The anime sex is also highly variable in its genre and has a few distinct categories to meet the taste and preference variations. These categories often coincide partially with some subgenres in the landscape of anime. These include hentai, ecchi, and yaoi. Hentai is really the most highly sexualized form of anime sex, and the themes and visuals really push the limits. As of the estimation by the industry, hentai solely accounted for over ¥10 billion in revenue generated within Japanese media in 2021 alone, further solidifying its place in the adult anime market.
One big category is “ecchi,” a term applied to anime that depicts sexual content but without explicit intercourse. More often than not, the content is light-hearted and suggestive, depicting characters in compromising situations or wearing very revealing outfits. Ecchi content tends to be more humorous and light-hearted compared to hentai, and thus studies have shown it appeals to a wider audience. Well, popular ecchi anime such as High School DxD and To Love-Ru demonstrate well the fact that exactly suggestiveness can fit into mainstreams and does not cross any boundary for changing genres into a more explicit, known as hentai. In the survey conducted in the year 2020, almost 15 percent of anime viewers chose that they like ecchi anime compared to other kinds. While Yaoi depicts male-on-male sexual content, Yuri focuses on female-on-female intimacy. Both genres have their origins in fan creations and have been gaining popularity since then, with Yaoi particularly contributing a great deal to both the commercial and fan-based anime industries. In 2019, 8% of anime merchandise sales in Japan were Yaoi-related. Although these genres include explicit scenes, they can also focus on romantic and emotional relationships, thus offering something well beyond simple sexual themes. Works like Junjou Romantica in Yaoi and Bloom Into You in Yuri are well-known and really explore the deeper feelings that humans possess.
A more niche form of anime sex involves “futanari,” a subgenre that depicts characters with both male and female genitalia. Although it remains controversial and not widely accepted, futanari has carved out its own space within the adult anime community. Websites catering to this genre, like anime sex, report a steady demand for such content, despite the stigma surrounding it.
As such, while the kinds of anime sex vary, each of them represents the diverse set of preferences among the anime audience. Be it suggestive ecchi, very explicit hentai, or niche genres such as Yaoi and futanari, each of these categories serves a different section of the audience, contributing to the overall evolution of adult-themed anime. As Hideaki Anno, a famous anime director, once said, “Animation can express ideas that live-action often cannot,” which is true with the many styles of anime sex.