What Is The Difference Between Hentai And Ecchi?

If you have any knowledge of anime at all, whether you are an experienced watcher or you're an avid viewer, you will most likely at least have heard of the two words that are laid out in the title of this article. One of these words is ecchi, and the other word is hentai.

Now there is probably a percentage of you that are pretty confused between the two. You might think that they are both the same thing. But you're mistaken. Yes, both ecchi and hentai are sexual, and both classify as sexual genres in anime, but they are definitely not the same. In the English sense and in the English-speaking anime community, hentai and ecchi are two different things.

This article will tell you what hentai and ecchi are and how they differ from each other. Let’s dig right in!

What Is Ecchi?

In the anime and manga community, ecchi is the genre that includes slightly sexy or erotic content. It shows partial nudity, suggestive sexual activities, sexual innuendos, or even full-frontal nudity in an anime. It does not include any hardcore and explicit stuff.

Keep in mind that anime with partial nudity and ecchi things are censored during the TV airing in case some minor kids stay up late and watch this anime. But the uncensored versions are usually released on porn tube sites, DVD, and Blu-ray.

What Is Hentai?

Anime is a popular Japanese art style; hentai is anime depicting sex. Hentai is pretty much ecchi, taken to the extreme. Hentai is the western term used to describe anime pornography. We are talking full-fledged nudity and explicit hardcore sexual content. The genitalia is censored because Japanese pornography censorship laws are really strange and don't allow it. But the same hentai content is available on porn tube sites without any censorship.

The word hentai came about to describe anime pornography in the western anime community due to the fact that the word hentai is a Japanese word that means pervert. So, obviously, since anime porn is perverted and it's pornography from Japan, it makes sense to call it hentai.

Hentai has become a popular form of pornography. However, despite this, there remains a misconception that hentai isn't like real porn. People think that because hentai is drawn, it is just animation. Not only is this false, but if not worse, it is actually just like real pornography.

Difference Between Ecchi and Hentai

Looking at the definition of the two terms, you can see that both ecchi and hentai are different things. Sure, they both may be sexual, but they are two different genres of anime.

Here are the main differences between Ecchi and Hentai:

1. Explicitness

The major difference between hentai and ecchi is the level of explicitness. Ecchi includes suggestive sexy content, while hentai is full-blown porn and erotica. The sexual content in ecchi is mild enough for the mainstream audience. However, we can't say the same for hentai. Hentai is also much more hardcore and obscene. Hentai includes rough sex, boob stuff, butt stuff, and all kinds of X-rated content.

2. Tonality

Ecchi has a light and fun tone to it. It is often paired with comedy. So, the basic purpose of ecchi is to entertain the audience with silly sexual innuendoes. Moreover, the funny and engaging ecchi content makes sure that the show does not seem inappropriate to the general audience. On the other hand, hentai is sexual and provocative. Most hentai content has a very serious and sensual tone to it to provoke the audience. Basically, it is porn but animated. Therefore, it is best to view the hentai privately.

3. Substance

Ecchi shows revolve around a light plot, but they are very well made. They feel like a sitcom. Nowadays, more and more people are watching ecchi. Some popular ecchi anime include shows like Saekano, To Love-Ru, and Keijo. On the other hand, hentai's main focus is on sexual content. While anime and manga focus mainly on actually telling stories, hentai is all about sexual material. For this reason, the hentai industry could basically be viewed as the dark counterpart of the anime industry. So, the hentai has no real plot, storyline, or narrative. They are very brief and shallow.

4. Growth And Popularity

To the average person, hentai doesn't sound like a popular porn genre outside of Japan. But in the last two decades, that has changed drastically. Hentai websites are generating tens and millions of views from people across the planet, not just in Asia. Pornhub, the biggest porn site in the world, released a report in 2019 which revealed that hentai is its most searched category. Any online anime fan has heard of someone who watched hentai. Hentai websites are widely shared on any forum where anime is discussed. On the other hand, ecchi is not that widely known. Anime fans might know what it is, but most people have never even heard of ecchi. This is because ecchi is not a popular sub-genre of anime.

5. Origin

Hentai may have started in Japan, but in a way, it is not truly Japanese. Before 1945, Japan enforced strict censorship laws that forbade the depiction of the sex acts shown in the hentai. Like much of the world, Japan had strict moral values that the population was expected to abide by. It was only after World War two that the liberal government was enforced on Japan by the US, allowing Hentai to emerge. The Us occupied the country and rewrote the country's constitution, repealing Japan's former censorship laws. From that point on, slowly but surely, pornography of all kinds was shown to the population under the guise of animations. However, ecchi is derived from hentai. It is a softer version and a less erotic version of hentai.

