“Why is she always thinking this way?”
“I cannot believe how insensitive he can be!”
Have you ever said such things to the opposite gender? Everyone knows that the view of a female can be very different from the view of a male, simply because they look at things in a different manner. Here at T.H.A.T anime blog, we have a good mix of males and females (5 males and 3 females actually), which will present the best opportunity for these different views to stand. From that perspective, we came out with “He says, he says”, a simple editorial to discuss on a certain topic and bring you the difference of views. Are men from Mars, and women from Venus? There’s only one way to find out and that is to test it out.
The first topic is on the sexualization of females. The topic actually came about after surfing the net around one of my non-anime friends. Her first word she remarked was “hentai”, which made me wonder. Hence, I will use two pictures that she has seen in order to see if there is indeed a strong sense of sexualization.Does females really think differently compared to males?
Read on to find out.
First case: Mikan of Manabi Straight
Impz’s view
The first example is a very simple Mikan picture complaining about how she can talk to Mei in a rant to Mutsuki. On first glance, this picture is hardly sexual at all. In fact, it is really hard to see why anyone can consider her to be anything other than cute. If anything, it looks more like a very cute picture of Mikan. She is probably a little tired, with that little whine-like mouth.
However, on closer inspection, there is in fact just a slight sexualization in the way that the character portrays itself. The connotation of a bed often speaks a little, especially when Mikan is wearing a sleeveless shirt that can show some flesh. Still, the portrayal of the character is hardly sexual.
To my total amazement, I was shocked when one of my classmates actually passed by while I am checking my blog. The first reaction she said was “HENTAI”. At first, many of you reading will be thinking that it’s probably just the view of a non-anime watcher.
However, on further analysis, it is in fact possible that the above picture can be interpreted as very sexual. First, it is the posture of the hand that is similiar to many nude portraits of females, where the hand is always placed on the forehead. The posture of the body also increases the frontal concentration of the chest to increase a sexual portrayal. It is also the lack of clothes that covers Mikan’s thighs that can cause this sexualization. Things and explanations given by my friends are plausible but I personally think that the first look of the picture does not have that strong a sexual connotation.
After listening to my friends, one thing strikes me. I am so desensitized to the use of such cues that I no longer even see such things as anything sexual.
ThirteenSugars’ view
If you are a regular visitor of THAT Anime blog, you might be shocked or wondering “How in the name of Zangetsu did a commentator get herself to be a part of this?” Don’t worry; you are not alone in wondering. I’m surprised myself. It was probably the most intense five-minute bargaining I’ve ever done with Impz which almost involved extortion. We ended up committing bribery instead that convinced me to take a part of this collaborate post entry.
But to clear one thing out, I am not a part of THAT anime blog crew. I’m more like a guest blogger here for now.
Here we go.
So about the first image, in all honesty, I will never see this picture as an image that portrays anything sexual at all if it wasn’t for two things.
- The slight opening of Mikan’s mouth with the hint of her tongue
- The subtle but very unmistakable blush on Mikan’s cheeks which often indicates of either warmth or sensuality.
Mikan’s pose, her outfit and her hand-on-forehead placement are really just normal stuff. They do not necessarily, though they often do, convey sexual notions to the viewer. But because Mikan’s “little whine-like mouth
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Comments (58)
[…] “He says, She says
Picture Perfect Paranoia»Blog Archive » On the Perceived Sexualization of Females added these pithy words on Mar 21 07 at 6:46 amYou go 13sugars, taming the beast that is Impz. (bo_o)b
Mr. Admin added these pithy words on Mar 19 07 at 10:50 pmlol go 13sugars…. stop impz from ever becoming a trap again… we would all thank you
on a serious note, this is a rather insightful entry….. gives one the view of both sexes
jinyamato added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 4:20 amALL HAIL IMPZ, LORD OF PR0N. And 13sugars too nice job! 
