Inbreeding or Family Romance in Manga/Anime

[CrimsonBlaze]

So I've been searching through sites for manga/anime that I want to be interested in (and I have found of few jewels in the sand). However, among my search, I've notice a rather strange trend that has been implement in some of the manga/anime that I've come across: Inbreeding and Family Romance.

Now, I'm referring to family relatives falling in love with each other, and not to be confused with family love (caring for siblings/relatives as siblings/relatives). Also, this does not limit this to harems and romance mangas/animes (because that's where this trend seems to occur in most). Everything from zombie stories to magic-themed stories are incorporating this trend into it.

I know some people would say "that's the way manga/anime is: panties, nosebleeds, big weapons, super violence, awkward situations, etc. etc." My only question is why? Do people find this (referring to family romances) appealing? Or is it simply 'if they are overdeveloped girls/mature-looking boys, then they are fair game to the protagonist, regardless of their relation.'

Personally, I don't care (manga/anime); if I find something I don't like/enjoy, I just move on. I only raise this point because I've been seeing it more and more in manga/anime that have been released within the last 2 year, so I'm curious as to what the appeal might be.

So fellow escapist, I'd like your two cents on this.

 

[Gigano]

If there weren't a market for it, then it wouldn't exist.

Doesn't mean they actually think incest is a turn-on in real life though. As the saying goes, the people who produce - and read - that stuff are people who very pointedly don't have any siblings in real life. It's simply some weird wish-fulfilment fantasy that has no bearing on real life, and is hence quite harmless.

It's been along for quite a while longer than just the last few years though, and seem to be rather common in digital Japanese romance fantasy; at least enough to attract the attention [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_108/1315-Heart-wrenching-Hentai] of this site (though that one's a game, and apparently a good one too).

 

[GothmogII]

Also, inbreeding technically only refers to the sex act between siblings. It's incest otherwise.

The whole topic is a bit squicky, but I recall at least one manga/anime that actually took the topic rather seriously, where it wasn't simply an escapist pseudo-porn fantasy type thing.

 

[MagnetoHydroDynamics]

I think you might be reading/watching the wrong mangas/animes.

I know it to be a stable in hentai, but I have only rarely come across any actual family romance...

 

[Palademon]

Well, even though mostly not used in any thought provoking way, it does bring up an interesting question of how to deal with it if you were in that situation.

I wouldn't neccesarily liken it to a manga/anime thing, I just think manga/anime covers a wide range of topics and isn't afraid to take risks like that.

 

[Saulkar]

Meh, I am quite indifferant towards the topic. To each their own I usually say.

 

[moosek]

WTF Japan?

 

[C. Cain]

Perhaps it's merely a case of cultural dissonance? Maybe they're more okay with these things.

If not, well Japanese pop culture is pretty weird anyway.

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

That kind of stuff usually happens due to the fact one sibling is being bullied or have a bad life/bad relationship with the parents and the older sibling protects them or spend a lot of time with them. So they love them for it, and they take it to the (il)logical extreme, that they have to have a relationship.

But that's just my take on it.

 

[Julianking93]

Japanese anime/manga always like to push taboos. Just look at Kodomo no Jikan. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.283845-JK-Reviews-Kodomo-No-Jikan]
Not only is it a lolicon anime that also features several graphic situations of explicitly sexual dialogue coming from an 8 year old but also a subplot involving a child's obvious attraction to her best friend, thus making it... yuri lolis. And on top of that, the primary side story is of cousin lovin'
That series isn't the only to feature such explicit situations involving social taboos. There's a huge market for it in anime and, I guess because it's animated, it's not seen as quite awkward but regardless of reasoning, there's obvious market for it. Otherwise, one wouldn't see it at all. The reason behind it is.... well I dunno why incest in particular. Maybe it's simply because it's taboo or because it's typically presented as a deep romance or whatever but like I said, there's obviously a large portion of people who buy and read/watch it and enjoy it.

Perhaps it's merely a case of cultural dissonance? Maybe they're more okay with these things.

If not, well Japanese pop culture is pretty weird anyway.

