example on Youtube) and similar. Participation is anonymous.

The study is conducted by me, Karl Andersson. I’m an anthropologist and the author of Impossibly Cute Boys (2024), which is a book about shota fans in Japan. You can read more about me on my homepage karlandersson.se.

The data collection period for this study is officially over (as of June 2026), but I decided to open up the survey again for people who I am currently chatting with.

The survey is only this page, so you can scroll down before you begin to get an idea what it is about. If you for any reason don’t want to answer a question, you can just skip it.

Thank you for your valuable contribution!

Shota survey 2025

1. About you

Age

Gender

Female

Male

Other (please specify below)

Sexuality

Place of living (country or continent)

Do you have a disability or an Autism Spectrum Disorder or similar?

Yes

It’s complicated (feel free to explain below)

Write freely about your background and family situation. Do you live alone or with family? Are you married? Have children? Have you had experiences of dating and sex? Write as little or much as you want. Include anything you think might be relevant.

2. Your shota taste

Which age span of shota characters do you prefer?

What is your ideal age of shota, if you had to answer one age only?

What kind of shota do you like? Write freely about the looks and personality of your ideal shota, and your favorite themes or scenarios. Why do you think you like this kind of shota? Include your favorite characters from mainstream manga, anime, and games, if you have any, and explain what it is you like with them.

3. Using shota

How did you first discover shota? How old were you? What was your reaction?

Describe freely how you use shota and how often. Do you read full stories or look at illustrations, online or on paper? Where do you find shota? Do you read shota in English? Do you also draw shota? Write as much or little as you want.

How do you feel when you engage with shota? Do you project yourself onto one of the characters, in that case, who (for example, do you imagine yourself being the “bottom” boy, or the “top” boy, or an older character, or an onlooker, etc)? Do you feel sexually excited when engaging with shota? Do you masturbate to shota? Write as little or much as you want.

I found that some people in Japan read shota to “reclaim” their boyhood or childhood. Some had been bullied in their actual schooldays, or they had been secretly in love with a classmate, and shota let them relive an alternative version with a happy ending. Can you relate to this kind of reading? If yes, can you give some examples from your own life?

4. The shota community

Do you communicate with others who like shota, online or offline? If yes, what does this communciation mean to you, and what kind of things do you talk about? How would you describe the general atmosphere in the shota community? Which online platforms do you use, and have you met any shota friends offline? Why or why not?

5. Laws and public opinion

Do you know the legal situation for shota where you live? Is shota legal or illegal to watch and/or possess? How do you think about these laws? Are you worried when looking at shota? What do you think about the legal situation?

What is the public view on people who like shota where you live, or where you hang out online? How does it make you feel?

Have you ever engaged in negative behavior toward shota fans, such as harassing or ridiculing them online, or having done so toward certain types of shota fans?

Yes

Maybe

If yes or maybe, could you explain more? What do you think made you engage in the negative behavior? What made you change (if you did)?

6. Fiction and reality

How do you think about the difference between fictional boys (shota) and actual boys who live in the real world? Do you feel attraction to real boys? If yes, how does it differ from your interest for fictional shota?

If you feel attraction to real boys too, how do you handle this attraction? How do you think about it? Do you think that it is problematic? Write as little or much as you want.

7. Sexuality

Do you see your shota interest as a sexuality (meaning, something very fundamental), or as a hobby (something less serious)? Please explain. Why do you think you like shota? Do you like having this interest or would you prefer not having it?

8. Anything else?

Here you can write freely anything you want to contribute to my research. It can be thoughts you’ve had that don’t fit in the questions above, or anything.

9. Contact (optional)

If you would like to be contacted to talk more about your shota interest, based on your answers in this survey, write your email address or social media handle here.

I approve to have my contact data collected and stored for the purpose of being contacted.

If you are human, leave this field blank.