I found that Mikan scene to be semi-erotic.
Lost added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 4:50 amInitially i did not think much about the mikan
pic as it seemed like a typical scene from the anime.
However, after reading the comments, i’m forced to look at the picture from another light. I guess that’s the power of suggestion. Subconsciously, after reading the comments, your mind starts to actually think that way too… Even if it previously did not.
OMG!!!! 13sugars, you do move fast! *wink wink* Are you Singaporean, or are you having a long distance relationship? (and don’t answer if you don’t want to. LOL)
Congrats are in order to both of you.
Anyway. Regarding the post itself, I do agree with 13sugars at all count. The first picture when I first saw it was vaguely sexual to me, for the reasons 13sugars cited above. The 2nd picture is completely un-sexual for me, because all I see is a bunch of girls standing together, talking, enjoying each other’s company. I also totally do not get Impz’s remark on the length of skirt. 
PS: Does that mean that 13sugars has given Lin up?
@Mr Admin: What. I am the one that tamed the gal that never wanted to be in a r/s
@Jin: I was never a trap but I am trapped now. Oh shi-
@Danny: -_-;;; No comment desu.
@Lost: Semi erotic. You know, if I never bothered to analyze it, I will never have thought about it. It’s all thanks to my female classmates in university.
@DOts: Yes, that is perhaps the power of the medium. Whenever you absorb a certain message and it sounds reasonable, it in fact adds to your cognitive impression of the issue.
Hahah, I guess my ability to persuade has definitely succeeded. I am…every man, my name is legion.
@Briar: Hahaha, I wonder if I can ever make 13sugars give up Lin. I guess i will always be 2nd place ;_;. It’s a long distance r/s but in the future ahead, it will no longer be one…. ^^;;;
The length is perhaps the philosophy of Zettai ryouiki, where the exposed area from the skirt to the socks has a certain erotic sense in anime drawing. It is also the length where you cannot see anything, yet you see something down. It’s like a form of teasing, like you can’t see it, yet you want to see it (the ermm pantsu >_>)
Impz added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 5:42 amCONGRATS
impz, you’ll forevah be a trap still. no arguments bout it man 8D
this announcement… is soooo.. jan-like. 8D
jooo added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 6:20 amManabi Straight just proved something that Reimu from Touhou did a long time ago, and probably is still doing in the hearts of many.
Flaunting your armpits = a somewhat sexual connotation therein.
And Marimite has so much sublime yuri that just pairing or merely putting two of the cast beside each other generates yuriness vibes.
meganeshounen added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 6:28 amContext makes for an interesting factor, at least in my interpretation of the two pictures.
The first picture, taken in the context of the series, is just Mikan calling Mutsuki about how to deal with Mei. It’s a completely normal phone conversation between two friends, and Mikan is just lazing about while whining. No real sexualization here, unless one would sexualize a scene with a girl in a casual, relaxed state.
Out of context, though, we do have what ThirteenSugars mentions about the blush and the open mouth, as well as Impz’s comment about the outfit and the pose, and the fact that Mikan is already on a bed, lying down, completely “open”. Mikan (out of context) probably isn’t intending to seem erotic, but she is portrayed as such by the artist.
As for the second picture, out of context, it seems like a fairly innocent tableau of the MariMite girls. There is some sexuality involved here, mind: the slight uplifting of the skirts due to the wind offers us a glimpse of that which is normally hidden, even if it’s simply just a bit more leg, and thus provides the thrill of “exploring the taboo”. And the poses show off the beauty of the human (female) form, attractively posed rather than coincidentally seen.
In context, the series does offer us a “glimpse of the hidden” in much the same way the picture itself taken alone does, although to be fair this taboo is based heavily on modern societal concepts, and is controversial even then. The girls of MariMite always act with the utmost decorum, and never do anything inappropriate in a sexual context. But it is still true that they are, whether explicitly or implicitly, in lesbian relationships, which is seen to be a sort of forbidden fruit by a large majority of people. (This doesn’t imply that it is normally rejected, but I will argue that in the eyes of most, a homosexual relationship would not be considered the norm in current society.) Thus, we catch a small peek into the supposedly illicit, but overall, the subject performs with complete dress and dignity.
