August is for Ero-cosplay!

I shall declare here. Your body shall serve under me. Your fate shall be with my sword. Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. If you will submit to this will and this reason…… then answer!

Ah, sorry, I got a bit lost in the moment. As part of our mission to bring JAV to the West, we're also bringing ero-cosplay. With August being the time of the summer Comiket in Japan (Comiket itself being something of an excuse to have a cosplay festival), it's a good time to contemplate why cosplay is so much fun. This goes beyond the unabashedly sexy costumes that many cosplayers create by hand, spending dozens of hours and hundreds of dollars on acquiring materials and crafting their outfits.

Saotome Love

A little education: the term originated back in 1983 and 1984, when a Japanese fellow first used the term. As a result, Japan gets the credit for the origin, even though it's more likely that it's a practice that transcended borders. A fairer assessment would be that since the 1990s, Japan has helped create and drive the growth of cosplay as a hobby and industry. Cosplay outfits, just like the characters they are meant to convey, vary greatly and can range from simple to intricately detailed costumes. It's completely different from Halloween costumes, since cosplay aims to become a chosen character.

Tanaka Hitomi

It's not much of a leap for people to move toward the pervert potential in cosplay. Many of the costumes are skimpy and only the most confident pursue the hobby. For many people, the fantasy roleplay is a huge turn-on. Cosplay is often about borrowing the power of another character, if only for a few short hours, and making it the cosplayer's own. To go one step further, to successfully move the presentation of the character into sexual play, places everything on a new level of achievement.

Mizuna Rei

Let's spend August exploring what works, what doesn't, and what makes for great JAV ero-cosplay.


All images sourced from http://ero-cosplay.tumblr.com/

How to Create a Soapland Experience

As part of our July theme of keeping cool, I thought I'd try something a bit different.  I'm sure many JAV fans would love to partake in an authentic soapland experience.  For our readers lucky enough to live in Japan, that's pretty easy to find.  Even for those who might not be Japanese, or speak much Japanese, a little research and a little work will lead to them finding what they are looking for (be advised that many soaplands are not foreigner-friendly, so you will need to do your homework to find one that is).  But for the rest of you stuck in the heat and more importantly, stuck outside of Japan, luckily you too can have some soapland fun.  Here follows a handy little guide to a do it yourself soapland experience.

Step 1: Find a Girl

It goes without saying that the most important soapland ingredient is finding a consenting partner who is willing to participate in your fantasy and be willing to sit on your chrysanthemum throne.  For those readers in relationships, in fact you will need to rely on your partner for help, since visiting an actual soapland would be cheating, and that's just plain wrong.

For this step I'm not going to give any advice, since dating tips are a bit outside the purpose of this blog.  But luckily, women are literally everywhere, so just start talking to them.  You can tell them that you are Musashi Miyamoto and are here to rescue her from the bandits of sexual frustration.  If you already have a girl, great.  Just communicate with her what you want.  Fantasies involving showers, baths, and massage are pretty normal and common, so it shouldn't be embarrassing to discuss compared to some more kinky and hardcore desires.

Step 2: The Necessary Equipment

Now that you have a girl who's ready to be your own personal slip and slide, it's time to move on to gathering the supplies needed for a proper soapland experience.  First, it goes without saying that you will need a full bathroom which of course includes a bathtub that two can fit in.  The bigger, the better, but a standard size bathtub will be sufficient since there won't be any actual fucking going on in there.  As part of the bathtub experience, you will need some bubble bath, which can be purchased pretty much anywhere, as well as a sponge and either some soap or body wash.  I prefer soap because it lathers better and creates suds more easily.

