True, but Daniel's not sexual attracted to Ryu so it's not really shotacon? Also 16 year old is under aged but already quite grown up physically so Ryu's not 'shota.'
Shota is usually for kids who are physically premature (preschoolers or junior high kids at oldest) and age difference doesn't matter as much. (For example, if a high schooler is sexually attracted to pre schoolers he's a shotacon though the age difference is not that big)
pedophile is different than shotacon, to my understanding. Pedophile is someone who likes underaged boys, whereas shota is specifically regarding prepubescent. Again, this is what I have always understood the difference to be.
No, i wouldn't say its a matter of opinion... It shows how little you know on the subject by trying to compare pedophilia with shotacon... Shotacon is specifically with prepubescent boys, ones that haven't grown. A pedophile can still be labelled a pedophile even if the victim has a grown body, they just have to be under the legal age of consent. Shotacon is still considered pedophilia, but it is just a branch of pedophilia. If a man likes a little boy he is a pedophile and a shotacon, if a man likes a teenager he is just a pedophile.
42 years old seme
16 years old uke
If I read other manga that has these kind of features, it would be 90% sex and 10% storyline... its really rare to see a shotacon (kinda) manga with great story line! ლ(´ڡ`ლ)... Man, shoowa really did a good job on this one! ヾ(☆▽☆)