Norwegian Man Charged Over Possession of Controversial Japanese Visual Novel
- Sagar Mankar
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
A Norwegian man has been charged for possessing a Japanese visual novel that authorities classify as "illegal abuse material" under national law.
A 24-year-old resident of Sør-Rogaland, Norway, is now facing serious legal trouble after police discovered he had downloaded Dorei to no Seikatsu, better known internationally as Life with a Slave. Even though many players treat the game as an emotional visual novel, Norwegian authorities consider it criminal content due to certain depictions involving minors.
If you’ve never heard of the game, it’s a 2015 Japanese visual novel developed by the doujin circle FreakilyCharming. You basically follow the story of Sylvie, a young girl rescued from an abusive owner, and you guide her through recovery using daily interactions and branching choices. The issue? Six of the game’s seven modes include sexual content involving a minor. Because of that, what might seem like a niche VN to some players is treated very differently under Norwegian law.
The man claimed he only played a non-sexual version of the game, and surprisingly, the court did accept his explanation. But here’s the twist: according to police investigator Fredrik Martin Sørnes, the game itself still meets the legal threshold for abuse material. Speaking to Norwegian outlet Aftenbladet (via Dexerto), Sørnes said the content “depicts sexual acts involving individuals under 18 years old,” making it illegal regardless of what version was accessed.
The case didn’t start in Norway, though. It kicked off after the U.S. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) flagged an IP address linked to the man, prompting Norwegian authorities to investigate. When police searched his residence, they found the game on his computer, along with additional illegal files, leading to a full criminal charge.
Another investigator, Erik Henna Hagen, described the game as “a vulgar Tamagotchi,” emphasizing how easily accessible it is online. Hagen also pointed out that some Asian regions have far more permissive laws regarding animated content, which is why the game remains legal in several countries. But in Norway, even fictional depictions involving minors fall under strict abuse-material regulations.
That’s why the 24-year-old now faces a potential sentence of up to three years in prison. Prosecutors, however, stated that such a maximum penalty is unlikely due to the slow handling of the case. Still, this isn’t an isolated incident. Norwegian authorities recently sentenced another man to three months in jail after finding similar illegal sexualized games and videos on his phone.