How Hentai Is “Accidentally” Hurting Anime’s Popularity

When an anime fan thinks of anime that’s all that should come to mind, because that’s exactly what it is. But it hasn’t been so simple over the years.

Hentai is just the more NSFW, naughty version of your average anime series or movie. But when someone outside the industry thinks of Hentai? They think it’s the SAME thing as anime.

This is why you have people who say:

• Hentai.
• Anime.
• Anime is perverted and obscene.

And so on.

They’re associating Hentai with anime even though they’re far from the same thing.

It comes down to:

• Stereotypes
• Misinformation
• Accusations
• Assumptions

And ignorance by choice a lot of the time. Some people are xenophobic (the west) or worse. Companies like Patreon are proving it by their actions.

 

Hentai – The Differences

Though sometimes you can’t tell the differences between anime and hentai, visually. As proven by this video.

At the end of the day – both Hentai and Anime are animated in Japan.

But the obvious and clear difference is:

• Hentai is NSFW to the point of insanity.
• Anime can be watched by anyone (generally speaking).

But those facts aren’t enough. That’s why Hentai and anime are still compared to each other. Or even MADE to be the same by the people criticizing and point fingers at anime.

There’s a good reason why that’s happening.

 

Why Hentai Is Hurting Anime’s Popularity:

 

1. Confirmation bias

Just as the image points out:

• Not seeking out objective facts.
• Interpreting information to support your existing beliefs.
• Only remembering details that uphold your belief.
• Ignoring information that challenges your belief.

What’s this got to do with anime? Everything.

When someone (especially haters) outside the industry sees anime, they group it in with Hentai. And claim both to be the same thing.

This is true for people who watch mature content online, and accidentally end up watching Hentai. Or at least seeing an “ad” pop up for Hentai.

That frame of reference is the breeding ground for confirmation bias. And it’s why so many people stupidly say “Hentai” on the face value of visuals.

They associate it with anime and lump it in as the same thing.

This picture is a good distinction.

You’ll notice when someone argues with you about it, they’ll say something like “There is no difference” or “It’s all the same to me”.

Or in other words – anything to prove their own confirmation bias. And anything to ignore the facts and the relevant details that show the MAJOR differences between anime and hentai.

One of the differences being you absolutely can’t watch Hentai with kids. Well, you can but at the risk of being exposed to obscene content.

Either way – this is one way Hentai is hurting anime’s popularity.

 

2. The bridge between Hentai and Anime

Because of the visuals as I’ve mentioned before, Hentai fall from the same tree.

The bridge between anime and hentai isn’t far apart in the visuals department.

It’s because of this link that people wrongly judge anime as hentai. Or why they judge anime in the way they do in the first place.

It’s a lazy way of putting anime in a box and defining it by that box. A box that’s nothing but Hentai, cruddy content and NSFW episodes with extremes most entertainment won’t dare to touch.

 

And of course – it doesn’t help that anime like Ishuzoku Reviewers, an Ecchi anime that’s borderline Hentai goes out of its way to be EXTREME.

With the publicity, attention and controversy this anime’s been in, most people outside the industry probably assumed this is Hentai as well.

I mean all you’ve gotta do is look at the content and visuals. It’s the perfect breeding ground for someone ignorant to use confirmation bias to say “I told you so”.

And in this case, you can’t blame them.

But it’s still ironic how Hentai‘s reputation infects anime in a way that’s unintended.

 

3. It’s impossible to separate anime from hentai

[divider]

When you think of NSFW content in general, whether it’s:

• American
• British
• African
• Jamaican
• Indian
• Brazillian

Or otherwise, you don’t associate it with REGULAR TV shows, films and movies.

The reason is simple: they’re not the same thing.

There’s a clear distinction between both, and you know what you’re getting beforehand.

Both look, feel and act completely different (and of course, it’s real people in both settings).

That’s why NSFW content can’t harm the popularity of regular content in the West or any other country.

But mature content and what not.

Hentai and anime are animated, so by definition, they look the same visually. Even if there are differences when you pay attention to the material.

The similarities are so close it’s hard for anime to distance itself from Hentai. And define itself outside of its animated qualities and style.

As long as this is true (which it always will be) anime and hentai will be compared.

And for people who judge things at face value, anime will have to jump through hoops to help them see the light. Assuming they want to see the light at all.

 

4. Hentai‘s insane popularity

Looking on Google Trends since 2004 – anime. Even if it’s not by much on the graph.

But it shows you how popular Hentai is, and how it’s even more popular than anime. Even though both have climbed up the ranks over the years.

 

The same is true for Manga vs Hentai. In fact – Hentai absolutely crushed Manga’s popularity.

It’s a joke when you compare it to anime vs hentai.

 

And if we compare Hentai to:

• Donald Trump
• Michael Jackson
• Marvel
• Kim Kardashian

Hentai makes ALL these topics a running joke in comparison. Even Michael Jackson, a man who nobody on this planet isn’t aware of can’t compare to Hentai‘s recent fame.

So when you consider how Hentai dominates all of these including anime and how it’s judged and criticized isn’t surprising.

Hentai unintentionally interferes with anime’s image, popularity, and how many people are willing to give anime a try.

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Whether this will change in future is a mystery. But I doubt it.

What do you think?