Putting aside the metafictional arguments about whether a drawn picture can ever be said to be “natural”, I would say that an interesting difference lies in that the Mikan picture is in a “natural” or “relaxed” position, while the MariMite girls are deliberately posed (and framed, even) for some effect intended by the presenter. This may or may not affect the viewer’s reactions to the scenes.
… now let’s see Spam Karma or whatever flag my comment for overuse of the word “sexual”.
DKellis added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 6:32 amThe MariMite picture may not have been the best to use for this
topic as it is a pastiche or re-imagining of a Botticelli painting
“Primavera”…Italian Renaissance, c. 1482:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sandro_Botticelli_038.jpg
mochi added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 6:58 am
Ah, and this is why I should have been an actual major in fine arts. I didn’t even know about that painting, which changes quite a few things about the interpretation of the MariMite picture.
DKellis added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 7:06 amYa, i actually wanted to talk about the painting, mochi, but i fricking cannot remember the title of the drawing. Thanks for the link, mochi, it’s well appreciated.
Impz added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 7:12 amNo problem…I actually got to see the painting last March when my wife
& I visited the Uffizi Gallery in Florence…very nice, though due to the
low light, you probably can see more detail in the photo.
God have mercy upon your soul, ThirteenSugars….
Extrange added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 7:39 amI see armpits.
ARMPITS - True Touhou fans know no other form of arousal.
Also, Mikan is :3-tan. SPREAD THE :3 LOVE :3
DrmChsr0 added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 7:46 amalright~ after reading this article, from what i can see. its just different view of perception. in this case, i’ve even asked my family to take a look at this picture and ask them of their views. yes~
Case 1:
firstly, my own view is that according to case 1, i dun find anything sexual about the picture. well~ unless you’re a pedophile that is. but for me, i find it normal for her to lie down and talk on the phone. the lack of cover in the body doesnt mean anything either. in fact IF there is something wrong, it’ll perhaps be the subs below which can lead people to think of other stuff. but for me, i tend to just ignore it since you already stated what the situation was. but even so, i’ll take it as her asking for a request.
Now onto my sister. Being at the age of 15 and quite boyish, she told me that this picture is cute and asked me what it was about. of course i told her it was girls that looked loli but not loli. all she went is, perhaps its just how the producers want to attract viewers with that style.
As for my mother, she doesnt seem to find anything wrong with it either. When i hinted about sexualization, she responsed by saying its just an animation and there isnt anything related to it.
As for my dad, being a strict guy and narrow minded immediately responded to it by saying, “what is this?” so i had to explain and told me not to view anything wrong as a caution. he then asked weird stuff about the kinds of girl i like, which of couse i stated that i’m not a pedophile and don’t like lolis in a sexual way but rather just find them cute.
As for my brother, being 16, all he went was, “what is this? stupid show. and ignored it”.
So from what you can see, different people have different views. Why do think art can be appreciated differently? precisely its based on how one views the picture. As for what I think, she’s perhaps just too narrow-minded, or just teasing you.
bj0rN added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 8:23 amTo move further on, in case 2. The response were more or less the same but this time, my brother has a more different reaction by asking what is this particular show about and was interested in the girls. but in the end, being of a more shounen viewer, he decided not to watch it.
As for my sister, she went amazed by the art and asked what it was. Seems like she’s rather interested in the show.
As for my parents? It’s the same response as Case 1 and have no interest either.
And for me… It’s just a picture with a bunch of girls. Nothing more or less
bj0rN added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 8:26 amOk, for me i will not have felt anything sexually hinting out of the picture prob only from the subs itself. A saying goes “When the wrong things appear at the wrong place, it will make something wrong even worse.” But if i were to show this to various people, i could have guessed their answers without even asking them.
