Ahegao (アヘ顔, Japanese pronunciation: [ahegao]) is a term in Japanese pornography for a facial expression of characters (usually women) during sexual arousal or an orgasm, typically with rolling or crossed eyes, protruding tongue, and slightly reddened face, to show enjoyment or ecstasy. The style is often used in erotic manga, anime (hentai), and video games (erogē).
Etymology
editThe first part of the term, ahe (katakana: アヘ), is an abbreviation for aheahe (アヘアヘ), an onomatopoeia for 'pant' or 'moan'. The second part, gao or kao (顔), means 'face'.[1] Thus, ahegao can be interpreted as 'moaning or panting face'.[2]
Many other terms have been coined for the facial expressions made at the moment of orgasm. One of these is ikigao (イキガオ) meaning 'coming [i.e., orgasmic] face'. Others are acmegao (アクメ顔) from the French loanword acmé (orgasm), and yogarigao (よがり顔) for "satisfaction face".[3]: 222
Description
editTypical characteristics are rolled or crossed eyes, a hanging tongue, and flushed cheeks. A character's overall face shape may also be distorted in ahegao scenes.[4] An ahegao face of various levels of distortion is used to depict different grades of sexual arousal.[5] Ahegao indicates that the pleasure experienced is so intense that the character loses control of their facial expression.[1]
While ahegao is often used in pornographic manga, anime, and video games, it is not exclusively a term of hentai. A number of non-adult works feature ahegao faces.[2]
In The History of Hentai Manga, hentai manga researcher Kimi Rito states that ahegao follow three particular traits that set them apart from other ikigao (orgasm face) expressions:[3]: 222
- The whites of the eyes are visible or are close to becoming visible. The focus of the eyes is not fixed, nor are they "rape eyes", where the eyes are rolled up into the head and the pupils are not visible.
- The mouth is open and the tongue is sticking out.
- Saliva, mucus, sweat, and other bodily fluids are often present.
History
editThe term ahegao dates at least as far back as the early 1990s. Pornographic magazines used the word to describe the facial expressions of female live-action porn actresses during orgasm. In the same context, ahegao was used in some postings at 2Channel and its sister community for adult content, BBSPink, as well as in pornographic videos at adult e-commerce platforms in the early 2000s.[6][7]
In the midst of the 2000s, use of the term increased, and the drawing style became rather conventionalized and started spreading throughout the otaku culture. In 2008, the first ahegao-themed doujin comics anthology, A-H-E, was released. In the 2010s, major publishers produced more ahegao-themed comic anthologies. By that time, the facial expression was featured in regular pornographic videos during the popularization of hentai fetishes in the real-life sex industry.[7] Ahegao-like exaggerated facial expressions are also sometimes featured in other anime and manga works, in a non-sexual context. In September 2016, an "ahegao challenge" meme spread on social media websites, mostly via Instagram, which spread the trend in the United States.[3]: 328
Rito claims that reasons for including ahegao in a scene include reflecting a character's joyful emotions such as ecstasy or pleasure; to show negative emotions such as fear or reluctance; or to show domination, submission and loyalty.[3]: 227, 228, 229, 230
According to an article from adult gaming site Nutaku, ahegao in combination with the peace sign became an Internet meme in Japan, known as "ahegao double peace" (アヘ顔ダブルピース).[2][8] Rito states that this version was usually used after a gang rape scene, either breaking the victim's spirit or as the final part of a humiliation scene. However, as this was limiting, the use of the ahegao double peace became more common as a joke. The term itself is credited as first appearing in a 2010 self-published video game called Futa Letter, in which the main character's girlfriend does an ahegao double peace in a video sent to her boyfriend after she is "broken" by his uncle.[3]: 230, 231 In 2018, Belle Delphine drew coverage from various media outlets for her Instagram modeling which often featured her ahegao expressions.[6][9][10][11]
Ahegao clothing
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In 2015, an image by the hentai artist Hirame depicting various anime characters with the ahegao face circled the internet. Later that year, the pictures appeared on clothing. In May 2017, such images started appearing in western fashion, the clothes depicting among other works an image from the hentai Danke Dankei Revolution by Asanagi. This version is now sold by English-language hentai publisher FAKKU.
Ban of ahegao clothing
editIn January 2020, several anime conventions throughout the United States banned ahegao clothing on their grounds and forbade entry to those wearing such clothing.[12] A similar movement also arose in Malaysia in 2022.[13] Armageddon Expo in New Zealand also has an anti-ahegao-clothing policy in place and will refuse entry to people wearing said clothing, with stallholders also forbidden from selling it.[14]
Trademark registration and lawsuit
editThe Chinese company Shenzhen Guangcai Trading filed a trademark registration for the term Ahegao in September 2018 and got approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on April 23, 2019.[15] On July 27, 2020, Jacob Grady, the CEO of FAKKU, announced intent to contest the trademark registration and accused Shenzhen Guangcai Trading of using stolen artwork.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b Santos, Kristine Michelle L. (July 2, 2020). "The Bitches of Boys Love Comics: The Pornographic Response of Japan's Rotten Women". Porn Studies. 7 (3): 281–282. doi:10.1080/23268743.2020.1726204. ISSN 2326-8743. S2CID 219913807. Archived from the original on April 4, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Ahegao アヘ顔". Japanese with Anime. August 5, 2017. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Rito, Kimi (2021). The History of Hentai Manga: An Expressionist Examination of Eromanga. FAKKU. ISBN 978-1-63442-253-6.
- ^ Benoit, Olivier (September 26, 2016). "Chroniques Hentai: Au-delà des interdits". Journal du Japon (in French). Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- ^ "The ABC's of Hentai, Part I". Black Girl Nerds. October 14, 2016. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018.
- ^ a b Preston, Devon (April 3, 2019). "Take a Look at the Japanese Orgasm Face Sweeping Social Media". Inked Magazine. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
- ^ a b "Ahegao: Who Make Ahegao's Face". FabzNews. July 18, 2019. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021.
- ^ "AgentShawnee's Hentai Vocabulary 101". Nutaku. March 2, 2018. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- ^ "Ahegao Belle Delphine GIF". April 19, 2022. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
- ^ Aggeler, Madeleine (July 19, 2019). "Who Is Belle Delphine, the Gamer Girl Selling Her Bathwater?". The Cut. New York. Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Galbraith, Alex (July 16, 2019). "Instagram Model Sells Her Bathwater to Thirsty Fans". Complex. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
- ^ Megan Peters (January 16, 2020). "Anime Convention Stirs Debate after Banning NSFW Clothes from Event". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
- ^ Briggs, Alex Daud (March 2022). "Anicon in Sarawak Bans Ahegao Hoodies". Gamer Braves. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ "Explicit Clothing Items (Ahegao Clothing/Merchandise)". ArmageddonExpo.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ "Ahegao". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ Kim Morrissy (July 27, 2020). "FAKKU to Contest Shenzhen Guangcai Trading's 'Ahegao' Trademark". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
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