Ahegao
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Ahegao (アヘ顔) is a term in
Etymology
The 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][2] Thus, ahegao can be interpreted as 'moaning or panting face'.[citation needed]
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]
Description
Typical 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.[2]
While ahegao is often used in pornographic manga, anime, and videogames, it is not exclusively a term of hentai. A number of non-adult works feature ahegao faces.[1]
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:[6]
- 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.
sweat, and other bodily fluidsare often present.
History
The 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
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.[8] 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.[9]
Kimi claims that reasons for including ahegao in a scene include reflecting a character's joyful emotions such as ecstasy or pleasure; to show
According to an article from adult gaming site
Ahegao clothing
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
In January 2020, several anime conventions throughout the United States banned ahegao clothing on their grounds and forbade entry to those wearing such clothing.[16]
A similar movement was also done in Malaysia in 2022.[17]
Armageddon Expo in New Zealand similarly has an anti-ahegao-clothing policy in place and will refuse entry to people wearing said clothing, with stallholders also forbidden from selling it.[18]
Trademark registration and lawsuit
The 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 23 April 2019.[19] On 27 July 2020, Jacob Grady, the CEO of FAKKU, announced intent to contest the trademark registration and accused Shenzhen Guangcai Trading of using stolen artwork.[20]
References
- ^ a b c "Ahegao アヘ顔". Japanese with Anime. 2017-08-05. Archived from the original on 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
- ^ S2CID 219913807.
- ISBN 978-1-63442-253-6.
- ^ Benoit, Olivier (2016-09-26). "Chroniques Hentai: Au-delà des interdits". Journal du Japon (in French). Archived from the original on 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
- Black Girl Nerds. 2016-10-14. Archived from the originalon 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
- ISBN 978-1-63442-253-6.
- ^ a b Preston, Devon (April 3, 2019). "TAKE A LOOK AT THE JAPANESE ORGASM FACE SWEEPING SOCIAL MEDIA". Inked Magazine.
- ^ a b "Ahegao: Who Make Ahegao's face". FabzNews. July 18, 2019.
- ISBN 978-1-63442-253-6.
- ISBN 978-1-63442-253-6.
- ^ "AgentShawnee's Hentai Vocabulary 101". Nutaku. 2018-03-02. Archived from the original on 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
- ISBN 978-1-63442-253-6.
- ^ "Ahegao Belle Delphine GIF". 19 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- Complex. Archivedfrom the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- ^ Megan Peters (2020-01-16). "Anime Convention Stirs Debate After Banning NSFW Clothes from Event". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
- ^ Briggs, Alex Daud (March 2022). "Anicon in Sarawak Bans Ahegao Hoodies". Gamer Braves. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
- ^ "Explicit Clothing Items (Ahegao Clothing/Merchandise)". armageddonexpo.com. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
- ^ "Ahegao". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
- ^ Kim Morrissy (2020-07-27). "FAKKU to Contest Shenzhen Guangcai Trading's 'Ahegao' Trademark". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
External links
- Hentai Language A to Z
- Yuribou Hentai Dictionary Archived 2017-08-10 at the Wayback Machine