My sister will probally just say that i am a pedo and go around making noise about it.
My mom will not even care about it.
My brother will prob do the same thing as my mom.
But…. If i show it to my classmates they will prob go the same way as you (for the females) and then the guys will go and disturb by running around saying “How could you watch this in class!” “So now i know that you actually like small girls! STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!” and all those sorts of rubbish stuff you could have guessed.
If to conclude this, the best way will be “Every Single thing has more than 1 pespective to it, but humans only look at it 1 way.”
Somatic added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 8:30 amRather than answering specifically to dkellis, Bjorn and Somatic’s response individually, the reading of their responses does trigger something important. For one, the person who is asked to do such an event has to be active in his or her cognitive association (or aka attention) before anything is absorbed. I have a feeling that being parents and not really an anime fan, they tend to hold a strict stereotype toward such artwork and hence might be biased.
However, do note that the gender difference is often used as a stereotype test for many things. It is perhaps true that there are some tendencies toward certain cognition but the general consensus is that it is more likely the exposure to information (or their background knowledge and social background) that will affect their choices and thoughts the most.
Hence, I am not too surprised about the rather uniform thoughts of the people’s reactions 
I’ve looked at both pictures and concluded that this whole sexualization talk is crap and that you should watch more hentai.
And congrats to both of you
YAY for Impzy and ThirteenSugars!
I knew I was right back in the Ghost Hunt thread, and you tried to deny it ThirteenSugars!
If you two ever want advice on handling a long distance relationship, I’d be happy to oblige. Since before we got married hubby-sama and I were separated by a continent. But hopefully you won’t be parted for too long ^-^
Poor Lin-sama, what will he do now?
Hmm I agree the first one appears vaguely sexual.
The second one, I don’t really see any sexualization at all. I agree with ThirteenSugars, all it really stirs up are memories of my school days. Although their uniform is nicer than mine was!!! ^-^
Although I do think a man designed our P.E uniforms, or a lesbian. Because the skirt barely covers your butt and if you forget it you have to do the class in just the top and the P.E knickers. Which was really embarrasing when you had to share the gymnastics hall with the boys if it was raining. I spent many a class with a permanent blush on my face.
If it wasn’t that outfit then you had to wear the damn leotard and I develped really early.
So in the case of the second picture I think there is less sexualization than in real life!
D.J added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 9:03 amI’m not sure how relevant this link is, but here’s an interesting article on the different areas men and women focus on when looking at something:
http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/070312ruel/
The example at the bottom is the most relevant, I think. (Although the rest of it may be interesting for a blogger working on their design.) To summarize, for a picture of a person, men tend to focus on the face and the private anatomy, while women tend to focus only on the face. (This possibly does not account for inspecting the picture thoroughly, although the article is unclear.)
DKellis added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 9:11 am@DJ: Will definitely ask you ^^ Do you have a yim or msn account? Will love to talk to you sometimes too so email me at thatblog email please! ahhhh~ forgive my swooning because I simply just called her at the workplace to bid her good night
*blushes* i am love struck desu!!!!
@Dkellis: Hmm, hell my brain isn’t processing now due to the need to sleep, but ya, I will make a proper response when i am awake tomorrow.
Impz added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 9:19 am“forgive my swooning because I simply just called her at the workplace to bid her good night”
That was so cute!!! I am so happy for you two. YAY!
I have an MSN account so I’ll email you with the details.
D.J added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 9:47 amI don’t know… I don’t really see anything sexual about either of the two pictures. Both of you comments made sense and I could see where you were coming from but, it’s not working for me. But then again, Shokkeru has always been a few bricks short of a stack @_@
Shokkeru added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 10:18 amHeh, congrats, Impz. Now I don’t have to worry about talking to you (or is it that now I have to worry about it?)