Now we've got the bath/soapy massage portion covered, it's time to move on to the nuru portion.  Nuru is that slimy goo that the JAV girls cover themselves with before massaging their customer.  It's made from seaweed extract.  Believe it or not, you can purchase nuru gel in large gasoline can sized containers on the internet, as well as in smaller bottles.  There are plenty of options available on Amazon.  If you aren't able to get actual nuru gel, then look for massage gels.  You want to check online reviews and focus on something that creates proper slippery lubrication and does not burn.  Also, keep in mind that if you use condoms, your massage gel should be condom safe, unless you plan to clean up before moving to sex.  Barring massage gels, aloe vera can also work, but is not good for use with condoms, so plan accordingly.

Equally important as the nuru gel, you will need a mat to slip and slide on.  Luckily, you need not bother with some special nuru mat. Any inflatable swimming pool float will do, provided it is long, flat, and rectangular.

Finally, as an option, there is the massage chair.  Known as a sukebe chair or stool, this allows the man to sit while the woman has full access to provide all sorts of blowjob and rimjob action, as well as body massage.  This is by far the most difficult and expensive item to acquire.  In fact, I only found a few available on ebay.  There is unfortunately no good substitute for this, unless you are good with tools and can carve a hole out of a regular chair.  However, this chair is also optional, as many soapland scenes will not use it.  The nuru mat is certainly a fine enough location for all sorts of blowjob and rimjob action.

Step 3: Suggested Procedures

Once you have the girl and the equipment, you can do whatever you want as it's your fantasy.  However, if you want to recreate the most authentic JAV soapland experience, I will give you a suggested program.

A fun way to start is to walk in while your girl kneels before you, which help establishes the roles of customer and service worker.  After sitting down in a chair, she can begin to undress and commence with some light foreplay using her mouth and tits.  From there, move on to the bubble bath (which should be prepared in advance).

In the bathtub, your girl can soap herself up and make great use of the sponge to pour soap and water all over herself.  She then can commence with some soapy foreplay with her tits and body, as well as oral service for you.  When it's time to move on, she can towel dry you off.

The next part is optional, assuming you have some sort of a chair with a hole in it.  The possibilities here are endless, from your girl getting on the ground to service you, to some additional soapy massage while you sit.

The final portion of the soapland experience is the longest, most important, and should be the most satisfying.  Your girl should apply a healthy amount of nuru to herself and then glide along for a full body slippery massage.  Make sure you take advantage of all the possible positions and parts of her body that she can use for the massage.  You also want to flip around as needed to receive a slurptastic blowjob and rimjob.  Really take your time on this section, and then when you've had your fill, proceed to bang her brains out for a slimy climax that recreates the ending to Ghostbusters 2.

Well, there you have it.  I hope you enjoyed my guide, and put it to good use.  We'll check the reader stats on this post, and if there is enough interest, we might do some more "JAV fantasy at home" posts.

Editorial: Apologies, Agencies, and Agency

While the world loses its mind over Brexit, there have been an interesting development in our distinctly Japanese industry. The Intellectual Property Promotion Association, the JAV industry group that represents the labels, issued an apology last week for "not acting of its own volition" after Japanese police arrested several executives from a talent agency after a former talent alleged she had been raped repeatedly on camera for adult videos and threatened with financial penalties if she didn't complete her contractual obligations. The IPPA further revealed it had spoken with human rights lawyers and come up with suggestions to "govern the behaviour of production companies to try and prevent further abuse."

This is not a new development. A human rights group publicly announced that the number of young women hoping to be models and then forced to participate in pornographic movies was rising. What's different here is that the young woman decided to go to the police on this matter. Usually, the women stay silent. In this case, the fact the young woman was allegedly forced to participate in over a hundred films probably gave her enough impetus to do something about it.

The apology is probably the first of its kind, but there are issues with the "proactive" side. First, about 20% of "legit" adult film producers are not part of the association, and none of the underground pornographers (obviously). Second, this does nothing about the profit motive of the likely true owners of the entire entertainment industry, the yakuza. Third, this is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules. There won't be any penalties for not following it. Don't expect the Japanese government to make much of an effort to regulate the industry beyond the famous censor mosaic - yakuza involvement virtually ensures a blind eye.

