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Multiple authors on the net have pointed out that a lot of the sex in hentai
is, or appears to be, non-consensual.

From here: <http://magicalgirlproject.tumblr.com/post/91661244454/porno-month-
reflections-why-so-much-rape-in>

> I watched 20 hentai over the course of June/July, and looking back over them
> all, I’m left with one frustratingly unanswered question:
>
> [WHY IS THERE SO MUCH RAPE IN HENTAI?!?]
>
> Why is rape so ubiquitous in hentai, why is it so inescapable, and why do so
> many of [these hentai that I've watched] focus exclusively on rape, with
> maybe one token consensual scene or sometimes none at all? It’d be like if
> 90% of the porn made in Belgium featured a buttplug scene — it’s weirdly
> specific and implies there’s some kind of cultural thing going on that I
> don’t yet understand.

Also, note this: <http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php/431127-Why-
does-hentai-have-so-much-violence-rape-towards-women>.

A commenter on the first article claims these 'rapes' are not as non-
consensual as they seem:

> ninfadelagua said: The average porn scene does seem rapey, even if it isn’t
> extreme (no hitting/scratching/biting) there seems to be a trend of women
> acting like they are resisting a lot and the men in the porno keep going and
> prey on them sexually (for hetero porn).

This implies that the 'victim' enjoys the rough sex and is 'resisting' as part
of the 'game', sort of like how tsundere pretend to hate the person they
actually love.

Which leads to [Not If They Enjoyed It
Rationalization:](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NotIfTheyEnjoyedItRationalization)
which says:

> Turns up often in Hentai, Boys Love Genre and Fanfiction. A lot.

In other words, the claim is that this, in some sense, doesn't count as rape
because the purported victim enjoyed the experience.

* * *

Is this actually what's going on? What is about Japanese culture that makes
reluctant sex, which looks non-consensual to Western eyes, so common in
hentai?


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tropes culture
Why is there so much reluctant sex in hentai?


**Note:** Some references have been excluded here for PG reasons.

There's a few layers to this question.

Firstly, this isn't a hentai-specific thing. Lots of Japanese non-animated
porn contains rape. This is a cultural thing spanning more than just anime.

The main reason as some people have pointed out to you is that **it sells**.
But let's go a little further into why that demand exists.

* * *

As you may know, Japan is suffering from [increased sexless-
ness](http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2011/09/06/issues/sexlessness-
wrecks-marriages-threatens-nations-future/) and has one of the highest
sexlessness rates in the world.

> In 2005, Durex, the world’s largest condom maker, conducted a Global Sex
> Survey (see www.durex.com/en-
> jp/sexualwellbeingsurvey/documents/gss2005result.pdf) involving 317,000
> respondents in 41 countries. The survey found that Japanese had the least
> sex in the world, at 45 times a year — far less than second-from-bottom
> Singapore (73 times a year), and even farther from the world average (103
> times a year, meaning twice a week).

The reasons of this are many - although there is no agreed consensus on the
exact causes. Some of these reasons likely include:

  * Long Working days
  * Men and women have quite distinctly seperate social lives
  * The [emergence of pornography](http://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/porn-erectile-dysfunction)
  * ['Herbivore' Men](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbivore_men)

These cases are amplified by the application of surrounding businesses. Japan
has a large sex industry sector - [There are more than 12,000 sex-related
businesses in
Japan](http://factsanddetails.com/japan/cat19/sub127/item674.html) with big
companies like Hitachi (devices) and many small companies too specializing in
particular niches. Many of these are relevant to couple's engagements, but a
significant portion of products are made for solo purchases.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1YwBg.jpg)

_Some doll adverts claim you'll never want a girlfriend again._

That's not to say that there isn't a large couple's market - in Japan there
are many _Love Hotels_ and _S &M Clubs_ that you can visit with your partner.

On the mention of S&M, Non-standard sexual behaviour is not as taboo as it is
in the West (especially America & the UK). Bondage for example is occasionally
incorporated into fashion trends and there are many specialized shops for it
around the country. There are many other specialized stores and services
available for those who seek it. Famously, there are the infamous [used
underwear vending machines](https://www.techinasia.com/japan-used-panty-
vending-machines-fact-fiction/) that have created many stories for Western
newspapers.

You can also read the rest of my answer about [Where the lolicon genre came
from](https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/22133/1530) which covers that large
area of fetishization.

And fetishization isn't a new thing, there are many lewd woodblock paintings
from older Japan, such as _Diver and Octopuses_ \- a tentacle sex scene from 1
814.

So, non-consensual ( at first :| ) isn't particularly striking as a fetish
when seen with all Japan has to offer
([More.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexuality_in_Japan#Fetish_scene))

* * *

So from the above section we know that the Japanese have a large fetish scene
anyway - and that sex rates aren't that high. But that doesn't specifically
answer your question - so let's keep going. Bear with me!

Going back to [_Herbivore Men_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbivore_men).
These men range from actively shunning women (sometimes preferring 2D women)
to being disinterested or resigned to their fate as a single man.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/k5ARy.jpg)

> As of September 2010, 36% of Japanese men between the ages of 16 and 19
> perceived themselves in this way. Additionally, two surveys of single men in
> their 20s and 30s found that 61% and 70%, respectively, considered
> themselves grass-eating men.

This scarcity of female interaction can often manifest as idolizing women -
which can be seen in idol obsession and other aspects of japanese culture. The
appeal of rape for herbivore watchers is then in attaining something that is
not attainable normally - even if it is played out onscreen rather than in
real life. [This is a large reason motivation behind many real life rapes
aswell](https://emmatheemo.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/why-do-rapists-rape-for-
power-or-sex-lets-ask-a-rapist/). There's a [certain unsavory culture in many
areas](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-369262/Women-blame-raped.html)
that blame the victim for rape situations - somewhat empathizing with the
rapist. These beliefs are also contributory rationale for some rapists. Raping
unfortunately isn't always restricted to acted situations on TV however, and
Japan has a significant amount of [(mostly
unreported](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rape-debate-in-japan/)) rape charges.
Unwarranted sexual advances can be seen in the establishment of female only
carriages on rail lines after many groping allegations.

And on a more hentai-specific note, I don't know if many people who would
willingly do it with a sea monster. [Why are tentacles prevalent in
anime?](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/818/why-are-tentacles-
prevalent-in-anime) is possibly of interest.

Further reading:

  * [Manga Girl Seeks Herbivore Boy: Studying Japanese Gender at Cambridge](https://books.google.ie/books/content?id=uXDfbYIBroEC&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=5&edge=curl&imgtk=AFLRE72VMX_-wqbZct4e6l188j2GCBIRptpGeb1dFkI2NepRxNMCG3x3ZV8mNLaDX7IxDDEXbeGTaecNw8ES-W70cXbLeMvS-0mGSvoXOpFQkQajhwJ7cVCcrUR0AHczRYoZC9rZhZka)


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