I generally don’t care too much about sexualization unless it’s blatantly in my face.
Impz and 13sugar congrats!!
About the subject, as a girl, I do think that manabi has some weird scenes that… well… they just leave me thinking.
The second image, I didn’t find anything sexual about it…
Aime added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 10:53 amFirst, let me say congrats to both of you on your new relationship and best of luck for it being long term!
Second, to the topic at hand. I would like to know how long each image stayed on the screen before moving to a new image or position. Having all the time in the world to study the pics closely gives me time to find things here and there that may be considered sexual. But if these images are short term mid-movement frames, how can I judge whether I would find the images sexual in context?
In the 1940s (or maybe the 1950s), a comic book image of Superman was shown in detailed large size to a US Congressional hearing about immorality in US comics. In the picture, you could see the individual dots that comprise the comic’s color printing. One of those dots in Superman’s groin area was triangular-shaped not round. The claim was that the triangle was his penis.
The Superman example is an extreme case of an image being taken out of context and examined too closely. But I think the same idea applies here to a degree.
When I first glanced at both photos I saw nothing sexual in them. If my first glance which lasted a few seconds was all that I had been allowed to see in the broadcast, I would have the same opinion that I did then.
However on a longer glance and — more importantly — because I was looking for possible fanservice, I can see more hints of sexuality. If I had the time to look closely when the image aired and if I was looking for it, I might see the sexuality then as well.
LKK added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 10:55 am13sugars,congrats…..!
na2niet added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 2:43 pmTo me, it basically falls down to the principle of “If you want to see it, it’s there”. As people have said, it’s vaguely there in that picture, as well as in other scenes in Manabi that are less vague, such as a couple of moments in episode 6. But while they hint, they aren’t meant probably for reasons other then, “Heh heh heh, I bet you /would/ look at it that way, wouldn’t you?” Otherwise, it’s not really that much of a problem unless people want to see it that way, which I hope is not the case.
Though I also notice that we anime fans are more sensitive to that issue because of the random person who might just walk by what we watch and deduce what it’s all about from one glance. It’s worrisome and annoying, to be sure.
Oh no, my fav blogger Impz taken!! *sob*
=P Congratulation to the both of you, stay happy. ^_^
babypris added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 5:46 pmGuys are so desensitized to things of the sexual nature that it has to be totally explict for them to notice xD -dodges anything that might be thrown at her-
Well, good job you two. The first can definitely look sexual, but I don’t see it in the second one.
Whispered.Hope added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 6:19 pmSexual? What sexual? All I see is :3.
And oh, Marimite.
DrmChsr0 added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 9:36 pmhey guys CONGRATS, hey um waitin for the wedding invetaion^^, 13 sugar u traitor i thought we were soul mates and u never told me *sob*
@ impz : u r the man, u must be really handsome with an extra-ordinary charecter to steal sugar from lin ^^ looool
anyways bout the subject i totally agree with sugary, specially bout the second pic
congrats, Impz~It’s sweet to fall in love with each other, sweet, sweet, sweet……^_^
With the same feeling as the Ichigo Mashimaro,I had no good impression of the first picture.Perhaps the male who like the loli would said that it was moeru, but I’m sceptical about that myself-_-
Tetsu added these pithy words on Mar 20 07 at 10:08 pm“What do you see in the ink-spot?”
“A butterfly.”
“Are you sure?”
“… Yes, I am sure.”
“You do not see something else? Like say… something sexual?”
“Why on Earth would I think of that?!”
“It’s just the two of us in here, you can feel free to tell me what you really see.”
“It’s. A. Butterfly.”
“A butterfly having sex?”
“NO! THERE IS NO SEX! IT’S JUST A DAMN BUTTERFLY! AN INSECT WITH TWO WINGS AND SIX LEGS! BUTTERFLY! BUTTERFLY!”
