The ‘XXX’ designation on pornographic materials is typically used on those items that are either produced or imported into Western countries. In Japan pornographic materials are labeled ‘18-kin’ (18 and above) or seijin manga (adult manga), and while most hentai materials fall into that category, hentai does not mean pornographic (it actually translates as ‘sexually perverse’). Hentai materials always contain a sexual element as the main theme of the publication, where the subject is humorous or serious, explicit sexual acts are usually a part of the storyline. While most Japanese hentai is in the form of mangas (comics), there are a growing number of hentai anime (cartoons) being produced each year.
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