Compared to the conservative nature of adult content in mainstream media from the ’60s to ’90s, the mid-2020s are a completely different kind of animal. This doesn’t mean that adult content wasn’t as prevalent in those times, nor that it was just simply Pornhub-level smut with nonsensical characters and stories with zero narratives. In fact, if we go back to the ’60s and ’70s of the adult film world, we’ll find many comparisons to today’s “plotge” (plot-based eroge). Movies like The Devil and Miss Jones, Behind The Green Door, Deep Throat, and the classic Russ Meyer Vixens trilogy illustrate how a sexy story could still, in fact, tell a story.
Even the original Vixen (1960) features harsh anti-communist rhetoric and a villain who tries to take advantage of a minority deserter in the Vietnam War. Although the other films in the trilogy aren’t anywhere near as political as the first, it shows that Russ Meyer wanted to convey a message within all the titillation and dark humor. Additionally, even major companies like Namco and Konami promoted their top games in adult films of the late ‘70s. Joysticks (1983) promoted Pac-Man and other classics, while Hollywood Hot Tubs (1984) devoted an entire scene to Xevious, its newest title at the time. Hollywood Hot Tubs was also produced by Metro Goldwyn Meyer (MGM), or what is now Universal Pictures. The film certainly had its share of raunchy scenes, but it wasn’t considered a pornographic film at all. It certainly had a few softcore moments reminiscent of late-night ‘90s Cinemax and HBO. However, the film had an entertaining story with unforgettable characters.
Many of these approaches are prevalent in AVNs (Adult Visual Novels), and you may recall some in eroge, as well. Storytelling is just as important in these works as the included sex scenes. That being said, why do we as a society relegate them to just porn and masturbation material?
Some people disregard an entire narrative because of a handful of sex scenes. This is a common sight on Steam, where some users dismiss an entire plot, no matter how deep the storytelling might be. However, a few scenes with sex doesn’t mean the storytelling can’t be on par with non-eroge.
Let’s look at the classic hentai Urotsukidoji or Legend Of The Overfiend. The OVA contains sex scenes, but let’s think about how much of the series they take up. For example, a Brazzers XXX film usually consists of a quick meeting between the characters, a display of nudity, and then sex for the remainder of the film. The performers have no depth or explanation, and the “plot” is simply a hookup. With Urotsukidoji and its sequels, however, it’s more than just your average porno. Even though sex is part of the story, there’s still plenty of non-sexual narrative. Some sex scenes are even implied, showing that the writers prioritized the series’ story.
Urotsukidoji spanned several OVAs and films, and some of its writers have since worked on well-known anime such as Full Metal Alchemist and Naruto. Would you still consider Urotsukidoji as “just porn” when it was penned by some of the greats in anime scriptwriting? Does its inclusion of sex negate a detailed plot, reducing it to only “masturbation material?”
Even Maggot Baits, a prime effort in storytelling, has an incredibly dark story front-loaded with torture and non-consensual scenes. In spite of this, it manages to illustrate incredible action scenes, crushingly dramatic moments, and pulse-pounding horror. However, many people can’t see beyond the initial sex scenes and fail to uncover the plentiful philosophical, religious, and psychological topics presented within. Although the game has horrendous amounts of gore, torture, and debauchery, such shock value has a purpose. In the novel Starless, the shock value brings to light the horrors of grooming and sex trafficking.
The common public opinion is “if some of it is pornographic, then it’s all pornographic.” But let’s look at it another way. If a 300-page novel contains only 10 pages featuring a war, then is the whole book just about the war? Although the war may be integral to the story, there are still 290 pages with a very different narrative.
Conversely, if the majority of a work is pornographic with little narrative, such as Oppai Academy, then the argument makes sense. However, adult games like Full Metal Demon Muramasa, Chasing Sunsets, and Leap Of Faith show that there’s more to them than just sex. Western society might benefit by taking a more mature attitude with mature content, as there are so many amazing stories that are being missed out on.
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