“Calm down. I understand your anger comes about from your repressed sexuality, but there is no need to lose your temper.”
“ARRGGGHHHH!”
Sometimes… a girl is just a girl.
Cheers.
Skane added these pithy words on Mar 21 07 at 12:13 amI’m a girl, and I actually see nothing sexual about the 2 pictures (well, maybe because I’ve had enough of bad sexual jokes on anime to see the 1st pic as sexual. And the 2nd pic is a “classics” of Marimite XD, I think it gives off a clean and fresh feeling.
Ah, congrats on impz and 13sugars, I think you 2 are really cute together(after I read SaiMono entries :D).
First off, hats off to the both of you two.
Hmm, looking over both of your’s and ThirteenSugars’ analyses, it is clear that there is a clear difference of opinion in terms of perception. I guess it takes a more experienced analyst to delve deeper into this, but I’m not the person with that type of expertise.
Here are my 2 cents on the issue of the post:
The pose in case #1 might have the possibilty of generating a sexual vibe to the anime viewer, but to the non-seasoned individual, he sees nothing overly “sexual” about the illustration, and passes it off as an art, or animation, or (in Impz’ classmates’ case) an accusation of being “hentai” (the meaning being “abnormal”, taking Wikipedia’s discussion).
In case #2, however, having pre-knowledge about the origin of the said illustration might stir up notions of “lesbian undertones or overtones (take a pick) will convince an observing individual (who incidentally has een watching the anime a time ago in his lifetime) that there is a sexual cue being conveyed by the way the girls in the picture are drawn. To the non-anime watcher, there is nothing overly wrong “sexual-wise”.
So there you have it. An “expertly constructed” analysis by your truly. Now off I go to study for an Invertebrate Exam tomorrow aftertoon. Oh, and tell me if I viewed something incorrectly. You can reach me via email or by my blog.
@ronin
“…having pre-knowledge about the origin of the said illustration might stir up notions of “lesbian
undertones or overtones (take a pick) will convince an observing individual (who incidentally has een watching the anime a time ago in his lifetime) that there is a sexual cue being conveyed by the way the girls in the picture are drawn.”
By “origin”, I’m not sure if you mean the fact that it is taken from the MariMite anime or that the
illustration itself is based on an Italian Renaissance painting. If it is the former, then don’t bother
to read the rest of this as it has nothing to do with your analysis and my apologies for wasting
your time.
If it is the latter, then I do not see much in the way of sexual under/overtones. The original
painting (Primavera by Sandro Botticelli…see my first comment for a link to a photo of the
painting) shows from left to right (as the viewer sees it)…Mercury, the three Graces (Aglaia,
Euphrosyne, & Thalia), Venus, Flora, Chloris, & Zephyrus…also, above Venus’ head is her son
Cupid. To me, the original painting shows some, but not much in the way of sexual under/overtones.
There are three elements to the painting which may be viewed in this manner. There is a fair amount
of near-nudity; Cupid is the god of erotic love in Roman mythology; the back story of the two characters
on the right (Chloris and Zephyrus). The back story according to the Roman poet Ovid in his Fasti,
says that the God of Winds Zephyrus pursued the nymph Chloris, took her by force, regretted his
actions and turned her into Flora, the Goddess of Spring (or Flowers)…yes, the same Flora in the
painting.
The MariMite version is more subdued than the original. As far as I can see the sexual elements from the
original do not exist in the “copy”. The dress of the characters show little skin. The cupid character was
not included in the “copy”. The two characters in the position of Chloris and Zephyrus are not in the same
pose as in the original and, to me, the pose in the “copy” looks less sexual than in the original.
So, for me, knowledge of the original painting, makes me think…”an interesting pastiche of Botticelli”…
and sexual under/overtones would never occur to me.
Again, if I was mistaken in my interpretation of your comment, many apologies. Also, sorry for this long
winded squirrel or tangential post.
