Terminology In sexual contexts, hentai carries additional meanings of "perversion" or "abnormality", especially when used as an adjective; in these uses, it is the shortened form of the phrase which means "sexual perversion". The character is a catch-all for queerness as a peculiarity—it does not carry an explicit sexual reference. While the term has expanded in use to cover a range of publications including homosexual publications, it remains primarily a heterosexual term, as terms indicating homosexuality entered Japan as foreign words. Japanese pornographic works are often simply tagged as , meaning "prohibited to those not yet 18 years old", and . Less official terms also in use include , , and the English initialism AV (for "adult video"). Usage of the term hentai does not define a genre in Japan. thumb|154x154px|The word hentai written in kanji|left Hentai is defined differently in English. The Oxford Dictionary Online defines it as "a subgenre of the Japanese genres of manga and anime, characterized by overtly sexualized characters and sexually explicit images and plots." The origin of the word in English is unknown, but AnimeNation's John Oppliger points to the early 1990s, when a Dirty Pair erotic doujinshi (self-published work) titled H-Bomb was released, and when many websites sold access to images culled from Japanese erotic visual novels and games. The earliest English use of the term traces back to the rec.arts.anime boards; with a 1990 post concerning Happosai of Ranma ½ and the first discussion of the meaning in 1991. A 1995 glossary on the rec.arts.anime boards contained reference to the Japanese usage and the evolving definition of hentai as "pervert" or "perverted sex". The Anime Movie Guide, published in 1997, defines as the initial sound of hentai (i.e., the name of the letter H, as pronounced in Japanese); it included that ecchi was "milder than hentai". A year later it was defined as a genre in Good Vibrations Guide to Sex. At the beginning of 2000, "hentai" was listed as the 41st most-popular search term of the internet, while "anime" ranked 99th. The attribution has been applied retroactively to works such as Urotsukidōji, La Blue Girl, and Cool Devices. Urotsukidōji had previously been described with terms such as "Japornimation", and "erotic grotesque", prior to being identified as hentai. + Development of the term "Hentai" Meiji period (1868–1912) Hysteria 1917s Abnormal sexual desire. 1920s–1930s Perverted sexuality. Topics related to homosexual relationships. 1940s–1950s Hentai seiyoku or "perverted desires". Homosexual relationships are still a major theme. 1960s The term becomes increasingly heterosexualised. The word "ecchi/etchi" appears for the first time. 1970s and afterwards Development into a loanword in English with its own meaning, referring to a specific pornographic genre. 2000s In Japan, refers to male heterosexual perversion rather than a wide range of sexual practices and identities. Also refers to the cartoon genre.
Terminology In sexual contexts, hentai carries additional meanings of "perversion" or "abnormality", especially when used as an adjective; in these uses, it is the shortened form of the phrase which means "sexual perversion". The character is a catch-all for queerness as a peculiarity—it does not carry an explicit sexual reference. While the term has expanded in use to cover a range of publications including homosexual publications, it remains primarily a heterosexual term, as terms indicating homosexuality entered Japan as foreign words. Japanese pornographic works are often simply tagged as , meaning "prohibited to those not yet 18 years old", and . Less official terms also in use include , , and the English initialism AV (for "adult video"). Usage of the term hentai does not define a genre in Japan. thumb|154x154px|The word hentai written in kanji|left Hentai is defined differently in English. The Oxford Dictionary Online defines it as "a subgenre of the Japanese genres of manga and anime, characterized by overtly sexualized characters and sexually explicit images and plots." The origin of the word in English is unknown, but AnimeNation's John Oppliger points to the early 1990s, when a Dirty Pair erotic doujinshi (self-published work) titled H-Bomb was released, and when many websites sold access to images culled from Japanese erotic visual novels and games. The earliest English use of the term traces back to the rec.arts.anime boards; with a 1990 post concerning Happosai of Ranma ½ and the first discussion of the meaning in 1991. A 1995 glossary on the rec.arts.anime boards contained reference to the Japanese usage and the evolving definition of hentai as "pervert" or "perverted sex". The Anime Movie Guide, published in 1997, defines as the initial sound of hentai (i.e., the name of the letter H, as pronounced in Japanese); it included tha,t ecchi was "milder than hentai". A year later it was defined as a genre in Good Vibrations Guide to Sex. At the beginning of 2000, "hentai" was listed as the 41st most-popular search term of the internet, while "anime" ranked 99th. The attribution has been applied retroactively to works such as Urotsukidōji, La Blue Girl, and Cool Devices. Urotsukidōji had previously been described with terms such as "Japornimation", and "erotic grotesque", prior to being identified as hentai. + Development of the term "Hentai" Meiji period (1868–1912) Hysteria 1917s Abnormal sexual desire. 1920s–1930s Perverted sexuality. Topics related to homosexual relationships. 1940s–1950s Hentai seiyoku or "perverted desires". Homosexual relationships are still a major theme. 1960s The term becomes increasingly heterosexualised. The word "ecchi/etchi" appears for the first time. 1970s and afterwards Development into a loanword in English with its own meaning, referring to a specific pornographic genre. 2000s In Japan refers to male heterosexual perversion rather than a wide range of sexual practices and identities. Also refers to the cartoon genre.