I'm just going to point out how your avatar probably accurately depicts some people reading this thread XD

 

[evilneko]

'cos incest, especially twincest, is WINCEST.

Spoiler: Onee-chan...

<3 yuri twincest.

^ Oh yeah, Kojika's got to be one of my favorite mangas ever. Wish they'd animate more of it.

 

[C. Cain]

I'm just going to point out how your avatar probably accurately depicts some people reading this thread XD

It's the only reason I posted in this thread.

 

[Ghengis John]

I can not tell you what goes through the head of some of the people who make these things. Explored for dramatic value I could accept it. As an object of titillation or fetishism I can not. Which brings us to a valid point. I suppose it has to be evaluated on a case by case basis. Not every author will utilize it for the same reasons, so blankly asking "why japan?" probably isn't going to give us a fruitful answer.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

Incest is a no no to me, so i do not like it when they do it, just feels GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! with little to none redemption for the characters or story.

 

[Blindswordmaster]

Japan had different social standards than we do. I've often asked:"What the in the flying flipper fuck, Japan? I thought we were friends!" Maybe it's more socially acceptable there, but to be fair, I've had debates with my friends over "cousin lovin'" here in the U.S.

 

[Lev The Red]

from what i understand, incest, at least between cousins, doesn't have the same stigma in japan as it does in the rest of the world (particularly the US). if you've ever watched/read Elfen Lied, a major sub-plot is the romantic relationship between the main character and his cousin. not once throughout the whole series do they or anyone else have an objection to the relationship based on their blood relation. i'v talked to people born and raised in japan about this and they've told me that while not widespread, it isn't uncommon for cousins to marry, mainly due to Japan's long history of clans and believing that the clan's purity had to be protected. if you want to keep your clan "clean" and you think that people outside your clan are "unclean," then you'll have to marry inside the clan. after a while, everyone is related in someway.
regarding incest being a common element in japanese pornography, i would guess it's just an extension of the above. pornography generally takes the act of sex and pushes it further, exaggerating it in pretty much every way. anyone who has sex with the same person regularly will tell you that real sex is nothing like pornography. porn is exaggerated and made more depraved (not in a negative way) to make it more appealing. so japanese porn is simply taking something that already exists in japanese society and exaggerates it and pushes it further.
i object to incest, not because i think having sex with a relative is inherently grosser than having sex with someone who's not (barring parents, siblings, grandparents, and aunts/uncles, of course), but because inbreeding is bad on a genetic level.

sorry, that was kinda long.

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

Erm, you sure you're not confusing "manga/anime" with "hentai" now? Granted I might not be that involved in it but the only sources I've seen inbreeding and incest is in hentai. Never in "normal" manga/anime.

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

I thought I'd try to help answer the eternal "Why does japan always publish so much perverted stuff"-question.

So for anyone who's interested, here it goes:

You have to understand that fundamentally our western societies and cultures are extremely coloured by Christianity. Japan never went through that phase. So their culture severely lacks this whole, "virginity is special", "original sin", "Sex should only occur after marriage" and blahblahblah, that the christian church has spent hundreds of years instilling into our western cultures.

In japan however, at the time where the catholic church was condemning the harlots and whoremongerers of the world, you could pretty much buy the services of a prostitute ON THE VERY STEPS of a Shinto Temple and no one would bat an eye.

This is one of the primary reasons why japanese culture tends to have more cultural expressions that explore sexuality, even in ways that's really pushing the envelope in the eyes of western societies. Japan has just been more "liberal" about sex for a longer time than Europe and America has. Europe used to be an area with many sexualized and decadent cultures (just look at some of the artistic pieces from the Greek and the Roman cultures, along with several pagan cultures if you want to find some severely perverted stuff), but then christianity came along and managed to beat all that out of our cultures and make our ancestors and eventually us think that sex should be as "minimalistic" as possible.

 

[mega48man]

ironically, i just finished reading some incest related....um....manga.

ANYWAY. it's one thing to see this in hentai, (i know i have ) but it's another to see it in normal anime/manga. i usually hate anime/manga for A: getting it shoved in my face by otakus and B: it's utter wierdness, but this changes everything.