The problem is that perception cannot be easily described by a rating.
It’s nothing like this:
Sexualization (Overall): 5/10
Pose: 4/10
Facial Features: 8/10
And it’s something that many people comprehend only well enough to know it exists. For me, finding something that doesn’t revolve around numbers is a subject I’m not willing to undertake, yet something about this whole topic makes me wonder…
Is perception differentiated mainly by gender? Or perhaps, one’s upbringing (which is connected to gender)?
What’s the cause of one’s perception, and what is its relation to the general public?
That sort of thing.
By the way, the first one, if I were to rate it (like above, but more detailed) is 51/100 in Sexualization, while the second is more 13/100.
Ja.
keeperofthetwilight added these pithy words on Mar 21 07 at 12:15 pmHello there, Impz it is a very good question you post here. Sexualization of females. I guess in every culture there is a “stereotype” of what is to be male and what to be female. How many of us were not dressed in pink or blue when we were little cute thingies so to define our identity.
Now talking about the images, I think we would need to have an understanding of the japanese male mind, which is a very curious and fetichist world.
For the images above. Case 1:
Maybe not so sexual in it’s context but more of a standardization of gender, note the “pink world” that she is in: cell phone, jacket and to top it off, the blushing. So she looks more like the stereotype “kogal”.
Case2: there we go again with the so infamous (or famous) school girl uniform. The girls are again representing the idea of females: being sweet, gentle, cute and innocent. It seems that this traits are very erotic for some men, and in japan (as far as i know) it is most men that feel attracted to those attributes. Then the wind blowing as some of u have noted, showing off a little bit of more skin just to add that extra spice.
So basically in my opinion this pics could be very sexual, especially for japanese viewers. I dunno how many of you are familiar with the terms enjo kosai (compensated dating) and bura sera (trade of girls used underwear), but both of them involve having a lecherious (with a heck of a lack of morals) going out with teenagers or buying the so called “used undies”. So yeah for me they do have a erotic points in the pics because i know the implications behind the drawing of such things, otherwise i would just see it as “sexualization” as in complying with the female stereotype. Sorry for writing so long stuff @_@
MinervaArnauld added these pithy words on Mar 21 07 at 3:20 pmWow! I did not expect that there’ll be quite a number of people who will look at both images without seeing a hint of any sexuality. This actually makes me question exactly how twisted am I. (lol)
As for the people who share the same views Impz and I did, virtual sugar cookies to all of you for being in the same boat. As for the rest, that’s okay, we can’t all be perverts now can we? (j/k lol)
On a serious note however, I guess everyone will agree with me when I say that sexuality, like beauty, is always in the eyes of the beholder. A guy/girl can look at a motionless and expressionless guy/girl/thing but still find him/her/it very hot/sexy/erotic while someone else might not see the same motionless and expressionless guy/girl/thing in the same way.
On a romantic note, I just want to say.
I did do my best to avoid goshujin-sama, but he made it so impossible for me to escape and fulfill my vow. It’s like Sakujun’s manipulation combined with Ryuuki’s sweetness performed in Seiran’s style. A girl like me can only resist so much gentle coercion you know what with his sexy, husky and oh-so-sweet voice that drives me insane. Speaking of that, I’d have to kick all the “harem
ThirteenSugars added these pithy words on Mar 21 07 at 3:44 pmawwwww congrats you two! that’s sooooooooo cute!!!
It’s so sweet of you guys, especially w/ impz sounding so cute and protective, hahah Will there be future date pictures posted here for the convinience of stalkers? j/k
About the two pictures, I don’t think I’d've found either of them being sexual if it weren’t for the title and foreshadowing. Too many hints made me start looking for the sexuality hinted in those pictures. I do believe that in general I, as a girl, wouldn’t have found these pictures being sexual at first look. But if I’m asked to look closely at them, there are obvious hints that I can find.