6. Demand

Regardless of its origins, hentai is no longer small or distinctly Japanese. Today, it has gone international. Porn Moguls like MindGeek (owners of Pornhub, Brazzers, Sextube, etc.) are heavily investing in hentai-based projects. In contrast, ecchi remain a lesser-known sub-genre of anime. You may find a few clips here and there on YouTube and some anime websites, but there is not much demand for them. That said, some new ecchi titles are making their way to the mainstream anime audience.

Ecchi And Hentai In The Japanese Culture

While in the English sense, ecchi and hentai are different, in Japan, they are considered the same. First of all, it's best to clarify that in Japan, the word ecchi and hentai aren't used in the way that they're used in the English-speaking community. In fact, the Japanese don't use the words ecchi and hentai to describe the respective genres. The equivalent of the ecchi genre in Japanese is usually replaced with the word Harem.

The shows with ecchi elements are just not defined as a separate genre. To them, nudity just comes naturally, like, well, there's a pair of tits, cool! Now the equivalent of hentai or anime pornography is usually replaced with a totally different word in Japan: Juuhatchi kin. Juu-hachi-kin is a combination of the words juhassay which means 18, and kinship, which means forbidden. In other words, Juuhachi kin is the literal translation of 18 plus. This makes a lot of sense since a lot of pornography in most countries is usually 18 plus.

So, where do the words ecchi and hentai come into play in the Japanese language? Well, we described hentai as a meaning pervert in Japanese, but what about ecchi? Not surprisingly, the word ecchi in Japanese can be a verb that means to have sex; hence, the birth of the genre. However, what's interesting is the birth of the word ecchi. The word ecchi stems from the way that the Japanese people and people who speak Japanese pronounce the letter H. If you ask a Japanese person to pronounce the letter 'H,' they would say "ecchi." The letter H was taken from the word – you guessed it – Hentai.

Thus, ecchi and hentai are actually used interchangeably in the Japanese language as they both are nouns for the word pervert. So, in Japan, ecchi and hentai are the same things.

Top 5 Hentai and Ecchi

Both hentai and ecchi anime are available in the form of manga, shows, porn videos, and even games. Let's list down the top 5 ecchi and hentai stuff you will find on the internet:

1. Senran Kagura (Ecchi Game)

This game has also been made into an anime series of the same name. This video game series was censored because of its 'intimacy' mode, which adds a lot of sex stuff to the game. The game revolves around a group of 5 girls training to become ninjas. The game is super fun to play, especially when you have big busty anime girls fighting against the dark lord.

2. High Scholl DxD (Ecchi Anime Show)

High School DxD is one of the most popular ecchi anime shows. This show really put the anime budget where it really matters: DD boobs! All the girls in this anime are super-hot and thirsty, ready for some D. This anime revolves around the protagonist Issei. His high school classmates are all desperate for him. So, this ecchi show is also Harem (a subgenre where many girls chase one guy). However, Issei dies and is brought back to life as a devil.

3. Nutaku (Hentai Gaming Website)

Nutaku is one of the biggest hentai gaming platforms in the world. You will find all kinds of hentai games here from all hentai sub-genres. This website is surely a treat for all those who love porn games. So, if you are into hentai flash games, definitely check out this website. This adult gaming site also has a number of other porn games. From hentai to VR games, you can find anything here. It is available on PC, Mac, and mobile devices. You can also download a bunch of hentai games from this website. However, this website is banned in some countries, so you might have to use a VPN.

4. Moonlight Lady (Hentai Movie)

This two-hours and thirty-minute-long hentai movie is loaded with the steamiest sex. From explicit nudity to kinky fuckery, this movie is a great piece of explicit entertainment. The main characters of the movie are a couple. A simple and innocent girl falls for a handsome young guy. She becomes desperate and thirsty for his touch, and he makes sure to satisfy her every time. The movie is available on DVD and a few porn tube sites. You can also download it using torrents.

5. Power Play (Hentai Manga)

This manga is super entertaining. The main character, Sadaharu, designs a hentai game. But all the characters from his hentai game come to life. Furthermore, he also acquires the soul of the evil sex king, always hungry for kinky dirty sex. The hot sexy babes from his hentai game are all ready to please him. The graphic artwork is very detailed and shows all the sex scenes. The sex, the plot, and the artwork make it a treat for anime, manga, and hentai fans. So, if you want to check out a hentai manga with a strong storyline and substance, check this one out.

Wrapping Up

Anime can be a beautiful art style that produces brilliant shows. There are millions of anime fans who enjoy their favorite anime. Anime has produced many meaningful discussions about themes and messages. But just as the culture surrounding anime has its highs, it has its dark lows. Hentai and ecchi are considered the darkest of them all.

It is not an exaggeration to say that few things on the modern internet are as destructive as hentai. We live in a time where the average person takes it for granted that porn and hentai don't harm them. When in all reality, they do. Ecchi is not as perverted and explicit as hentai and might actually be entertaining. However, hentai is probably the best animated pornographic content in the world.