9/22/2015

Food for Thought #4 - What is Ecchi?


In any form of entertainment, there is always a target audience. Not everyone likes the same thing and interests differ. Interests & Aspects of entertainment are separated into categories called genres. There's a lot of genres to cover: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Drama, Horror, etc. Primarily though, most forms of entertainment are split between two specific terms: Fiction & Nonfiction. Fiction, as you are well aware, are events that take place in a fictional setting meaning that it isn't based on any real-time event where nonfiction is based on something that did happen in real-time. Movies, TV Shows, & Cartoons fall under this category and, for the most part, it's primarily compiled of fictional characters, settings, and are filled with fictional themes that tackle various aspects that range from comical to serious. Anime, like TV Shows, has a wide range of genres, but there is one specific genre that I'll be covering today that seems only Anime is capable of doing. That term is titled "Ecchi."

What is "Ecchi?" Ecchi is a sub-genre of Romance/Harem & is pretty much Fan-Service. I have not once seen a Harem where Ecchi wasn't involved. Ecchi pretty much is a primary theme in the Anime, is this a good or bad thing? For many, it's a pretty damn good thing whereas others don't take too kindly to it and rather watch something else. Ecchi is a word in Japanese that primarily translates to anything relating to lewd conduct. In Anime, genitalia or intercourse is never seen, but rather is implied. Call it sexual innuendo, mixed messages that come across as either perverted or hinted as repulsive. So why show Ecchi? Well, I can sum it up in one word: FANSERVICE. Fans take kindly to see lewdness in Anime such as bouncing boobs that defy logic, panty shots of women, and situations in sex is implied. There are a lot of Ecchi Anime, but ones that I think are perfect examples of Ecchi include (but not limited to):

1) To-Love-Ru
2) Monster Musume
3) Highschool DxD
4) Kill La Kill

To-Love-Ru is, if not, the most Ecchi-est Anime/Manga I've seen and it pains me to say it, but it's so motherf*cking beautiful to see a man with so much kindness & bad luck to be able to get into the scenarios he ends up in. An ongoing theme is the main character falling and somehow getting tangled within a girls' boobs or pussy. It's hilarious to see, but the audience is so jealous that we can't help but imagine ourselves in his shoes. To have that kind of bad luck & have a way with women, it's definitely the work of fiction. The other Anime(s) I've listed to have various degrees of Ecchi, but by far a show that completely parodies Ecchi & Fan-service is Kill La Kill. The outfits, the over-the-top shots pictures, & the logic that definitely defies it ~ KLK is parodying the boobs, panty shots, nosebleeds from men, and OMGs from everyone. 

So do I recommend Ecchi? I'll admit it's not for everyone, but if you're into fictional animated boobs & panty shots, I don't see what's wrong with it. It's a work of fiction after, none of this matters in real life ~ just know the difference is all. The whole emphasis of Fan-service & Ecchi is to encompass the idea of sexualizing people & scenarios and somehow turning it into comedy.That's my interpretation of it anyways, but there are a lot more ways to describe what Ecchi is. 

Food for Thought? Comment below and let me know your thoughts on this topic. FFTs will be posted every Tuesday. Like always, you stay classy as always! Here's the order of FFTs

1) Anime: Subbed or Dubbed?
2) When does a Harem become stale?
3) What's Shipping?
4) What's Ecchi?

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