Do submissive anime characters EVER get taken advantage of?

EvaXephon · Post by **EvaXephon** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 11:07 pm

*Minor spoilers follow, but these are rather obvious*

In Ai Yori Aoshi, Mayu throws herself at Kaoru, offering adult things to him. In Chobits, Chi has an infantile knowledge of the world, and seeks to please Hideki in any way she can. In DearS, Ren is extremely eager to sexually appease Takeya. In Elfen Lied, Nyu, much like Chi, has an infantile knowledge of the world, and doesn't care at all about being naked or groped. In Evangelion, "If you order me to, I will" is practically Rei's catchphrase, and she doesn't mind being seen naked. Also in NGE, Asuka asks Kaji to do adult things to her. In Steel Angel Kurumi, Kurumi offers to do anything her master orders, and enjoys being nude with him. I won't bother to list the countless harem anime and 'Tenchi' situations.

These are just a few popular examples, but there are surely dozens more anime girls just like these. You know the kind I'm talking about. Submissive girls who don't mind being naked or groped and will do anything for their masters.

However, I have never once - NEVER ONCE - see a male anime character take advantage of one of these types of female characters.

Kaoru isn't interested in Mayu. Despite being fascinated by porn and constantly thinking of how cute Chi is, the thought of taking advantage of her never enters Hideki's mind. Ren is often naked and bouncing her giant breasts all over the place, and Takeya is feeling sexual frustration, yet he never has sex with the busty babe that lays next to him in his futon every night. Kohta could have completely had his way with Nyu any time that the two of them were alone, yet he never does anything with her. Rei would probably accept any sexual order given to her or allow anyone to do something sexual to her, given her complete indifference towards nearly everything, yet the frustrated Shinji never does anything with her. Kaji could do anything he wanted with Asuka, yet he doesn't. Nakahito may have been Prepubescent, but for the record, he could have had Kurumi on her knees and doing whatever he wanted her to do.

All of these things seem EXTREMELY unrealistic to me. In real life, it's almost a 100% guarantee that these situations would play out the opposite of how they do in their respective anime. If a real teenage boy had a sexy busty usually-naked teenage girl slave that was willing to do anything for him...well, let's just say that if he was a virgin before he met her, he wouldn't be a virgin after a quick trip to a private spot and five minutes.

This leads me to ask the question - Do submissive anime characters EVER get taken advantage of? Is there a single anime at ALL where the generic submissive/indifferent/slave girl character is actually taken advantage of? I've seen over twenty anime, and I haven't seen this happen once. Can anyone here provide even one example of it happening?

...And hentai don't count. >_>

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 11:36 pm

I think the 'realism' of this is definitely worth doubting, but you have to consider the cultural concepts behind this. This is a VERY Japanese mode of behaviour, and you could say it's a cultural ideal to be submissive - and still be treated well.

I'll leave the realism debate for others; just wanted to throw out a couple of things I've learned about the Japanese culture to be considered in this.

One key word here would be "yasashii" - usually translated as 'gentle', but it really means more than that - 'nice', 'non-assertive', 'polite', 'modest' would also be associated with it. The Japanese want to be "yasashii". It's completely sensible for them to show submissiveness and 'love for those above them' in a good way. It might not immediately make sense to a Westerner, but the Japanese don't see submissiveness as a bad thing. Especially as far as women, because of course no matter how you look at it, women are still 'below' men in status.

Another key word would be "amae" - meaning something like 'sweet dependence' - an even more direct allusion to submissiveness. Again, this is a cultural ideal to be 'sweetly dependent' on someone else, to 'allow them to do as they wish with you, be at their full disposal' - but at the same time, part of the idea of "amae" is the assumption that although you submit yourself to another person, that person will not in fact take advantage of you, because taking advantage is apparently not a good thing in Japanese culture. "Amae" isn't applied to just anything of course, and generally it's reserved for intimate relationships. Which you could describe all of your examples as.

So, realistic or not, you have to keep in mind that these behaviours are pretty much a direct and literal reflection of a value that the Japanese hold dear. It's a cultural thing.

NMEisMIA · Post by **NMEisMIA** » Mon May 01, 2006 1:48 am

Are you watchin, are you watching, are you watching? Cause here it goes.

UHHHGH.

EvaXephon · Post by **EvaXephon** » Mon May 01, 2006 11:37 am

Thanks, Otohiko, that was a very informative post. I thought I already knew a lot about Japanese culture, but I didn't know that, and it helps me understand the submissive phenomenon.

...Still, I'm waiting for someone to present a good example of a situation where a male gives into his desires with a submissive female. >.>;

Orwell · Post by **Orwell** » Mon May 01, 2006 1:24 pm

If hentai doesn't count, then how would you define taking advantage of? Getting the submissive to do something for them despite them disliking having to do it? The closest you would get to that from what I've seen would be shuffle.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Mon May 01, 2006 2:02 pm

Hmm, if what I heard of "He Is My Master" is correct, than that might be one you're looking for...

EvaXephon · Post by **EvaXephon** » Mon May 01, 2006 2:33 pm

Orwell wrote:If hentai doesn't count, then how would you define taking advantage of? Getting the submissive to do something for them despite them disliking having to do it? The closest you would get to that from what I've seen would be shuffle.

Sorry for not being clear enough. What I meant was, a male character getting a submissive female character to do something for sexual for him.

Orwell · Post by **Orwell** » Mon May 01, 2006 3:07 pm

The girl never seemed all that submissive to me, but, Iketeru Futari may have what your looking for, and maybe He is my master, though I still haven't seen it personally. You were clear enough, its just hard to find hentai outside the hentai context. By a very longshot, possibly Kare Kano, though again, she never really seemed submissive like in DearS.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Mon May 01, 2006 3:15 pm

Orwell wrote: By a very longshot, possibly Kare Kano, though again, she never really seemed submissive like in DearS.

Hell no! Although she does seem to falter at a certain point, Yukino could easily chew heads off people, Arima included - I wouldn't count her as submissive to any real degree at all.

x_rex30 · Post by **x_rex30** » Mon May 01, 2006 4:37 pm

Wasn't there situations in Ikki Tousen with girls giving themselves to guys and them taking them.. and maybe Tenjho Tenge..