Let's analyze a bit and look at the perp. I know I've spoken in legalese, dropping in the "allegedly" often, but I'm 99% certain that the executives from the Marks Japan talent agency are guilty. The Japanese justice system is risk-averse, underfunded, and undermanned - they only prosecute cases they are absolutely certain they will win. In other words, cases with a preponderance of evidence. At the same time, who the bloody hell are Marks Japan? I spoke with Mr. White before writing this, and he only learned of them when I sent him the BBC article. Given Mr. White's encyclopedic knowledge on the "backstage" of the JAV industry, that was all I needed to confirm my suspicions that Marks Japan was another "pump and dump" agency, the kind that takes up expensive offices in an overpriced, trendy area like Shibuya in order to use the veneer of respectability to use and discard the naive. Of course, step on one of these cockroaches and they'll respawn under new management elsewhere.

In my Yua Mikami review, I noted what she probably had to do to continue her career as an idol until she was (probably) dismissed for rebellion. If this happens at a talent agency with global notability, a no-name agency without even a website is even more likely to use the young women desperate to become a celebrity. Aspiring talent should look for reputable agencies and if they are found wanting, they should give up and do something else. There's no reason to take a chance on celebrity when they're more likely to end up scarred. This approach preserves the naive from despair they could have avoided in the first place and leaves only those willing to accept the risks.

Editorial: Okita Anri's Retirement

From the Desk of Mr. White

Okita Anri (or Anri Okita as she has promoted herself in the west) has been a mainstay of the JAV scene for the last few years.  In the wake of the loss of icons such as Maria Ozawa and Saori Hara, she has taken up the mantle of hottest and most popular Eurasian star.  And while we can debate the merits of the performances of the three, for my money, Okita Anri is by far the hottest.  For that reason and many others, it came as a big disappointment that she announced her retirement from JAV recently.

I won't speculate too much on the reasons behind this.  There are those cynics (or perhaps optimists, depending on your point of view) that think this "retirement" is simply a ploy to go away for a while, boost demand in her absence, and then drive big sales and personal income with her "return".  Then there are those who are super optimistic in thinking she will finally cross over to uncensored western porn glory.  Given her native English proficiency, and her recent promotion and recognition in the US, that's honestly not as far fetched as it would be for most JAV idols, though I don't think it will happen.  We can hope though, because I think one day a huge JAV star will break through to America, one bigger than Marica Hase was in Japan.  On that day they will probably break the internet.  Here's hoping it's Okita Anri.

Of course, she could take the route into alternative forms of entertainment, as some of the biggest idols have done.  Perhaps she will spend some time in Japan's sex industry, though I doubt that will happen in her case.  Then, there's the possibility she will simply fade into obscurity, perhaps returning to her native England.  Maybe she found some rich, handsome gentleman to marry her. Ok, I guess I lied.  I just spent quite a bit of space speculating on why she's retiring.  At any rate, for the time being, we won't know for sure.  Depending on the path she takes, we might never know why she's retiring.  Still, it's worth taking a few moments to reflect on her career.  Okita Anri is a fairly unique JAV idol to begin with, since she is only half Japanese.  Adding to her allure, she is half English, originally from Birmingham, and spent most of her life in the UK.  Thus, perhaps even rarer among JAV idols, she is a native English speaker.  All of these intangible items are great, but when you add them to her gorgeous face and massive Japanese K-cups, she's a total knockout.  Perhaps, when viewed as a complete package, one of the hottest of all JAV idols.  It will be tough to say goodbye to her, though she's had a nice long run since her 2011 debut.

