Multiple adult hentai and anime artists have reported that their Patreon accounts have been suspended after the crowdfunding website’s administration deemed some of their artwork to be “sexualized depictions of minors”.
On March 12th, Bob BQ, a co-owner of the dedicated hosting platform for adult artists Kuppa Networks, shared an update from adult artist Waero, who informed his followers that he would be making changes to his Patreon due to “the recent notification from Patreon.”
Waero warned that “basically all Japanese [art] styles are said to be out,” as well as that “if your Twitter or Pixiv has Japanese-style suspected underage type work, Patreon will prevent you from placing a link to Patreon on [Twitter or] Pixiv.”
What the fuck is this shit??? #anime is basically all under age now #patreon? Do you not think for one moment that this is totally lacking any common business sense? If you don’t want to do business with independent creators, just come out and say it. pic.twitter.com/6af7MjfNFq
— Bob BQ (@bbq_bq) March 12, 2020
Related: Several Anime Conventions Announce New Ban on Attendees Wearing ‘Ahegao’ Clothing
Waero confirmed these new restrictions in a response to Bob BQ’s initial tweet, sharing a partial screenshot of “the official reply” he received from Patreon, which stated that drawing details “can make the characters look younger” and that elements of mature figures such as large breasts and hips were not an excuse as “a lot of women have those puberty transformations at a very young age.”
In my country, we are used to calling some anime styles Japanese style.
It may mean something else in other countries, but you should know what style it is.Not necessarily Loli, and neither big butt nor big breasts is a criterion.
Here is the official reply: pic.twitter.com/7Oa8LiKjkq
— WAERO (@Waero_Re) March 13, 2020
— WAERO (@Waero_Re) March 13, 2020
The full response reads as follows:
“Hi Waero,
I reviewed your page again, and there’s still a lot of content with characters that seem underaged, and characters that seem to be in the sexual scenario represented unwillingly.
Please bear in mind that the downloadable archives with the above violations also need to be removed.
Some details like a big head, big eyes, and short height can make the characters look younger.
And, regarding body development, having bigger breasts and larger hips makes the viewer understand that the character is not a child, but they can still be teenagers under the age of eighteen as a lot of women have those puberty transformations at a very young age.
In order to make them look like adults, the face is the most important part – so even if it’s a stylish option to make your characters look innocent and sweet, you should always bear in mind that this also makes them look younger.
I understand you might question our point of view on this subject, but I can guarantee you that I consulted with my team before contacting you, and it is consensual among us that the characters I asked you to remove look like teenagers under the age of 18.”
Kakuume, another adult artist, also confirmed that they had been “unsubscribed because of this” and shared an update from their Patreon. Kakuume also revealed the shocking discovery that “for several months Patreon has been monitoring my Twitter logs from corner to corner” and been sent “dozens of emails requesting access to an already empty Google Drive.”
Me too! I was unsubscribed because of this. pic.twitter.com/DDoZzyFRTG
— 🌟かくうめ🌟火-西ふ18a🌟お仕事募集中：2020年５月～余裕あり (@kakuume) March 12, 2020
Kakuume also posted a screen shot that reads:
“All my artwork, including adult women, was certified to look minor.
In addition, it was recognized as violent when the person who felt orgasm, such as an Ahegao, was not smiling.
Why me only? For several months Patreon has been monitoring my Twitter logs from corner to corner and has no idea why she has sent dozens of emails requesting access to an already empty Google Drive. Is it Asian discrimination …? ?
I am wondering about the inspection of Patreon’s operations.
Therefore it will be closed.
I will be working on Gumraod in the future.
If you’re a Patreon artist, be careful with your art taste. I wish you all safe.”
While both Waero and Kakuume have drawn artworks of ‘loli’ characters, these drawings do not depict any real-world children.
Patreon would eventually respond to the growing backlash from fans and creators on their Twitter account. They stated stated that they do not “limit any specific style (like anime) of art.”
We’d like to clarify a recent rumor about our guidelines. We do not limit any specific style (like anime) of art. But our guidelines do not allow sexualized depictions of minors. If you have questions or want clarification, you can always reach our team at [email protected]
— Patreon (@Patreon) March 13, 2020
In a follow-up they clarified that they “do not automatically consider anime-style characters to be minors.”
We do not automatically consider anime-style characters to be minors. If you have questions or want clarification, you can always reach our team at [email protected]
— Patreon (@Patreon) March 13, 2020