Futanari
Encyclopedia
Futanari is the Japanese
word for androgyny
or hermaphrodite
. Until 1644, the appeal of sexually ambiguous, futanari characters portrayed by onnagata actors was a popular element in Japanese drama, and there is a flourishing futanari anime
and manga
genre in Japan today.
, who was portrayed as a phallus, despite being neither male nor female. Until 1644, when Japanese onnagata actors were required to adopt male hairstyles regardless of the gender they were portraying, actors playing characters such as female warriors capitalised on the interest in the futanari quality, which was common in both samurai
and commoner society.
(pornographic
anime
or manga
), which depicts hermaphrodite
characters. Other common terms used to describe futanari characters are "dickgirls" or "shemale
s", although these are often considered vulgar and incorrect. Futanari, along with "newhalf
", are more polite terms having come into recent use, with futanari tending to refer specifically to actual hermaphrodites and "newhalf" tending to refer specifically to characters with female bodies but only male genitals. Originally futanari referred to any character that possessed masculine and feminine traits.
's Hot Tails
has been described as the best known exponent of the genre in the West.
There are many hypotheses as to why and how the theme of futanari came into being. The most obvious is the close relationship that the futanari fetish shares with Western "shemale
" pornography. However, due to the way it is executed, futanari probably shares more in common with the yuri genre. Futanari can be seen as an extension of the lesbian
theme where it is used instead of a strap-on dildo
or equivalent, that is, in cases involving a futanari character and a cisgender
woman.
Only a very small subset of futanari characters "become" futa due to male to female transformations; most are developed by other, more outlandish means, often from cissexual
females. This allows story lines to take a more lesbian context which is more palatable to heterosexual males.
Futanari may also be seen as a way in which male empathy can be inserted into a predominately lesbian scene. Obviously, one of the main difficulties that male observers have with lesbian scenes is that it is difficult for them to empathise or see themselves in the situation. In the futanari fetish, this becomes possible and this may appeal to a part of the futanari community.
In normal anime, the gender bender
or cross-dressing
storylines have always been popular. Popular examples include anime such as Ranma ½
and Futaba-Kun Change!
(in which the main character changes from male to female) and I My Me! Strawberry Eggs
(which takes on a more cross-dressing theme).
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
word for androgyny
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
or hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
. Until 1644, the appeal of sexually ambiguous, futanari characters portrayed by onnagata actors was a popular element in Japanese drama, and there is a flourishing futanari anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
genre in Japan today.
History in Japanese culture
In Japanese society, interest in futanari dates back many hundreds of years, and may have roots in the worship of DosojinDosojin
is a generic name for a type of Shinto kami popularly worshiped in Kantō and neighboring areas where, as tutelary deities of borders, they are believed to protect travelers and villages from epidemics and evil spirits...
, who was portrayed as a phallus, despite being neither male nor female. Until 1644, when Japanese onnagata actors were required to adopt male hairstyles regardless of the gender they were portraying, actors playing characters such as female warriors capitalised on the interest in the futanari quality, which was common in both samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
and commoner society.
In anime and manga
There is a specific futanari genre within hentaiHentai
is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...
(pornographic
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
or manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
), which depicts hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
characters. Other common terms used to describe futanari characters are "dickgirls" or "shemale
Shemale
Shemale is a term used in sex work to describe trans women with male genitalia and augmented female breasts from breast augmentation and/or use of hormones...
s", although these are often considered vulgar and incorrect. Futanari, along with "newhalf
Transsexualism
Transsexualism is an individual's identification with a gender inconsistent or not culturally associated with their biological sex. Simply put, it defines a person whose biological birth sex conflicts with their psychological gender...
", are more polite terms having come into recent use, with futanari tending to refer specifically to actual hermaphrodites and "newhalf" tending to refer specifically to characters with female bodies but only male genitals. Originally futanari referred to any character that possessed masculine and feminine traits.
Origins
Futanari manga appeared in the 1990s and quickly became a pervasive part of the industry, cross-pollinating every genre. Toshiki YuiToshiki Yui
is a Japanese seinen manga artist born in 1956 in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Some of his early work was published under the name . He has been publishing since 1986....
's Hot Tails
Hot Tails
is an erotic manga series by Toshiki Yui.-Reception:Derek Guder, writing about Hot Tails, described Yui as "an adult manga king", enjoying his unique "mix of sex, humor, and bizarre imagination. He simply lets his id run wild, and we stories that are as surreal as they are sexual"...
has been described as the best known exponent of the genre in the West.
There are many hypotheses as to why and how the theme of futanari came into being. The most obvious is the close relationship that the futanari fetish shares with Western "shemale
Shemale
Shemale is a term used in sex work to describe trans women with male genitalia and augmented female breasts from breast augmentation and/or use of hormones...
" pornography. However, due to the way it is executed, futanari probably shares more in common with the yuri genre. Futanari can be seen as an extension of the lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
theme where it is used instead of a strap-on dildo
Strap-on dildo
A strap-on dildo is a dildo designed to be worn, usually with a harness, during sexual activity. Harnesses and dildos are made in a wide variety of styles, with variations in how the harness fits the wearer, how the dildo attaches to the harness, as well as various features intended to facilitate...
or equivalent, that is, in cases involving a futanari character and a cisgender
Cisgender
Cisgender is an adjective used in the context of gender issues and counselling to refer to a class of gender identities formed by a match between an individual's gender identity and the behavior or role considered appropriate for one's sex.Kristen Schilt and Laurel Westbrook defined "cisgender"...
woman.
Only a very small subset of futanari characters "become" futa due to male to female transformations; most are developed by other, more outlandish means, often from cissexual
Cissexual
Cissexual is an adjective used in the context of gender issues to describe "people who are not transsexual and who have only ever experienced their mental and physical sexes as being aligned"...
females. This allows story lines to take a more lesbian context which is more palatable to heterosexual males.
Futanari may also be seen as a way in which male empathy can be inserted into a predominately lesbian scene. Obviously, one of the main difficulties that male observers have with lesbian scenes is that it is difficult for them to empathise or see themselves in the situation. In the futanari fetish, this becomes possible and this may appeal to a part of the futanari community.
In normal anime, the gender bender
Gender bender
Gender bender is an informal term used to refer to a person who actively transgresses, or "bends," expected gender roles. Gender bending is sometimes a form of social activism undertaken in response to assumptions or over-generalisations about genders...
or cross-dressing
Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the wearing of clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with a gender within a particular society that is seen as different than the one usually presented by the dresser...
storylines have always been popular. Popular examples include anime such as Ranma ½
Ranma ½
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi with an anime adaptation. The story revolves around a 16-year old boy named Ranma Saotome who was trained from early childhood in martial arts...
and Futaba-Kun Change!
Futaba-Kun Change!
is a 8 volumes manga series by Hiroshi Aro. Fast-paced, madcap and relatively mature in themes, it's usually comedic, with occasional elements of romance. It was serialized in Monthly Shōnen Jump in Japan, but it is now out of print...
(in which the main character changes from male to female) and I My Me! Strawberry Eggs
I My Me! Strawberry Eggs
, occasionally shortened to Strawberry Eggs, is a 2001 Japanese anime television series animated by TNK with co-production by Pioneer, LDC. The series aired from July 4 to September 26, 2001 by WOWOW and in August 2002 was licensed by Geneon Entertainment....
(which takes on a more cross-dressing theme).