Her retirement film, MIMK-044, dropped on May 13.  We will have a review of it, but suffice to say it is a fine film and certainly a necessary addition to collectors of her work.  I won't say that Okita Anri was one of my top personal favorites, but she was a very worthy part of my collection, and I was very happy to amass a respectable array of her films.  She will be sorely missed by me and JAV fans the world over.  On a general note, this is a very interesting and transitional period for JAV.  The losses of Okita Anri and Ai Uehara have hit hard.  Plus, the reality is that Julia, Shinoda Ayumi and Hitomi are closer to the end of their careers than to the beginning.  Most JAV idols do not stay in the business for long, but the huge stars do tend to have a good run.  But while I do hold out some hope that Hitomi might do western uncensored as her career winds down, the reality is that most of these stars will not cross over, nor have comebacks.  This is a painful lesson that all JAV fans must accept.

While there are tons of new girls debuting all the time, it takes someone really special to rise to the top of the elite.  I look forward to see who will start dominating and take up the mantle left by those retiring.

Why JAV is Better than Western Porn

I've seen my fair share of Western porn.  Hell, I grew up with it.  There have been and are now many fine performers and filmmakers in the industry.  But, as a whole, the American adult industry pales in comparison with JAV.  The Japanese simply do it better, and most JAV fans would agree with this point. Yet, why is this? I set out the break down some of the leading reasons behind this.

1.  Better (and More) Asian Women

Ok, so let's cut to the chase: if you like JAV, you are into Asian women.  And probably not just a little, but a lot.  Like a real lot.  Sure, many JAV fans also like other varieties of women, but Asian women have a substantial presence.  There are certainly Asian women in American porn (generally American-born for the most part), but there aren't many.  In fact, at any one time there are only a handful of what I'd call top Asian performers active in the industry.  JAV, by its very nature of being Japanese, offers many more Asian performers, typically way hotter than the ones in the West.  There's also a ton more variety, with every conceivable body type and taste being represented in mass quantities. In contrast, Western porn is a desert for Asian lovers.

2.  Creativity

This one is probably the biggest reason.  The JAV industry is dominated by the feature length film.  The 2+ hour running time that is more or less an industry standard allows for full and deep exploration of many themes.  Some themes focus on specific sex acts, while others may focus on certain locations, occupations, costumes, or storylines.  But the great thing about JAV is that the story-driven nature of most films does not in any way impact the amount of sexual content for the most part.  JAV strikes a great balance in this aspect.  For me, story, setup, and theme are critical aspects of the experience and in the West this has become something of a lost art.  There are a few Western companies that do a great job on themes and setup, but they don't take it to the level that JAV does.  JAV simply has more creative freedom.

3. Smorgasbord Approach

One of the pitfalls of Western porn is how many actresses will get to a certain level of popularity and then they will try out new levels of hardcore acts, whether it be anal, gangbang, group sex, etc.  But once they cross that threshold, many of them stay there.  Disappointing sets in for those fans disinterested in some of those themes; it's hard to find new work from those actresses that are appealing.  For example, if a performer really starts getting into gangbangs, and you aren't into that, then you are out of luck if the majority of her content becomes gangbangs.  But with JAV, actresses explore many themes that you may or may not like, but they will always keep a good variety going.  They won't just abandon the classic themes that got them started like soapland, wife, or office lady.  This is great because there usually ends up being something for everyone.  

4.  Sensuality and Eroticism

This last point is a bit subjective, but from my point of view I find JAV to be more sensual, more erotic.  In Western porn, you get some setup story (sometimes even not that), and then typically it's right into foreplay and then pounding away, interjected with bouts of oral.  Sometimes that can be great, as some Western porn can be really good at the "pounding away" part.  But something is also lost... a lack of seductiveness, or conversely, a lack of innocence in the performance of the actresses.  Maybe to put it more simply, there's more actual acting in JAV.  They are simply way better when it comes to facial expressions and mannerisms.  Whether it's an actress playing the role of your wife in POV, or an actress trying to steal away her sister's man, JAV does a remarkable job displaying real eroticism.

Well there you have it.  That about sums up my thoughts on the finer points of JAV.  Feel free to agree or disagree, or add points of your own.