For the first picture, I completely agree with what 13Sugars said, it’s all about the blush, parted lips, and pose. Also the skirt/shorts that she’s wearing in the picture isn’t really helping.
As for the second picture, I see mochi has also found a link between this drawing and the painting Primavera by Botticelli. Because of this link, the picture can be regarded as having female sexualization considering the pretty strong sexual overtone in the original painting.
I think that’s it. Ta ta for now
ohphive added these pithy words on Mar 21 07 at 9:27 pmWTH mang =____=
Impz you owe me RAWR. Why was I the last to know you trap-san ~_~ You could have sms-ed me you know? T________T
-feels left out-
Aezie added these pithy words on Mar 21 07 at 9:29 pm-pets aziza- <3
you know i love you still =O
i ish lubs aezie dip dip
donch be lefted out!!
haha i ish lub you too alkankan XDD
Aezie added these pithy words on Mar 23 07 at 12:54 pmawww. -is huggled- lmao <333
lubbbbb to jw too. 8D;;
I personally think it’s more a thing of whether you know the show or not. Before reading your comments, when I saw the pic my mind went ‘…loli.’ Sure, it’s a completely normal pose for her - but for me, who never watched it, it was a girl with small clothes, an open mouth, dreamily closed eyes and a blush across the cheek listening to the phone. The expression is a typical hentai one…
As for the second - it looked classical? Very pretty and very familiar. I’ve seen the show, so I know about the girls - they’re as dignified as you get. The picture was the kind that evoked a smile to my face because they seem to be acting so naturally, rather than evoking any sensual or sexual thoughts.
Or maybe something else entirely? I found Marimita very very boring.
Anca added these pithy words on Mar 27 07 at 7:11 amhmmm, ya, that is perhaps the thing about anime. Due to the fact that people do not have a context, things like Mika’s image tends to be hentai. In fact, that is perhaps something very dangerous, in what I have mentioned about desensitization. As anime became so subtly sexual that we no longer see it as such?
Ya, maria sama ga miteru is pretty acquired taste perhaps.
Impz added these pithy words on Mar 27 07 at 8:17 amhmmmm first image is vaguely sexual in my perspective….pretty much for what 13sugars said… and also i see it and go “…loli” (like Anca said). I don’t know this series, thus I don’t have any idea of whether there is any concentrated sexual content in the overall series or not.
If I hadn’t seen Marimite before I wouldn’t have thought anything of it, other than how pretty and classy the drawing is and that it looks like the Botticelli painting. And even with the bg info that there is some shounen-ai present, I still find that to be one of the most innocent of images…Not saying that MinervaArnauld (or the rest that give it a sexual connotation) doesn’t have good points (au contraire), in fact it makes perfect sense… it just didn’t occur to me at first glance XD
I tend to look out for possible sexually implicit images for my surrounding’s standard, because my family has no concept of privacy, thus they barge into my room just like that T____T *had to watch Sei’s bg in Marimite when nobody was home*. Just due to the fact that it’s anime, they instantly think the worst. Add to it suggestive images and I’m banned for life >_
MarsBattyAngel=^-^= added these pithy words on Apr 04 07 at 7:58 pm(waah, it got cut…whyyyyy ;_;)
…. for life >_
hmmmm this thing hates me and won’t post my comments complete….I swear I don’t mean to spam the site…Continuing with my comment:
So yeah, first img wouldn’t pass my parent’s criteria, whilst second one does…just don’t let them watch anything else from the series XD teehee
I’m a relatively new reader/commentor in THAT but I have to say “awwwww sooo cuuute!!! Congrats” at Impz and 13sugars….siiiigh…*had a nicenice long long-distance relationship once* Though I read a post like on the 28th (i think it was the ending of GH) and the wifey title was already bestowed upon 13sugars…is it true then? *squeal*
Sorry, I get all excited when long-distance relationships work out XD I want to mentally throw something to those who verbally doomed mine teehee