In a series of tweets on Twitter on Jan 7, 2021, author Keiichi Sigsawa opened up about how the creators will have to tackle the new change in the legal age in Japan in their future works. He pointed out that it will completely change the paradigm within the romantic comedy and drama industry in Japan.

In his tweet, Sigsawa mentions that creators will have to take into consideration that the age at which a woman can marry will be 18 years, and will no longer need parents’ permission to marry. That being the case, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if an entire class is filled with married couples.

“As of April 1 of this year, 18 years of age will be the age of majority, but the age at which a woman can marry will also be 18 years. Speaking of which, young people of 18 and 19 years old will no longer need your parents’ permission to marry. If you are writing a novel, you will have to take this into consideration from now on,” Sigsawa wrote. 

The author went ahead and added suggestions on how the concepts in school romantic comedies or dramas could change after the new legal age.

“For example, ‘to help a classmate who was abused by her parents, I married her.’ An idea like that can be created right now if you are both eighteen years old,” he wrote as a suggestion.

In the thread, Sigsawa also points out after a follower informs him that, in addition to 18-year-olds getting married, marriage between 16 and 18 years olds with due approval of their parents has also been legalized.

With the change in the legal adult age code, fans on different comment forums expressed that many works like Tonikawa or works about teacher-student relationships in high school or university will become obsolete.

Some other comments predicted the number of light novels about student marriages will be increasing in the coming years.

The Japanese government announced recently that the partial revision of the Japanese Civil Code will note the change in “adult age” from 20 to 18-years-old. It will come into effect on April 1, 2022.

Keiichi Sigsawa is a light novel author of franchises such as Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online , Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World and Danshi Koukousei from Urekko Light Novel Sakka wo Shiteiru keredo, Toshishita no Classmate from Seiyuu no Onnanoko ni Kubi wo Shimerareteiru.

Source: Otakomu