Not having followed the porn scene in a while I cannot say if the barely legal, genre is greater than the Asian Slut, Catholic or Asian Schoolgirl, or MILF genre. I know it has been around for decades, so there has to be a draw for it. When I was a kid Gay porn was an anomaly but I am sure that as grown 7 times or more since then.
I think with the little girl genre it can serve more than one master.
Can it serve a closet pedo? Maybe in the same way methadone serves a heroin addict. It takes just enough bite of the cravings because the real deal is unavailable. To some guys who would actually want to get their hands on some tender innocent un-violated flesh, it might serve as a stand-in for that.
Some it might serve as an outlet for being naughty, having a guilty pleasure or imaginary forbidden fruit. As was said, they know the female is not really as young as she claims but looks like it. Like being on a roller coater where it looks to be dangerous and may even feel that way but you know you are safely strapped in.
To some, it might be the appeal of presumed innocence, they can imagine they are the fist to pop that cherry and wreck that pussy. That if she is child-like she has to be dependent on them, they can feel like the provider, protector, the one in charge.
Since most porn was manufactured in the US, and maybe still is, one can say it has to be more of an American appetite.
As an isolated cultural phenomenon, I would say know. Japan has a deep-seated cultural methodology of women being child-like, and cute.
”Japanese ladies often act cute. As a tradition, Japanese culture prefers every little, cute and immature things. A foreigner often has hard time accepting the fact when an adult Japanese woman speak and act like a child. It seems that Japanese men want cute, child-like women rather than women who are more emotionally matured. And, most of the Japanese women put a priority on pleasing men (like in most of the Asian countries) and prefer to live a luxurious life rather than seeking a responsible position. In fact from the early days of school women are taught to act and look cute, not sophisticated.” [Source]
”Amae means basically dependence. In Japan, mavericks and lone-wolf types are very much frowned upon. When Japanese go off alone to a foreign country or somewhere, many rapidly become insecure. It’s no exaggeration to say that Japanese (particularly women) think on a more childlike level. Again, this is a double-edged sword. Japanese women undeniably have a lot of charm that comes from this. But it has its drawbacks as well. Douglas MacArthur made a remark that the Japanese should be treated like they’re all 12 years old. And that was 60 years ago. That sounds condecending of course but these days you don’t exactly see a large number of western women carrying around Mickey Mouse pencil cases and Hello Kitty notebooks well into their 30s. Women are taught to act and look cute, not sophisticated.” [Source]
The end result of Japanese culture viewing women in a more child-like capacity is different than American porn, but the under laying premise to me, is that it is about appearing less threatening.
It is still fantasy, like the MILF. I am sure many guys had a buddy whom mom, aunt, etc, they thought was hot, and would have pulled a Mrs. Robinson with if the opportunity had come. You know you should not do it but that was part of the draw, to be able to do what you were told not to.