When looking at Google Trends, we can see the trend of Ecchi has stayed consistent since 2004.
Only a few drops here and there have shaken it.
And when looking at the countries where Ecchi anime is popular, we can see the Philippines is there.
As well as Vietnam and Indonesia.
This shouldn’t surprise anyone in the anime community.
And the related topics for Ecchi aren’t surprising either.
They pair well with the genre.
With all that said, let’s now focus on why ecchi anime is popular.
Here’s a list of reasons.
1. It’s a daring genre
The Ecchi genre is one of the most daring genres of anime and one of the more criticized anime genres for its content. Though it’s more like the anime are criticized rather than the genre itself.
You have anime like:
- High School DxD.
- High School of The Dead.
- My Life as Inukai-san’s Dog.
- A Boring World Where The Concept Of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist.
- Ishuzoku Reviewers.
And others. And each one does things that pisses off a lot of outsiders (normies) and even certain fans within the community. Or it just makes people cringe and causes controversy.
This “daring” aspect is what makes Ecchi popular when all is said and done.
That leads to the next point.
2. It’s unconventional and different
I know at first glance, that saying Ecchi is unconventional and different sounds ridiculous. But in reality, it actually is different by design.
Nowhere in other forms of media do you have a genre that aims to please, has fanservice, and even lewd shots (without being XXX rated) the way Ecchi does.
This is what makes Ecch so comical and even funny for certain fans who get a kick out of watching and being entertained by it. Like wanting to see how far the anime will go, or watching to see how it all plays out.
It becomes a curiosity. And that allows Ecchi to be popular despite the fact there aren’t many Ecchi anime shows to begin with (600-700+ at most). Which is small compared to Shounen, Comedy, and so on.
3. It provides unapologetic amounts of fanservice
This might be one of the biggest reasons for Ecchi’s popularity, as well as why so many fans seem to like Ecchi shows.
For one, it’s a middle finger to all the censorship nut jobs who want the world to bend to their every word, criticism, or accusation. And it’s a middle finger to those who make a big fuss about its content.
Plus, with the amount of unapologetic fanservice you can see in the average Ecchi series, the lack of censorship, in general, provides its own source of entertainment, enjoyment, and fulfilment regardless of age group (more so teens).
4. It’s controversial
Believe it or not, but Mushoku Tensei is one of those anime series that is Ecchi along with other genres mixed together.
At the beginning of its first season, it was controversial and stirred the pot many times with its scenes and lewd content. Or just outright perverted aspects of the anime.
It was banned on certain platforms like Bilibili, the Chinese streaming service.
Beyond this, the anime community or more so those outside of it heavily criticized the anime’s controversial nature, which is typical of an Ecchi series. Especially when it becomes more popular than expected.
Ishuoku Reviewers had the same treatment when it was first released just before the pandemic. It even spread to platforms like MAL where the ratings went through the roof, only to be “censored” and reduced.
And of course, Uzaki Chan drove people insane.
5. It’s a “diet” version of Hentai
Some people don’t watch Hentai outright, and others do. And then there are those who might watch Ecchi anime instead of watching Hentai.
When all is said and done, Ecchi is a diet version of Hentai, no different to how DIET COKE is the diet version of regular Coca-Cola.
Some aspects are similar, but not the same. While Ecchi is more in your face and shameless when it comes to being naked or having sex, Ecchi is tame and has a leash around its neck that prevents it from going “too far”.
This is also why Ecchi has its own taste when it comes to the comedy aspect of how it’s written.
6. It’s a taste of wish fulfilment
You could say this is the biggest reason for Ecchi being so popular, despite the number of Ecchi not being as high as other genres. Similar to the reasons why harem is popular, Ecchi also has a “wish fulfilment” aspect to it.
And both Ecchi and Harem work together a lot and tend to be paired together as genres from time to time.
You have women who are half naked or willing to get fully naked, who fall for the bland MC or the guy who doesn’t do much to earn all these “benefits”. And that’s attractive to the main audience of anime (teens).
Even if it’s not teens, seeing an MC “winning” with the hottest women on the planet, with no effort, skill, personality or otherwise, it’s an obvious element of wish fulfilment since it’s unrealistic but idealistic.
7. It’s full of beautiful, perfect, voluptuous women
Leading on from the last point, Ecchi anime is full of beautiful women. It’s designed to be that way. It’s only natural.
This is the reason a lot of anime girls in Ecchi shows become “waifu” material, or characters that are claimed to be waifus in so many different ways.
Unlike realistic films, anime can design its characters to be:
- Perfect.
- Without flaws.
- Without spots.
- No acne.
- No physical flaws.
And on top of this, they also have the best:
- Personalities.
- Standards.
- Morals.
Which goes right along with their big ass, tiddies, physique of all shapes and sizes, and more.
8. It’s horny as f*ck
It might not be to the level of a Hentai series, but it’s still up there.
In fact, sometimes Ecchi shows can be even worse (not often) because of the creative approach that’s used to display these feelings and vibes from the horniest characters.
Like the anime Shimoneta, or in English: A Boring World Where The Concept Of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist.
This anime is about dirty jokes, perverted jokes, sex jokes, and sexual humour. The society within the anime isn’t allowed to engage in anything the government deems “unclean”, and people are even made to wear collars with GPS in case they get out of line.
Because of the way the anime is written, it’s a step beyond even a Hentai but only when it comes to dialogue, lines, jokes, and how it’s written.
It does have its “moments” of hornyness, though.
