Hentai, a genre of Japanese animation with intense sex scenes, is among the top searches on porn sites. According to Pornhub data, this genre ranks among the top ten most popular genres in Ukraine. Sexologist Maria Gubernik explains what is attractive about voyeurs and the specificity of hentai.
What is hentai?
Hentai is more erotic than anime and manga that demonstrates pornographic scenes. In Japan, the term “hentai” means “perverse practices”, and softcore erotica is called “etti”.
Hentai embraces a variety of genres, including futanari, incest, loli, guro, tentacles, etc. Also popular fetishes: ahegao, haremies, nurses. Homosexual scenes are rare here due to the homophobic reaction of the audience. The popularity of these genres is largely due to the fact that this genre is based on highly manic fantasies.
The phenomenon of Japanese sex culture
In spite of the fact that sex has long been a taboo in Japan, it has long been a natural phenomenon. Zokrema, a myth about the creation of the Japanese islands, describes a sexual relationship between the gods. During the Edo period, the erotic genre of shunga also depicted incest, lesbian scenes, and sex with monsters.
The 20th century brought modernization and sexual openness. Today Japan is a land of contrasts: the availability of brothels and the general lack of interest in sex coincide here. Recently, the proliferation of hentai has become a cultural phenomenon, changing concepts about sexuality.
Hentai specifics
Hentai creates a different reality, where the characters have idealized bodies, and sex scenes are often physically impossible in real life. Nowadays, this genre is filled with scenarios that are considered criminal in the real world: marriage, sex with minors, violence. This calls out superchicks, even though those that appear on the screen are also linked to statements about ethics in sex.
Inspired by real porn, hentai allows authors to experiment with aesthetics. Visual style, bright colors and exaggerated facial expressions help to enhance emotions, which makes the genre more attractive to the audience.
Why do people rip off hentai?
According to the words of Maria Governor, hentai allows you to escape almost the guilt associated with real porn, through knowledge about the minds of robot actors. People marvel at this as a form of escapism in order to flow into reality. This also provides space for exploration between powerful sexuality.
Hentai also satisfies fantasies that are impossible or unsafe in real life. For example, the popularity of the tentacle genre is historically explained by harsh censorship restrictions that blocked images of genitals, rather than allowing more abstract symbols.
Popularity in Ukraine
In the interview with Maria the Governor, the Ukrainians named the reasons why they were surprised by hentai:
• The presence of real harm to actors.
• Possibility to consider defenses or unrealistic scenarios.
• Idealized bodies and flow from reality.
According to experts, the popularity of hentai among young people may be related to the prevalence of sexual pleasure. Over time, this pressure gradually decreases. Currently, the genre is losing some of the wider pop culture, winning fans for its unique visual style.