Futanari (二成, 二形; ふたなり; a
compound word meaning "two form") in
Japanese can mean both the
subjects of a special type of pornographic anime or
manga (commonly known in the West
as hentai), or the
genre itself. Futanari depicts
hermaphrodites,
intersex or other individuals with female
body-types and sexual organs resembling
penises.
Other common terms used to describe
futanari characters
are "dickgirls" or "
shemales", although
these are often considered vulgar and incorrect. (The term
"shemale" is typically used incorrectly, since an accurate futanari
character possesses a vagina).
Shemales are
considered a separate genre by many futanari fans. )
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.
Another way to describe futanari is "Any hentai character that
possesses both the traits of a female and the penis of a
male."
Description
The term
futanari is usually reserved for characters drawn
in an
anime art style. Female characters that
share similar characteristics with
futanari but are drawn
in a Western style are usually simply referred to as
"dickgirls".
"Futas", as the female characters are often called, fall into
several categories:
- The traditional form of futanari in which the female
character is depicted as having both male and female sexual organs
(the penis sprouting out above the clitoris and vagina).
- A variation on this form in which there is a penis
instead of a clitoris.
- A variation on the two above forms in which the testicles are
omitted (i.e. the character will have a penis but no
testicles).
- Enlarged or hypertrophic clitoris in which the character has no
set of male sexual organs per se. This is arguably still
included under the blanket term futanari.
It is almost always seen that a person who enjoys
futanari
prefers one form of
futa over another, and this is usually
only a matter of personal preference. The same can be said of
futanari artists, who will most often use only one form of
futa in their work.
Futanari characters can be (and often are) paired with
various types of partners. Most often, the
futa is paired
with
cisgender women. This is usually done
in the same way other forms of
hentai pair
men and women. Variations on this theme include multiple
futanari on one woman,
futanari with other
futanari, and
futanari on males (often done for a
femdom fetish, although more ordinarily
male/female sexual interaction can be depicted as well).
It is interesting to note that, in some cases, the
futanari character is depicted as having a penis and/or
testicles that have grown to a size which is physically impossible.
This is somewhat similar to what is seen in some
bakunyū characters, whose breasts are of a
similarly implausible size.
Another specific fetish involving
futanari is the
depiction of some object being inserted into the
urethra. In many cases, this is an inanimate object,
and the
futa derives sexual pleasure from this in a way
that is similar to when female characters in hentai insert an
object into their
vaginas or
nipples.
However, a far less common variation includes two
futanari
characters, with urethral insertion by one
futa insert her
penis into the other's urethra. Then sexual intercourse occurs as
though the penis of the first was in the vagina of the
second.
In most types of hentai, there is some overlap between fetishes,
and
futanari is no exception.
Futanari is often
used with
bukkake,
BDSM,
catgirl,
lolicon and
tentacle sex.
Origins
There are many theories 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. Except in cases
involving anything other than 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 normal females. This
allows story lines to take a more lesbian context which is more
palatable to
straight 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 (in which the main character
changes from male to female when he/she is splashed with water) and
I My Me! Strawberry
Eggs (which takes on a more cross-dressing theme).
Anime and manga with futanari characters
See also
External links
- http://www.animeph.com/voc.html
-
http://books.google.com/books?id=ebzZAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Futanari%22+-inpublisher:icon&dq=%22Futanari%22+-inpublisher:icon&as_brr=0
-
http://www.studlife.com/scene/2008/08/29/internet-of-hentai/
References
Jensen, Nate. (2009) Japanese-English Guide to Sex, Kink and
Naughtiness. ISBN 978-1442108769.